Mongabay series: Beyond Protected Areas
Protected areas only cover about 5.02 percent of India’s total area. Consequently, a large percentage of India’s wildlife live outside protected boundaries. This gives rise to situations spanning between coexistence and conflict, which requires acknowledgement and awareness. With just five percent of India’s total forest cover officially protected, sharing habitat with humans is the reality for much of India’s diverse wildlife. In western Maharashtra, for example, every 100 square kilometers of land is home to 10 large carnivores (leopards and hyenas) -- and more than 30,000 people. In India, a protected area (PA) is defined as a zone “in which human occupation or at least the exploitation of resources is limited.” These PAs include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, community reserves and marine protected areas. In this series, Beyond Protected Areas, Mongabay-India will be addressing the urgent need to raise awareness of practices which make the land surrounding official protected areas more supportive of wildlife. One of the main threats to biodiversity outside protected areas is widespread infrastructure development, including linear incursions like roads and railways. The resultant habitat fragmentation splits up wildlife populations, causing an overall reduction in genetic diversity, which in turn decreases the resilience of species to pressures such as climate change and diseases. In this context, large carnivores prey upon livestock, while herbivores such as elephants, nilgai and wild boar damage crops. Human-wildlife conflict seems inevitable, but there are novel solutions that have come to light from across the country. We explore biodiversity and communities along the spectrum between conflict and coexistence, from across the country.
Alligator gar fish found in Dal lake raises concerns
The art and science of elephant whispering
Scientists develop a toolkit to identify high conservation-value areas
Call to save rare snake habitat follows red coral kukri sightings in Bangladesh
Small cats in big trouble: Why we need to save these elusive endangered species
Rising tiger population is said to aggravate human-tiger conflict in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli
Questions arise about Project Cheetah as three cheetahs die in 45 days
Nepal comes next in line to Sri Lanka to debate exporting ‘problematic’ monkeys
Why are Idu Mishmis resisting a proposed tiger reserve in Dibang Valley?
The return of wild boars in Kashmir threatens the hangul habitat and crops
A hill town in Nilgiris district pays the price for poor waste management
Environmentalists denounce Sri Lanka’s talks of exporting 100,000 crop-raiding macaques
[Video] Combatting wildlife crime with technology
Roadkill instances in Jammu and Kashmir increase as highways lengthen
The love for momos in Nepal is threatening endangered wild water buffaloes
Evolutionary lineages of the banded krait discovered through molecular methods
[Interview] Conservationist MK Ranjitsinh Jhala on the need for a grassland policy in India
Women take the wheel for safer tourism in Satpura Tiger Reserve
Habitat preservation in the Western Ghats can help enhance biodiversity in the hotspot
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
- Marine plastic pollution is not just a waste problem; reducing production is needed too
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- Climate litigation has entered the room. But could great Indian bustards be inched out?
- The dietary habits of endangered vultures
- Waterbirds adapt to nest and roost in the urban oases of Udaipur
- Understanding the elevational movements of Himalayan birds to improve conservation efforts
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination