Invoking tradition and science to revive Meghalaya’s ponds
Thirty-year-old Born Lang Blah from Mawphlang village has vivid memories of his childhood, when men, women, and children would walk downhill to Um Khlaw, the pond to collect water. The…
Mongabay series: Wetland Champions
Among all the ecosystems in a biologically and ecologically diverse country such as India, the wetlands are the least reported in the media space, and in turn get less discussed in the public and the policy space. Amidst this rather bleak story for wetlands, there are individuals and communities that have understood the ecological significance and the importance of the ecosystem services that wetlands provide, and have been working to conserve them. We will write about these individuals and communities through the Wetland Champions series.
Navi Mumbai couple fights to save a bird haven from becoming a golf course
What started as a police complaint about the destruction of mangroves in 2016 turned into a passion for conserving wetlands for the Agarwals. This Navi Mumbai couple, both in their…
A group of women protect Sindhudurg’s mangroves through ecotourism
The Mandavi Creek in Vengurla had always been a place that drew wonder from Shweta Sachin Hule. She would gaze at the glistening waters under the clear blue skies and…
Saving Darbhanga’s wetlands from encroachment and apathy
Almost a decade ago, when Narayanji Choudhary first decided to work to save ponds, by creating awareness in his home region of north Bihar, he didn’t think that one day,…
Sankar and his community dig canals to save Muthupet’s mangroves
Sankar grew up listening to stories of rain. For in Muthupet, where the 54-year-old’s family has been residing for about 250 years, it was the rainfall which nourished an extensive…
How an engineer found his calling in conserving wetlands
Every day after returning from school, young Ramveer Tanwar would quickly eat his lunch, pick up his school books and take a herd of cattle for grazing. While the livestock…
A citizen’s movement to protect wetlands emerges in Jammu and Kashmir
It was a cigarette butt that turned Tariq’s life around. Tariq A. Patloo remembers the moment like it were yesterday. “I was taking a German tourist through one of our…
The shepherd who digs ponds for animals
A nondescript village in Malavalli taluk in Mandya district of Karnataka, Dasanadoddi, is a little over 100 km from the capital city of Bengaluru. With narrow tarred roads snaking through…
It takes a village – and an inspired leader – to protect Kutch’s unique inland mangroves
In Guneri, Kutch, there is a belief that many years ago, when the Indian subcontinent was not as fragmented, a Sufi saint had come to the region and planted two…
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
- Lower species richness in deforested landscapes tied to high Kyasanur forest disease risk: study
- Soils from city parks are important hotspots of microbial diversity: study
- India’s dietary guidelines have a relatively lower carbon footprint: study
- [Commentary] Will the COVID-19 second wave buck the trend for the Indian middle class?
Almost Famous Species
- A bridge of trees reunites gibbons separated by a railway line in Assam
- The neelakurinji bloom is wilting with time
- Misfired shot: Law to protect camel is contributing to its decline in Rajasthan
- [Commentary] Bactrian camels in Nubra Valley provide lessons for conservation of animal genetic resource
Eco Hope
- Worshipping Waghoba: Faith meets conservation in Maharashtra where humans and leopards share space
- Why tiger conservation efforts need genetic data
- Keeping alive a mangrove conservationist’s legacy to protect Kerala coast
- [Interview] The glass ceiling has been shattered, says ZSI’s first woman director
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Snug in Kashmir’s meadows, ox-eye daisy worries scientists
- Assam to destroy nearly 2500 seized rhino horns in anti-poaching message
- Rethinking tourism could save Udaipur from its pressures
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
Beyond Protected Areas
- Unpacking how cyclones impact mangroves’ ability to soak up carbon dioxide
- When conservation efforts collide with tribal rights in Maharashtra
- Worshipping Waghoba: Faith meets conservation in Maharashtra where humans and leopards share space
- Why tiger conservation efforts need genetic data
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation
- How climate change is taking a toll on livelihoods of small-scale fishers in Kerala
- Plant Man Miguel Braganza on how Konkan Fruit Fest preserves food biodiversity
- Building up carbon sinks in northeast India’s shifting cultivation landscape
Just Transitions
- When salt is an essential commodity and salt makers are not
- Jharkhand’s solar pump scheme aims to improve lives of farmers by increasing irrigation potential
- Odisha has an ambitious electric vehicle plan but faces challenges
- Stone mining in Brahmagiri mountains chips away at the Godavari River ecosystem
