Forests

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Featured Articles
August 11, 2024 Even in the face of daunting challenges like climate change, collective action and community engagement can lead to meaningful change
SeasonWatch tree walk at Rupa Rahul Bajaj Centre for Environment and Art (Image: SeasonWatch)
May 19, 2024 The surprising connection between Wikipedia, beaches, and your water bottle.
A top down image of a lush green forest in a sacred grove in Meghalaya (Image created by: Sreechand Tavva)
May 11, 2024 Deforestation, expansion of agricultural land, encroachment into forested areas, and unplanned urbanisation alter landscape connectivity, fragment habitats, and increase fire ignition sources.
Uttarakhand's wildfire wake-up call (Image: Pickpic)
May 8, 2024 What is the ecosystem based approach to water management? How can it help in solving the water woes of states in the Deccan Plateau?
An ecosystem based approach to water management (Image Source: India Water Portal)
May 26, 2023 Orans are traditional sacred groves found in Rajasthan. These are community forests, preserved and managed by rural communities through institutions and codes that mark such forests sacred. Orans have significance for both, conservation and livelihood. The author visited two orans in Alwar district in Rajasthan and in this article, she writes about her observation.
Since ancient times, communities in Rajasthan have preserved these orans, and their lives have been inextricably entwined with them. (Image: Ranjita Mohanty)
In the name of development
The indigenous community of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been systematically alienated from their land by the colonial and post-colonial policies. A new book chronicles the change. Posted on 06 May, 2017 08:12 PM

Pankaj Sekhsaria’s recent book Islands in flux--The Andaman and Nicobar Story is a collection of around 20 years of his writings on the environmental and conservation concerns faced by the indigenous tribal communities of the region.

The forests and the tribal communities of the islands are being decimated. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Project power plants fear
A 1,320 MW power plant near mangrove forests of Sundarbans may have irreversible consequences. Posted on 09 Apr, 2017 12:59 PM

The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans are the biggest barriers against cyclones from the Bay of Bengal, saving both India and Bangladesh from irreparable damage.

The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans are the biggest barriers against cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. Source: Laskar Sarowar/Wikimedia Commons
Uttarakhand to conserve its natural resources
Policy matters this week Posted on 04 Apr, 2017 06:21 AM

Uttarakhand takes decisions to save its natural resources

The Ganga emerges from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Problems of mine: When coal threatens Raigarh
From increasing health issues among residents to declining forest produce, coal mining in Chhattisgarh has devastating outcomes. Posted on 30 Mar, 2017 05:50 PM

It was in the late 90s that Raigarh emerged as the hub for power, coal mining and sponge iron in Chhattisgarh. The coalfield in Mand Raigarh is spread over an area of more than 1,12,000 hectares with an estimated 21,117 metric tonnes of coal. 

A villager looks at the changing landscape due to coal mines at Kosampalli village in Raigarh.
Can Sewri get back in the pink?
Sewri wetland is known for many winged visitors including flamingos that come for blue green algae annually. It is under threat, thanks to rapid urbanisation. Posted on 24 Mar, 2017 09:59 AM

Mangroves form an integral part of the landscape of Mumbai and are essential in maintaining the stability of the coastline.

The pink guests of Sewri. (Source: India Water Portal)
What's conservation without local hand?
A study from the Sundarbans shows that conserving biodiversity by excluding indigenous populations has threatened not only the survival of the forest but also the sustainability of the region. Posted on 24 Mar, 2017 09:48 AM

Can forest conservation policies that ignore the livelihood needs of local, indigenous populations succeed in protecting biodiversity and wildlife?

Experiences from the Sundarbans show that such policies not only result in the suffering of the local population, it also leads to the exploitation of natural resources and biodiversity in the region.

Mangroves of the Sundarbans. (Source: Nature Environment & Wildlife Society - NEWS)
Going wild in a bustling city
Once ravaged by the mining industry, Asola Bhatti, the only wildlife sanctuary in Delhi is a refreshing sight now with dense flora and a thriving wildlife. Posted on 12 Mar, 2017 09:11 PM

The reclusive family decides to stay indoors due to the overcast sky on a Sunday morning. The parents are seen walking down the road twice, but they dart back after noticing the visitors. The golden jackals are not known for gregariousness, at least not towards humans. The nature trail to meet these canines would remain as cloudy as the sky.

Nilgai (blue bull) is in abundance at the sanctuary.
Election update: Its hills vs plains in Manipur
The land of gems will have a new government soon. We look at what leading political parties have to say about issues related to natural resources. Posted on 04 Mar, 2017 05:33 PM

The key issue in the Manipur Assembly election is the ongoing economic blockade in the state, which, in turn, is attributed to the present government’s decision to

A Manipuri family. (Source: Coffee Table Book, Government of Manipur)
Maharashtra goes Doha for water
How the Doha model of groundwater recharge saved the livelihoods of farmers in Maharashtra. Posted on 22 Feb, 2017 12:02 PM

There was a time when the farmers of Yavatmal district depended completely on rainfed agriculture. That was before the introduction of Doha, a water harvesting structure by NGO Dilasa Sansthan in 2014. Farming changed drastically after that, something which Sitaram Kove, a 40-year-old farmer of Rajini village in the district, will vouch for.

A Doha canal at Rajini village. (Source:Dilasa)
Capital punishment
While Delhi gasps for fresh air, its green lung, the Delhi ridge, is shrinking in space due to encroachment. Posted on 20 Jan, 2017 08:37 PM

It may come as a surprise to many that Delhi, a bustling metropolis and home to a population of over 18.6 million, has one of the largest stretches of forests in the country bang in the middle of the city.

Kamala Nehru forest in the northern part of the ridge is home to several historical monuments. (Source: Harsha NH, Wikimedia Commons)
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