
Mongabay series: India's Iconic Landscapes
Stretching from tropical to temperate latitudes, with a 7,500 km long coastline, two archipelagos, some of the tallest mountains and the most extensive mangrove ecosystem in the world, iconic India harbours biodiversity hotspots of global importance. From these landscapes, we will bring you stories of people, animals, plants and their habitats. This series on the country's iconic landscapes spans the well known Himalayas and the Ganga river basins but also tells the stories of fascinating efforts of conservation in small pockets of the Sundarbans, the Western Ghats, the coastline and even the urban centres of the vast and varied country. As an emerging economy, the growth story of iconic India has had varying impact on the country’s habitats, natural resources, biological diversity and forest-dwelling communities. We highlight stories of neglect and destruction to some of the country's most important landscapes and through a mix of perspectives we bring to the fore the need for protecting them and growing through sustainable development.


Shielding hijol, a floodplain tree, from climate impacts

[Explainer] Mass flowering and why some plants bloom and die together

Uttar Pradesh reports an increase in rhino population since reintroduction over three decades ago

[Video] Hangul, the shy Kashmiri deer, is facing the threat of extinction as its habitat shrinks

Rajasthan is getting wetter and it’s not good news for the desert ecology

[Commentary] Traditional water harvesting structures in the Thar desert are vanishing

[Maps] Environmental path cleared for Great Nicobar mega project

[Commentary] India’s wildlife conservation journey has had great strides and many hurdles

All eyes on the next chapter: India prepares to host cheetahs after 70 years

Farming becomes tough in Himachal’s cold desert with changing climate and crop pattern

Manipur landslide sparks ecological debate

The container terminal that could sink the Great Nicobar Island

North India’s hills are feeling the heat too, but differently

[Commentary] Is expansion of aquaculture in the Indian Sundarbans an ecological threat or a pathway to sustainable development?

One year of Similipal forest fire: The hits and misses

Grasses spur mangroves to grow in an erosion-riddled Sundarbans patch

Scientists raise caution as mangroves erode faster along the Bengal coastline

Glaciers at Pangong in Ladakh retreated 6.7% since 1990, says recent research

Climate mitigation should not come at cost of biodiversity conservation, warns tropical savannah ecologist
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
- Stubble burning is back, smothering north India with concerns for the upcoming winter
- Humans are contaminating Earth’s waterways with medicines, pharmaceutical ingredients
- Inhaling particulate matter is increasing the prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age
- Health effects of heat stress will intensify disproportionately without ambitious efforts

Almost Famous Species
- India garners international support to save two endangered freshwater turtles
- What protecting the slender loris could mean for forest communities in Tamil Nadu
- [Video] Hangul, the shy Kashmiri deer, is facing the threat of extinction as its habitat shrinks
- Identifying individual mugger crocodiles using drone technology to minimise conflicts

Eco Hope
- Hosur forest division runs campaign to collect illegal guns in a move to protect elephants
- How an equitable model of irrigation is changing this drought-prone Maharashtra region
- To increase fish production, Odisha turns to cage aquaculture
- Nations adopt Global Biodiversity Framework amid concerns over watered-down targets

India's Iconic Landscapes
- Nourishing soils of Kashmir’s karewas crumble under infrastructure
- Shielding hijol, a floodplain tree, from climate impacts
- [Explainer] Mass flowering and why some plants bloom and die together
- Uttar Pradesh reports an increase in rhino population since reintroduction over three decades ago

Beyond Protected Areas
- Assam loco pilots on the need for effective communication to prevent elephant-rail collision
- [Podcast] Imprints: Digging up bones with Advait Jukar
- Helping wildlife navigate road and railway infrastructure
- What’s for lunch? Elephants are picky eaters finds study in northern West Bengal

Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Nations adopt Global Biodiversity Framework amid concerns over watered-down targets
- [Commentary] A renewed CGIAR can better support South Asia to determine its food future
- Equitable benefit sharing of digitised genetic information to span across discussions at COP15
- Making sense of rainfall changes in Karnataka’s coffee estates through old records

Just Transitions
- Helping wildlife navigate road and railway infrastructure
- Energy transition offers a ray of hope to farmers struggling in chilly winter
- With a new policy, Odisha aims at 10 GW of renewable energy by 2030
- [Commentary] The missing caste from commons: A reflection from a Telangana village
