Lockdown slows wildlife forensics
As India cautiously emerges from an extended lockdown put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), wildlife forensic scientists have flagged concerns over the delay…
COVID-19
Women in slums, stranded migrant workers grapple with water access in Bhubaneswar
One of the crucial guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is obligatory hand hygiene - to wash hands with…
India’s polar missions hit pause
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated lockdown has cast its shadow on India’s scientific expeditions to polar regions. The expedition to the Arctic this year is cancelled while as many as…
Conservation biologists navigate the new normal
Conservation biologists are coming to terms with a new normal in the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic with disrupted food supply for animals, postponed fieldwork and training, and the possibility…
Can biodiversity loss lead to more infectious disease spread?
Do biodiversity losses aggravate transmission of infectious diseases spread by animals to humans? The jury is still out but several scientists say there is a 'biodiversity dilution effect' in which…
Bats not the enemy in the fight against COVID-19
Wildlife volunteers associated with the municipal corporation of Indian metropolis Bengaluru in Karnataka, are receiving a flurry of calls from citizens to clear bats from trees, even as leading conservationists…
Using lessons from disaster management, Odisha takes on COVID-19
Nearly a year ago, on May 3, 2019, the east Indian state of Odisha was hit by the “rarest of the rare” summer cyclone Fani, which claimed 64 lives and…
[Interview] Lockdown throws up challenges for quarantine of plant samples for research
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an inter-governmental treaty signed by 184 countries, dubbed it an “unfortunate coincidence” that during the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) in 2020, the…
[Interview] Rumours linking livestock to COVID-19 unfounded, says expert
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is believed to be a zoonotic disease, meaning it probably originated from an animal source. The associated lockdown continues to alter daily lives, including…
Tracking sewage to surveil COVID-19
Scientists around the world are peeping into poop and wastewater for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to come up with surveillance techniques to warn if the virus is circulating in a…
Staying indoors in heat-vulnerable, low-income neighbourhoods
As unconfirmed reports of a novel coronavirus disease-associated nation-wide lockdown swirled in India ahead of the official announcement on March 24, Savita, a domestic help in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital,…
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
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
- Assam’s North Lakhimpur treats 40 years of legacy waste in just nine months
- Varying levels of microplastics detected in sea salt produced across India
- Decline in pollinators linked to half a million premature human deaths every year, shows study
Almost Famous Species
- The gharial attempts a second comeback with help from the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
- Understanding the role of local communities in the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays
- Citizen scientists help discover a blind catfish species hidden inside Kerala’s aquifers
- Flying is riskier for female katydids, finds India’s first insect radio telemetry study
Eco Hope
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
- India budgets for mangroves and wetlands
- Working with biomaterials to add to the sustainable energy mix
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
- Ain’t no mountain high enough: alien invasive plants increasing in higher elevations
- Unplanned, faulty buildings tremble under weather events in the fragile Himalayan regions
- Nourishing soils of Kashmir’s karewas crumble under infrastructure
Beyond Protected Areas
- The art and science of elephant whispering
- Scientists develop a toolkit to identify high conservation-value areas
- Call to save rare snake habitat follows red coral kukri sightings in Bangladesh
- Small cats in big trouble: Why we need to save these elusive endangered species
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- How a drought-prone village in Maharashtra attained agricultural success with millets
- Thirunelly’s seed festival celebrates traditional climate-resilient seeds and farm produce
- [Explainer] Why is 2023 the International Year of Millets? What do we achieve by celebrating such years?
- Nations adopt Global Biodiversity Framework amid concerns over watered-down targets
Just Transitions
- Bauxite mining in Jharkhand is impacting soil fertility, people’s health
- Incentives to boost demand, increase in e-buses in Tamil Nadu’s latest EV policy
- Electricity transition in India’s renewable-rich states needs to accelerate, says study
- [Interview] Ajay Kumar Rastogi on leading India’s first just transition task force
