Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
New research shows that invasive species taking over urban areas resulted in a total cost of US$ 326.7 billion, at the very least, in the past five and half decades.…
Mongabay series: Environomy
"Environomy" is the name we have given to this series of stories on environmental economics. This is a hitherto unexplored area in Indian journalism, where the environment and economics are reported in depth separately, but the intersectionality between the two remains unarticulated. We plan to explore the environmental implications of economic policy decisions and vice versa. We would focus on the economic value of conserving biodiversity, the economics of climate change action, and from the perspective of India's energy transitions.
Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
On February 22, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) released a detailed methodology for a component of its Green Credit Programme, effectively enabling the trade of environmental…
[Podcast] Environomy: A Challenge Across Generations
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its country profile for India notes that though the country's landmass covers only 2.4% of the world's land area, it packs…
Joshimath’s economy wanes as tourists dwindle
On a sunny February afternoon, Motiram Joshi, 65, is patiently waiting for people to visit his general store in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town. However, since last year, the tourist inflow has…
[Podcast] Environomy: Playing With The Pillars
Said to be the three pillars of Indian democracy -- the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, have maintained a calibrated balance since the Independence. However, the economic reforms initiated…
[Podcast] Environomy: The Middle Class Unbottled
In 1991, India initiated economic reforms to combat a severe financial crisis and it was a milestone year for economic growth in the country. The then government opened up markets…
Farmers swap pulses for paddy after damage by unpredictable rains and cattle grazing
Sushma Pandey, a 56-year-old farmer from Hafizabad village in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, is keen to grow arhar (pigeon pea) on her 0.5 hectares of land. However, two challenges prevail: open…
Rising air pollution impacts India’s crop yields and food security
Since the introduction of the National Air Quality Index (AQI) in 2014, New Delhi witnessed the highest number of days in the severe and near-severe category in November 2023. The…
Look at weather indices rather than impacts for better fisheries insurance: experts
In a background of increasing market pressure and changing climate marked by intensifying storms, extreme weather and uncertain seasons, fishers find insurance cover often inadequate. While fishers’ life insurance schemes…
[Book review] Environment and economics: linkages that could make or break our post-pandemic world
It was a time like what we had never faced earlier in our lifetimes. Today we are back living as if the COVID-19 pandemic never happened. Lost in between is…
[Commentary] How to strategically align CSR funds to meet India’s sustainability goals
Corporate India invested a record sum of over Rs. 25,000 crores in 2021-22 toward Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure. The expenditure was made by more than 18,000 companies that cumulatively…
Kerala farmers go bananas over diversity
“Every district in Kerala has its favourite banana,” said Nishanth K., a 49-year-old banana farmer, from Kerala’s Wayanad district, who has over 250 varieties of bananas on his farm. “Wayanad…
Insurance sector needs to redraw risk assessment framework as climate-related disasters multiply
India was hit by extreme weather events almost every day in the first nine months of 2023. Ranging from heat and cold waves, cyclones and lightning to heavy rain, floods…
[Interview] Climate change talks do not take nature into consideration in its economics: Partha Dasgupta
The international climate change negotiations are built on a wrong economic construct, according to eminent environmental economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University…
[Workshop] Environmental economics: Valuing and financing climate action
Mongabay-India, in collaboration with the Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE) is conducting a series of workshops on the intersection of journalism, environment and economics — “Environmental Economics for Journalists”.…
Scavenging hyenas save carcass disposal costs
While vultures are greatly appreciated for taking care of carcasses, there is another scavenger whose contribution is often overlooked: the humble hyena. A new study, published in August, found that…
Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
A long-term study to understand ways to balance conservation with religious practices, in three tiger reserves of India, has culminated in a set of comprehensive guidelines that provide concrete suggestions…
Tackling food loss and waste for climate and food security
Reducing food loss and waste could improve food security but it may not necessarily lead to expected environmental benefits, according to researchers of a recent study published in Nature Food.…
Indian banks have no plans to step away from coal investments yet, new assessment finds
Compared to a year ago, India’s top commercial banks continue to lag in their preparedness for future climate risks, with incremental progress being made across select criteria, a new assessment…
Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
Rohit Vishwas, 28, started working as a delivery person for a grocery delivery app in 2021 after he lost his marketing executive job during the Covid-19 pandemic. He spent eight…
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
