[Photos] Women, heat and informal housing
“There is the blazing sun above and scorched earth beneath us,” laments 28-year-old Yelamma while sitting under a tree outside her tarpaulin and tin hut in Hyderabad, Telangana. Telangana has…
Mongabay series: Environment and Her
From environment heroes to women-centric solutions for environmental problems, our stories in this series explore how the environment impacts women uniquely. What are these challenges and are women equipped to handle them?
How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
Rekha Kol, 16, spends her days helping her mother with household chores and looking after her younger cousins next door. This has been her routine ever since she dropped out…
[Commentary] Exploring gender in forest landscape restoration initiatives
A landscape approach to forest restoration necessitates an integrated perspective that requires understanding the interdependent relationship between people and nature and ways that human activities both depend on and impact…
The Forest Rights Act sees outcome in a women-led forest stewardship scheme in Odisha
When her mother-in-law started taking her along on forest patrols, Pramila Pradhan, 51, began embracing thengapalli, a form of forest stewardship. In Kodalpalli, Odisha, thenga means stick, and palli means…
[Book review] Women biologists take centre stage saving forests and wildlife
At a time when the ascendency of women is being celebrated with the role of women scientists in the Chandrayaan Mission, the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament…
Women seaweed farmers seek other jobs while India plans industry expansion
“My mother used to collect seaweed from the sea. As a child, I naturally followed her to sea and ever since then, seaweed farming is what I do,” says R.…
[Interview] Suravee Nayak on why transformative justice for women, Dalits is key for a just transition
At its Global Just Transition Dialogue earlier this year, the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST), a think-tank, estimated that a ‘just transition’ out of coal would cost…
Women take the wheel for safer tourism in Satpura Tiger Reserve
It’s early in the morning. Tourists visiting the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, cross the Denwa river to reach the forests of Madhai. Gypsy cars (a model of off-road…
[Interview] Purnima Jalihal on the evolution and future of ocean energy systems in India
A seawater-powered lantern with an output in watts; a small hut powered by one to five kilowatts of ocean energy; or a town that could run on megawatts harnessed from…
Women take the lead in promoting nutrition-sensitive aquaculture in Odisha
Until a decade and a half ago, mola fish (Amblypharyngodon mola), a small indigenous species (SIS), was an integral part of Odia cuisine. However, with changing climatic conditions, pollution, excessive…
[Commentary] Kolkata’s climate action plan needs to be more gender-sensitive
Heatwaves, floods, flash droughts and cyclones are increasingly becoming regular events in India. The cities facing such climate events have been experiencing high economic losses and loss of lives due…
Marine fishing ban in Odisha leads to loss of income for women involved in allied activities
The eastern coastal state of Odisha, with a 480-kilometre long coastline, has been imposing two fishing bans annually for over two decades in order to conserve the fish population and…
[Podcast] GigaWhat: Transforming lives with decentralised clean energy
In rural India, decentralised renewable energy options – primarily solar power – are creating livelihood and business opportunities. Decentralised renewable energy systems are primarily independent of the central power grid,…
[Interview] Just representation in climate policies empowers women, says Saudamini Das
“No one was willing to buy the argument that mangroves buffer against tsunami,” environmental economist Saudamini Das recalls the research and debate surrounding storm protection services of mangroves following the…
Can MGNREGS work as a social protection scheme for women in heat-stressed areas?
Bhavana Devi, or Bhuri, as she is known by people in the village of Kerpura in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, cheerfully opens the rusted iron doors to her home. Sunlight streams…
Saffron, biodiversity and glaciers: Kashmir’s women scientists lead climate action
Several women scientists from Kashmir are at the forefront of research to tackle changing climatic patterns that threaten local ecologies, livelihoods and networks that sustain them. Scientists Nasheeman Ashraf, Ulfat…
[Photos] Maharashtra’s female farm workforce struggles in the shadows of floods
“How will we survive? What can we do now? What will we eat?” Hirabai Hugge, 65, spent a majority of her time over six months, thinking about these questions. In…
Solar mini-grids fuel women-led enterprises in Jharkhand’s Gumla district
Birsuni Oraon is a tribal woman in her 50s, living in Guniya village in the Gumla district of Jharkhand. Until a few months ago, she would usually be occupied with…
A decade on, India’s first solar park has many promises left to fulfil
“You should come here during the monsoon to see how big our gauchar (grazing land) was,” reminisces Nanu Rabari, 60, as she breaks pods of Prosopis juliflora, called gando bawal…
India’s women and children highly vulnerable to climate change yet missing in climate policies
As the number of vagaries of climate extremes increases, so has the disproportionate burden on women and children, finds growing evidence. Policies, however, are yet to catch up and reflect…
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
- Wildlife rescue operations in Kashmir face an uphill battle with rising human-wildife conflict
- Pathogens find new pathways as agriculture, deforestation intensify
- Measuring the scavenging value of vultures
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
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
