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Articles by Mongabay- India
For India to reach net-zero by 2050, the country needs to allocate 2.5 percent of its land for clean energy installation
The study by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) notes the potential for land-use conflict to arise over renewable energy installations, even in sparsely populated areas. By Mayank Aggarwal If India were to implement a net-zero target by 2050, an area of atleast about 65,000 square kilometres – equivalent to about half the size of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu – is required for large-scale installation of solar and wind power, a latest report has found.
IPCC report relevant for India as it will reveal country's climate change reality
Mongabay- IndiaAug 06, 2021 13:10:55 IST by S. Gopikrishna Warrier The wait for the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is almost over, with the report scheduled to be released on August 9. The work has already begun this week online with the Working Group 1 meeting to approve the Summary for Policymakers of the WG-1 report.
How unaware turtle owners are facilitating the spread of an invasive species found in water bodies across India
The exotic, invasive turtle is a threat to the 29 native species of freshwater turtles and tortoises in India. By KA Shaji Around three months ago, Adithyan D Thambi, a sixth standard student from Kalathode in central Kerala’s Thrissur town, chanced upon a turtle while fishing in a local canal. As soon as he reached home, Thambi clicked a picture of the cute-looking red-eared turtle and posted it on his social media account.
Rich in biodiversity, Haryana's first community reserve suffers due to pollution and delays in restoration work
The site, which the local villagers believe existed since the ancient period of the Mahabharata, has long been the natural habitat of the Indian softshell turtle. A soft-shell turtle at the Thana community reserve site. Photo by Chetna Sharma/via Mongabay-India In July 2017, the Haryana government had declared a 100-acre pond site at village Thana in its Kurukshetra district as the state’s first community reserve site, to conserve its rich biodiversity.
The spotting of a female gharial's nest in Odisha underlines the state's efforts to revive the critically endangered species
Gharial conservation efforts in Odisha formally began in 1975 with the intervention of FAO and UNDP in collaboration with the state forest department. Between 1977 and 2017, as many as 867 gharials were released into the Mahanadi freshwater system. But only 12 had survived till 2018. By Tazeen Qureshy On 22 May, a forest protection team of Satkosia wildlife division was on its usual patrol duty when they spotted a nest of a female gharial with 28 hatchlings on the banks of river Mahanadi in Odisha.
Riddled with environmental concerns, India's palm oil supply chain needs to look at sustainable options
Over 90 percent of the palm oil imported by India comes from Malaysia and Indonesia where environmental concerns associated with the production are routinely highlighted. Indian companies are making efforts towards a sustainable supply chain of palm oil.
Transhumant pastoralists in Rajasthan struggle amid COVID-19 pandemic as their livelihoods, herds suffer due to depleting resources
These pastoralists depend on the farmers and households along their route for the fodder and water of their herds. But since the Indira Gandhi Canal closed down for maintenance, both have been hard and costly to find. Shepherd with a herd of goats and sheep near Bikaner. Photo by Jakub Hałun/Wikimedia Commons. By Tatsama Motilal Almost four lakh (4,00,000) people depend on pastoralism as a mainstay of livelihood in Rajasthan.
Dragon fruit farming has taken wing in north Bengal creating better prospects of income generation for farmers
Cultivating dragon fruit seems to be a good alternative for farmers in north Bengal who lack adequate irrigational facilities. An investment is required initially to create support structures for the plant which is a climber. Dragon fruit. Photo by Gurvinder Singh via Mongabay-India By Gurvinder Singh Abha Toppo resides in Hatighisa village in Darjeeling district of North Bengal, around 20 kilometres from Siliguri city, the gateway to northeast India.
A new tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu brings hope of revival for the now-dry river Vaigai
'Enhanced conservation activities in Meghamalai and other parts of evergreen Varusanadu hills where the river originates would replenish the river and that would help the Madurai region to regain the balance of its ecosystem,” says CP Rajkumar, founder of VANAM. By KA Shaji River Vaigai, seminal to Tamil literature, culture, and civilization, is now almost a dead river in Madurai, a city where it has been the lifeline since the ancient Sangam era.
In India, as incidence of forest fires spikes in the pandemic, inhabitants lose their sole source of livelihood Original
Increasing fire trends can be seen in data as well with the Forest Survey of India (FSI)’s system sending fire alerts 3,86,031 times this year, till 28 May 2021, which is already twice the number of alerts sent in all of last year. By Manish Chandra Mishra “I have never seen this kind of a forest fire before. This year, the fire entered our village, and I could see that it was just 100 meters away from my home.
In Uttarakhand, displacement of Van Gujjars has brought perks for some in the community, and chaos and disruption for others Original
The Van Gujjar community in Uttarakhand is being slowly displaced to protect the Rajaji National Park, while development projects eat their way through the forest. By Radhika Gupta In Uttarakhand, there is a strong drive to displace the nomadic pastoral tribe of Van Gujjars in order to protect wildlife. ‘Van’ means forest. It was an identity conceived by a group belonging to the larger Gujjar community, to protect land rights during the formulation of the Rajaji National Park in 1992.
Increased work negatively impacts women farmers' nutrition, ability to make balanced meals: Study Original
Agricultural interventions and development programs should make sure that the benefits of participation in agriculture outweigh losses such as time for household activities and leisure, says the study. By Sahana Ghosh When women put in extra hours on farms in peak seasons of sowing, transplanting, and harvesting, it may impact their food preparation time and reduce nutrient intake, a study finds.
Why eating insects is becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable way of consuming proteins, micronutrients
In many countries, there is now a growing appreciation of insects as food and feed. In India too, efforts are being made to create awareness and popularise entomophagy. By Femi E Benny What is entomophagy? Entomophagy is the practice of eating insects. Humans have harvested insects, as components of their food, for thousands of years. This practice was previously considered ‘ancient’ and ‘barbaric’, and there was a substantial aversion to including insects in food.
30 years since liberalisation, India's fight against poor energy access might get tougher owing to COVID-19 crisis-India News , Firstpost
Covid-19 is expected to make energy access even more challenging as more people will be pushed to poverty and they will not be able to spend money on clean fuel. By Kundan Pandey It was the year 1991 when India decided to open its economy. Hakki Bai, a five-year-old girl then, used to go to nearby forests with her mother to pick woods for fuel. Her mother would use it as firewood to prepare food for her and her father.
Development projects lined up for Odisha's beaches known for their red ghost crabs-India News , Firstpost
Talsari beach in Odisha and other beaches along the Balasore coast, draw many local tourists and wildlife enthusiasts hoping to get a glimpse of red ghost crabs that turn up every year in large numbers. Red ghost crab. Photo by Selvaganesh17/Wikimedia Commons By Sneha Mahale Talsari beach, located in the Balasore district of Odisha, is well-known among wildlife enthusiasts and local people in the state.
New study finds Sikkim’s urban sacred groves mitigate double the carbon compared to a natural rural forest Original
The importance of urban forests is reflected in a clutch of India’s forest and environment policies such as the National Agroforestry Policy which supports the increase in the country’s tree cover including tree outside forest (TOF) and urban forest to reduce pollution in the cities. By Sahana Ghosh In Sikkim in the eastern Himalayas, religious and cultural ties have helped preserve patches of forests attached to monasteries for centuries.
In Assam, locals struggle to find Bihu special greens owing to unplanned urbanisation, climate change
For Rongali Bihu, the Assamese new year, a special dish is traditionally prepared — a concoction of ‘ekho-ek bidh xaak’, or 101 varieties of local leafy greens and herbs, that is believed to be beneficial to health. by Azera Parveen Rahman The month of April, when Rongali Bihu is just around the corner and spring paints every tree with young, delicate leaves and blooming flowers, is Anamika Baruah’s favourite time of the year.
Once water resilient, mining-affected villages in Goa now entirely dependent on government tankers for supply
Opencast iron ore mining reduces the groundwater table and causes surface water pollution. The village of Pissurlem in the mining-belt of north-east Goa used to be brimming with water; it is now entirely dependent on government tankers. By Supriya Vohra Sunita Shashi Gawade is a 46-year-old woman living in Dhatwada, a sub-ward of Pissurlem, a mining-affected village in North Goa district. She lives with her husband and two children.
Makhana farming yields profits in Bihar as farmers lean towards weather resilient crops
Earlier farmers used to cultivate makhana in ponds but after facing recurring flood problems, low land areas are now being utilised for makhana farming with support from state government schemes to promote it. By Pushyamitra In recent years, farming of traditionally grown crops like corn and rice in Bihar, has been hit by weather uncertainties and recurring floods. Some farmers, however, have turned the crisis into an opportunity by taking up the cultivation of foxnut as their primary produce.
In a bid to save environment, Gond community decides to bury its dead instead of cremating them
Mitti Sanskaar was a common practice before. It is believed in the community that through this ritual, the body mixes with five basic elements of nature: earth, air, water, fire and space. By Anup Dutta For the Gond community, one of India’s largest indigenous people, cremation is a part of the final rites when someone dies – the dead body is put atop a pile of wood and burnt to ash.
Avian flu outbreak in India brings forth links to environment, animal and human health
Mongabay- IndiaMar 22, 2021 13:19:01 IST by Sahana Ghosh As avian flu swept through India towards the end of 2020 and early 2021, states scrambled to step up vigil and measures to control the spread of the disease.
Sustainable menstruation: An explainer on how eco-friendly menstrual hygiene ensures a safer environment
Sanitary pads, tampons, and other menstrual hygiene products are categorized as ‘dry municipal waste’ under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. There is ambiguity on whether menstrual waste should be considered as biomedical waste or plastic waste. By Snigdha Nalini Oreya How much menstrual waste does India generate?
In Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson blends fact and fiction in a remarkable narrative around climate crisis
It’s a roller coaster of a book, one of the most significant pieces of fiction on the climate and ecological crises thus far and must be read by all those in any position to act on what is clearly humanity’s biggest challenge. By Ashish Kothari These days the old adage of fact being stranger than fiction is living itself out so commonly, that a lot of fiction no longer surprises.
India's recent avian flu outbreak highlights environmental, animal-human interaction concerns
© Provided by Firstpost India's recent avian flu outbreak highlights environmental, animal-human interaction concerns By Sahana Ghosh As avian flu swept through India towards the end of 2020 and early 2021, states scrambled to step up vigil and measures to control the spread of the disease.
Drastic loss in forest birds have been recorded due to land-use changes in the western Himalayas
© Provided by Firstpost Drastic loss in forest birds have been recorded due to land-use changes in the western Himalayas by TV Padma Land-use changes in the western Himalayan forests, a global biodiversity hotspot with huge numbers of endemic species, have resulted in a massive decline in forest birds in the region, new research shows.
Indian beasts that existed 50,000 years ago could hold the key to evolution and extinction
© Provided by Firstpost Indian beasts that existed 50,000 years ago could hold the key to evolution and extinction by Sahana Ghosh Turn the clock back in time 50,000 years and you would have seen two species of giant prehistoric elephants (Palaeoloxodon namadicus and Stegodon namadicus), a hippopotamus, Hexaprotodon sp., and a zebra-like horse, Equus namadicus, alongside other great beasts that roamed the Indian subcontinent.
Two new books, by Stephen Alter and Hannah Mumby, shed light on humans' relationships with elephants
Are we to believe the sole identity of the elephant as a dangerous, temperamental beast, akin to tigers propounded as ‘maneaters’ by shikaris of yore? Two recently published books delve into these themes, though the approach is vastly different. By Prerna Singh Bindra In the second week of January, staff at a local resort in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu, in trying to chase away a wild elephant, inadvertently set it on fire.
Two new books, by Stephen Alter and Hannah Mumby, shed new light on humans' relationships with elephants
Are we to believe the sole identity of the elephant as a dangerous, temperamental beast, akin to tigers propounded as ‘maneaters’ by shikaris of yore? Two recently published books delve into these themes, though the approach is vastly different. By Prerna Singh Bindra In the second week of January, staff at a local resort in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu, in trying to chase away a wild elephant, inadvertently set it on fire.
Need for dedicated technology to lack of market support: Why novel ideas like turning a city’s waste to manure fail
The waste decomposition and manure formation need special attention and dedicated technology. The government has to step in and support the market while creating a demand from the farmers to use the manure. Compost bed. Photo by Komal Sambhudas/Wikimedia Commons. By Monika Mandal In 2016, the Government of India (GOI) launched a policy for city waste management. The plan was simple yet innovative − to convert the organic kitchen waste into manure for farmers.
In a bid to revive dying ponds in Goa, local community seeks help from stranded migrant labourers
A group of concerned citizens realised the value of neglected water bodies and came together to form a citizen action group called Catch2o to revive water systems in and around their villages. By Rashi Goel When Goan artist Harshada Kerkar looked out of her home window, she was used to seeing the scorched, parched buffaloes gravitating to the pond in front of her house in large numbers.
Remembering Sugathakumari, the Malayalam poet who became the face of environmental activism in Kerala
Till Sugathakumari died, the poet-activist remained a guardian angel of Kerala’s forests, rivers, mountains, coastal regions, wildlife, and precious natural resources. Celebrated Malayalam poet and Kerala’s pioneering environmental activist, Sugathakumari.
A Jharkhand town powers Indias nuclear dreams, at the cost of its residents health, the environment
By Subhrajit Sen Anamika Oraom, 16, of village Dungridih, around a kilometre away from Narwa Pahar uranium mine in Jharkhand, wants to study. But she cannot, owing to severe headaches that come up periodically, triggered by a malignant tumour on her face. Sanjay Gope, 18, cannot walk and is confined to his wheelchair. Haradhan Gope, 20, can study, walk, talk, but owing to a physical deformity, his head is much smaller in proportion to his body.
Invasive ornamental lantana species threatens to destroy 40 percent of India’s tiger habitats, study says Original
Mongabay- IndiaAug 21, 2020 11:45:09 IST While India talks about the impacts of developmental projects on biodiversity, an exotic plant with pretty flowers has diligently carved its way to degrade its forests. This plant, Lantana camara, is a thicket forming shrub native to tropical America. Arriving in India as an ornamental plant in the early 1800s, lantana has escaped from gardens and taken over entire ecosystems, now occupying 40 percent of India’s tiger range alone.
Desert locust swarms invade India: They are millimetres in size but millions in numbers Original
Mongabay- IndiaJun 09, 2020 12:35:00 IST By Nobin Raja M., Priya Ranganathan Alongside a global pandemic, India prepares to fight yet another battle for food security. Unlike the micron-sized virus, however, the new threat is millimetres in size but millions in number: the desert locust. Amidst concerns of heatwaves and crop failure comes the desert locust, a migratory insect from eastern Africa and Southeast Asia.
World Environment Day 2020: Bats are not the enemy in the fight against the novel Coronavirus Original
Mongabay- IndiaJun 03, 2020 14:06:53 IST By Sahana Ghosh 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 call to seek an end to the “viral witch hunt” against bats in the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “Whenever there are disease outbreaks we start receiving complaints on bats.
Kashmir Himalayas: Kolahoi glacier's retreat can be attributed to climate change, shifts in land use
By Athar Parvaiz Kolahoi Glacier, the largest glacier in Kashmir Himalayas which feeds two major tributaries of the River Jhelum – Lidder and Sindh – has further reduced in area over three years, a new research paper has revealed, as it compared its recent findings to that of a 2017 study.
World Environment Day 2020: How natural habitat destruction can fuel zoonotic diseases like COVID-19
Mongabay- IndiaJun 01, 2020 14:20:25 IST By T V Padma The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) pandemic, believed to have been triggered by the transmission of the virus from animals to humans, has brought into sharp focus zoonotic diseases that are spread by animals forced to move out of their natural habitats that are increasingly being destroyed, say experts.
Coronavirus outbreak: Assam's boat clinics conduct door-to-door surveillance on saporis
By Nabarun Guha On 26 April, 2020, when the Dhemaji Boat Clinic was on its way to conduct a routine health camp in Pakhoriguri – one of the 2500 saporis or riverine islands situated across the 891 kilometre long course of the river Brahmaputra in Assam – the clinic received a call to change course. They were asked to head towards Udaypur Mechaki sapori in the same district (Dhemaji).
Earth Day: There is no fish in the ocean " Declining catch worries fishermen in southern Karnataka
Editor's Note: This story was first published on 24 February 2020 and has been refurbished on account of Earth Day. January 18th, 2020 - It is a hot Saturday afternoon in Sasihithlu, a small fishing village in southern Karnataka. At 12.30 PM, the sun is directly above us, glaring through a largely cloudless sky. Surya Salian, 62, gathers his cast net for a final throw. He enters the still blue water until it is waist-high. He swings his arm and throws the circular net.
Earth Day: There is no fish in the ocean — Declining catch worries fishermen in southern Karnataka- Technology News, Firstpost
Mongabay- IndiaApr 22, 2020 09:37:20 IST Editor's Note: This story was first published on 24 February 2020 and has been refurbished on account of Earth Day. By Supriya Vohra January 18th, 2020 - It is a hot Saturday afternoon in Sasihithlu, a small fishing village in southern Karnataka. At 12.30 PM, the sun is directly above us, glaring through a largely cloudless sky. Surya Salian, 62, gathers his cast net for a final throw. He enters the still blue water until it is waist-high.
Even as the return of a tiger to Ajanta after over 50 years shows their resilience, conservation requires trust with local people
By Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi On an unusually cold night in October 1964, Jalambaba sat in a cowshed at the edge of Mukpat village, barely two kilometres from the Ajanta caves of yore. Through a hole in the wall, he could just about see the outline of the dead cow, which was less than ten feet away. A single-bore, country-made shotgun in hand, he was waiting for the perpetrator to return. “When clouds parted, moonlight revealed a tiger feeding on the carcass of the dead cow.
How sustainable methods adopted by tribal honey hunters could conserve bee population, improve food security
By Catherine Gilon Even as modern science grapples with the rapidly declining bee population, we could look back and take a lesson on sustainability from the ancient culture of the adivasis (the first people) of the Nilgiris. Covering over three states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is home to over eighteen ethnic groups. Of them, Kattunaickens, Kurumbas, Sholigas and Irulas are known to be the primary honey hunter tribes.
Coronavirus Outbreak: India's pollution board issues guidelines to handle COVID-19 biomedical waste
India’s pollution watchdog, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has released guidelines for handling, treatment and safe disposal of biomedical waste generated during treatment, diagnosis and quarantine of patients confirmed or suspected to have the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta: Rise in sea-levels to put densely populated region in peril
By GBSNP Varma The water level in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta, covering a part of West Bengal and two-thirds of Bangladesh could rise up to 85 to 140 centimetres by 2100, said a latest study. It noted that being one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, the GBM delta presents a major challenge for climate change adaptation of nearly 200 million inhabitants. It is often considered as a delta mostly exposed to sea-level rise and exacerbated by land subsidence.
A bird festival in Gujarat's Dang forests raises awareness about biodiversity in Western Ghats
By Kartik Chandramouli A bright-yellow bird zipped over our heads while we stood at the fringe of a field nestled in a forest. “Aa aamtiki che. (This is an oriole),” said Pratik, pointing to the black-hooded oriole that disappeared into the thick canopy of the Purna Wildlife Sanctuary in south Gujarat’s Dang district.
Madhya Pradesh: Students employ citizen science approach to detect increasing levels of fluoride content in drinking water
India Mongabay- India Mar 05, 2020 09:50:09 IST Since September 2019, students have been putting science into action to test the fluoride levels in water sources, as a part of their coursework’s annual mandatory internship. The handpump in Rajawat is one among the 2000 handpumps and water sources monitored and marked by the students across 70 villages in Alirajpur block of the namesake district. Long-term ingestion of large amounts of fluoride can lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis.
“There is no fish in the ocean”: Declining catch worries fishers in southern Karnataka
Mongabay- IndiaFeb 24, 2020 13:16:59 IST By Supriya Vohra January 18th, 2020. It is a hot Saturday afternoon in Sasihithlu, a small fishing village in southern Karnataka. At 12.30 PM, the sun is directly above us, glaring through a largely cloudless sky. Surya Salian, 62, gathers his cast net for a final throw. He enters the still blue water until it is waist-high. He swings his arm and throws the circular net.
Recent floods force farmers at Maharashtra-Karnataka border to straddle two states, owing to compensation policies
By Abhijeet Gurjar Ganeshwadi is the last village of Shirol taluka in Kolhapur district on the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka. Many farmers from Ganeshwadi and other villages in Shirol straddle between the two states with a home in Maharashtra and agricultural land in Karnataka. As monsoon hits the western Indian state, floods regularly follow in Shirol. There has been a flood in Shirol every year, with major floods in 1914, 1989 and 2005.
Green economics is robust enough for policy makers to assess impact of their decisions: Pavan Sukhdev
Mongabay- IndiaFeb 04, 2020 15:19:37 IST On 27 January, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement announced the two winners for 2020. Gretchen C. Daily and Pavan Sukhdev were selected for their work on the global impact of their work on environmental economics. Sukhdev is an Indian who was selected for the award for launching and leading The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) process.
What starts in the Amazon doesn’t stay there: Wildfires are melting Andes glaciers
Mongabay- IndiaFeb 03, 2020 16:34:47 IST Fires in the Amazon may be melting Andean mountain glaciers at an increased rate, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Smoke plumes billow from Amazon forest fires and travel with the wind, carrying aerosols such as black carbon to settle upon the surfaces of mountain glaciers, darkening snow. As a result, the snow’s albedo — the amount of light and radiation reflected from the surface — is reduced as absorption is increases.
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