Coexisting with an increasing number of Asiatic lions
India’s lion census, supposed to be conducted in the first week of May, has been deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is little doubt that the number of…
[Commentary] Finding the middle ground with the Changpa herders in Ladakh
The temperature was touching -15 °C as the sun set in Tsaba valley in Ladakh. We were bunched inside a tiny bunker, all seven of us. Making the most of…
Women in slums, stranded migrant workers grapple with water access in Bhubaneswar
One of the crucial guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is obligatory hand hygiene - to wash hands with…
[Commentary] Pastoral communities of Tamil Nadu in peril
Esekki leans on his broad staff as he speaks, keeping a watchful eye on his flock of sheep to make sure they didn’t stray too far. “The grasslands used to…
Can biodiversity loss lead to more infectious disease spread?
Do biodiversity losses aggravate transmission of infectious diseases spread by animals to humans? The jury is still out but several scientists say there is a 'biodiversity dilution effect' in which…
Agrobiodiversity initiatives open women’s horizons in Kerala
Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala's Western Ghats. She deftly navigates the slopes of Attappady in Palakkad district with the gravity-defying dexterity of a…
[Commentary] The last tiger of Ajanta
On an unusually cold night in October 1964, Jalambaba sat in a cowshed at the edge of Mukpat village, barely two kilometres from the Ajanta caves of yore. Through a…
Bioresource access and benefit-sharing: How far have we come in India?
India became a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994. The CBD is a multilateral treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, its sustainable use and ensuring “fair and…
[Commentary] In the post-COVID world, health security must be a matter of national security
The Chinese New Year is a time to visit families and ancestral lands. It began with the Little Year (January 17 to 24), followed by the main Spring Festival (January…
Ganjam fisherwomen unite to get back fish trade from monopolistic traders
As the sun moved above the horizon dividing the sky and sea, five boats approached the coast at Sana Nolia Nuagaon, a fishing village in Ganjam district of eastern Indian…
