Are small hydropower projects fish friendly?
Most rivers in South India, begin as small streams in forested mountains. The Western Ghats is filled with such streams. As they flow downhill they join other streams and gain…
[Commentary] The coasts need science-based policy action
The coasts are in turmoil again. It is neither storms nor monsoonal winds that are affecting the coast at present. The turbulence is because the Ministry of Environment, Forest and…
The great Indian bustard stands on the brink of extinction
Once in the running to become India’s national bird, the great Indian bustard (GIB) is now fluttering for survival. Earlier found across several states of India, it is now on…
Novel ‘begging’ behaviour observed in bonnet macaques at Bandipur
The visitor information centre at Bandipur Tiger Reserve is often a stage for a lot of monkey-human drama, with two troupes of bonnet macaques jostling with thronging tourists. Adult monkeys…
Karnataka cracks down on visitors disturbing wildlife, going on selfie sprees
In 2016, in the desert state of Rajasthan, a man had a narrow escape while he tried a selfie attempt with a python. In the same year, an Indian cricketer…
Shift to coarse grains from rice for healthy, environment-friendly diet: Study
A diet that moves away from white, polished rice to include coarse grains and wheat could help Indians tackle micronutrient deficiencies affordably and cut down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated…
Innovative aerial survey project maps rooftop solar energy potential for Bengaluru
A recent series of aerial surveys of Bengaluru, using the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, could possibly be a pioneer project to assess the potential for rooftop solar photovoltaic…
This draft national forest policy too gives short shrift to grasslands
In 1987, Asad Rahmani, ornithologist and the former director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), wrote in the journal Oryx that the greatest threat to the great Indian bustard…
Is the Supreme Court judgment on the Kaveri environmentally sustainable?
Summer is the pilot car that the monsoon follows into the Indian peninsula from the Indian Ocean. Thus, Kerala, which is at the entry point for the southwest monsoon, is…
From reserved forests to protected area: How tiger numbers increased in Sathyamangalam
K. Alagirisamy stands guarding the forest check post in Hasanur, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). “I was the last one to spot the tiger- right here on the road,” he says,…
Will India be able to meet its renewable energy targets by 2022?
At an event in New Delhi recently, New & Renewable Energy Secretary Anand Kumar announced that India would achieve its target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity…
The 2016 ‘monkey fever’ outbreak was not the first in Maharashtra
Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne illness that was once restricted to the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It was first detected in the 1950s from Karnataka’s Shivamogga district,…
Is India becoming a centre for pangolin poaching?
Nearly 6000 pangolins were poached in India between 2009 and 2017, despite a ban, with Manipur and Tamil Nadu emerging as hotspots for pangolin smuggling, says a report released by…
State of Forest Report says that India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 1 percent
India has recorded a one percent jump (8,021 square km) in overall forest and tree cover between 2015 and 2017 despite population and livestock pressures, even as the green footprint…
Karnataka’s otter reserve: An initiative that needs more work
Inside the country’s first ever otter reserve in Karnataka, there is a family of smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) gathered at a spot. They are involved in activity that binds them…
Three rattan species in the Western Ghats are endangered
If there is one material that finds immense use in our indoor and outdoor furnishings, besides wood, it is the cane. Sourced from a tall, climbing palm called the rattan,…
The Eastern Ghats yield two new species of large geckos
It was a cold December day in Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh, India, and Zeeshan Mirza was not happy. He was on a faunal survey for the state government,…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
- [Explainer] Living with microplastics, is not fantastic
- Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
Almost Famous Species
- From abundance to endangerment to revival, Kachchh’s guggal comes a full circle
- [Commentary] Why are evolutionary scientists studying the crawlies?
- The silent trade of elusive small cats in Mizoram
- Researchers study the elusive dugongs of the Andamans with help from community stakeholders
Eco Hope
- Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
- [Video] Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Studies reveal impact of land use on species diversity in rock outcrops
- Improved tiger numbers come with hidden messages on invasives, habitat connectivity
- Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
Beyond Protected Areas
- Megaherbivores could be a potential solution to manage invasive plants, finds study
- Darkness-loving bats are being nudged out of the shadows
- Bioinvasions are a global threat to ecosystems, says IPBES report
- Artisanal fishers wary of coastal aquaculture regulation amendments that legalise past violations
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Excavating farmlands for highways
- Increasing carbon dioxide is making our food less nutritious
- Ecosystem-based adaptation takes nature-based, people-centric approach to agriculture
- [Commentary] How grassroots-led natural farming at the landscape scale can support communities and heal the planet
Just Transitions
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
- [Interview] Suravee Nayak on why transformative justice for women, Dalits is key for a just transition
- Promised rehabilitation eludes residents living near one of India’s earliest coal mines
- As e-mobility gains traction, what’s in store for the friendly neighbourhood mechanic?
