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Many women from the Irular community depend on seasonal brackish pools around the Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters for their livelihood. Imge by Smitha T.K.

Fishers, naturalists worry about the impacts of turning a coastal wetland into a reservoir

Smitha T.K. 13 Jul 2026

Proposed solar project in India’s largest grassland sparks conservation concerns

Ronak Gajjar 8 Jul 2026
A fisherman at work at the Loktak Lake. Image by R.K. Neetu Sana.

Warming lake threatens fish habitats and the wetland economy

Barasha Das 7 Jul 2026
Aquatic plants dominate the water surface of Dal Lake. Image by Akhil Paul.

Scientists test turning aquatic weeds into liquid fertilisers

Hirra Azmat 7 Jul 2026
A sarus crane feeds its offspring. It is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, and Shekha jheel is a critical stronghold for the species. Representative image by Drsssuresh1961 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Ramsar wetland tag needs to be followed up with sustained management, say experts

Manish Chandra Mishra 24 Apr 2026
Nainital lake. Image by Neharajpoot via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Kumaon lakes have become sinks for microplastic pollution

Simrin Sirur 25 Feb 2026
Rusted boats lie on the dried-up bed of the Aral sea. Image by Arian Zwegers via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Does the dry bed of the Aral Sea reflect India’s water future? [Commentary]

Tisha Srivastav 12 Jan 2026
Ulsoor lake in Bengaluru. Image by Ramesh NG via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Environmentalists concerned over size-based buffer zones for water bodies

Aisiri Amin 2 Dec 2025
Toxic pollutants from industries on Bellundur lake in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

How excess rains and poor wastewater management send microplastics into city lakes

T. V. Padma 30 Oct 2025
Plastic pollution along the shores of Bhoj wetland. Image by Manish Chandra Mishra/Mongabay.

Evidence of microplastics in a wetland sparks concern about water security

Manish Chandra Mishra 8 Oct 2025
Achan landfill. Image by Farzana Nisar.

The landfill that ate a wetland

Farzana Nisar 3 Oct 2025
Deepor Beel is Guwahati’s major stormwater storage basin, and is facing stress from unregulated urban runoff. Image by Arnie via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Algal blooms choke a wetland, threatening biodiversity and livelihoods

Barasha Das 29 Sep 2025
A man rows past a bus partly submerged in flood water in Rishikesh in June 2013. Extreme rain during the monsoon led to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides during this time in the Western Himalayas. (AP Photo)

What are cloudbursts? Why do they occur and how can cloudburst risks be reduced? [Explainer]

Max Martin 27 Aug 2025
A bronze-winged jacana in Vembanad lake. Estimates say the lake is home to some 20,000 water fowls, otters and various varieties of fish. Image by Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

From choking backwaters to cleaner currents [Commentary]

C. J. Punnathara 13 Aug 2025
Bellandur lake seen from neighbouring residential societies. The decades following the 1970s saw rapid development and encroachment of lakes in the city. By the 2020s, only 183 choking lakes remained. Image by Amol.Gaitonde via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

The city of lakes battles a deepening water crisis

Phalguni Ranjan 25 Apr 2025

[Commentary] India needs a dedicated national wetland inventory programme

Ritesh Kumar 31 Jan 2025

1 in 4 freshwater species around the globe at risk of extinction

Kristine Sabillo 22 Jan 2025

When citizens take ownership of urban commons

Arathi Menon 27 Sep 2023

[Podcast] Imprints: Lake hopping with Anoop Ambili

Sahana Ghosh, Kartik Chandramouli 3 Feb 2023
A fisherwoman pulling up her Chinese net using the traditional Khu-il Chingba method in front of a homestay. Photo by Victor Ningthoujam.

Authorities announce “clean up” of Loktak lake; locals fear loss of fishing commons

Donald Takhell 9 Aug 2022