Mongabay series: Environment And Health
A clean environment, and actions to protect the integrity of ecosystems matter to human health and well-being. Every time we mess around with the environment, we feel it. These negative impacts on human health are brought on by a suite of changes such as land-use change, unjust energy transitions, climate change and biodiversity loss that interfere with the benefits of natural ecosystems that make life possible for people (ecosystem services). For example, polluted air, a river in peril, local food systems in decline, rapacious mining and rampant deforestation, harm human health. Climate change through extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves, worsens the impacts. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the urgency to protect, conserve and restore wildlife habitats and disappearing ecosystems. In Environment and Health, we probe these linkages and go beyond examining the impacts of the environment on human health to understand how we can shore up our actions to shape a healthier India and a resilient ecosystem.
Shhh! CPCB proposes stringent fines for noise pollution
[Commentary] ‘Righting’ the wrong: Rights of rivers in India
African Swine Fever kills thousands of pigs in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
[Commentary] India can build back better from COVID-19
The 20 lakh crore package looks ahead, missing immediate concerns of farmers
[Analysis] Cyclone Amphan puts focus back on millions displaced by climate disasters
[Commentary] The environmental impacts of the economic package
Land banks to help economy post lockdown could threaten poor communities
Years of neglect led to Vizag gas tragedy
Rajasthan sees spike in wildlife poaching during COVID-19 lockdown
[Commentary] Post-COVID there is a case for a greener GNP
Gap in sampling hampers India’s ecological monitoring in Antarctica
Assam’s boat clinics scan remote islands for COVID-19
An online network emerges during the lockdown connecting farmers directly with customers
Lockdown slows wildlife forensics
[Commentary] A post-lockdown pathway for forest-edge communities of central India
Concern for birds grounds Mumbai’s marina project for now
Uttarakhand eyes a part of Rajaji Tiger Reserve for Kumbh
Women in slums, stranded migrant workers grapple with water access in Bhubaneswar
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