For India’s black-necked cranes, dogs are a major threat
For the residents of Ladakh, the cold desert region in India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, the black-necked crane is held in high regard. Its mating dance is an…
Environmental headlines
Mongabay is a non-profit provider of conservation and environmental science news.
Graft and government policy align to keep Indonesia burning coal
JAKARTA — A far-reaching corruption scandal centered on a proposed power plant in Indonesia has cast a shadow over the country’s risky reliance on coal as a supposedly cheap source…
Indigenous architecture saves lives in Lombok quakes
BELEQ, Indonesia — “Alhamdulillah, my family is safe,” says a misty-eyed Jumayar, giving thanks to god. His home, once proud and tall, lies crumpled beside him in a tangle of…
Brazil’s pesticide poisoning problem poses global dilemma, say critics
Brazil is a leading global consumer of chemical pesticides – many banned in the EU and U.S. This not only puts farmworkers at risk, but consumers of Brazilian food the world round.
Bandits raid village near Madagascar park, killing conservation worker
Armed bandits attacked a village on the edge of Ranomafana National Park in southeastern Madagascar in late July. They robbed residents and killed an employee of the Centre ValBio (CVB)…
A new dimension to marine restoration: 3D printing coral reefs
The local fishermen looked on skeptically. From the deck of a small motorboat, scuba divers grabbed odd chunks of ceramic – which could be described as rocky brains stuck on…
Indonesia’s land swap program puts communities, companies in a bind
JAKARTA — Last year the inhabitants of Konbaki village in the Indonesian island province of East Nusa Tenggara filed a request to farm some 174 hectares, about 430 acres, of…
Study finds widespread degradation, deforestation in African woodlands
Deforestation rates in southern Africa’s woodlands are five times higher than prior estimates, according to recent research published Aug. 2. More deforestation, combined with widespread degradation of these savannas, translates…
Rare bird, feared extinct after hurricane, is spotted in Bahamas again
Researchers have finally spotted the Bahama nuthatch, an endangered bird that they thought had gone extinct following a devastating hurricane in 2016. Things are still not rosy for the bird,…
Latam Eco Review: Land trafficking in Lima’s hill ecosystems, oil spills in Venezuela, floods in Colombia
The most popular stories from our Spanish-language service, Mongabay-Latam, this past week investigated how land trafficking is destroying Lima’s fragile hill ecosystems; government inaction and oil spills in Venezuela; open…
Colombia’s new president faces daunting environmental challenges
On August 7, Juan Manuel Santos ceased to be the president of Colombia and handed over the office to Iván Duque, who was the right-wing candidate for the Democratic Center…
Seeing REDD: a database of forest carbon emissions reduction projects
A searchable database of initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is now available through the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Launched in 2015…
As the DMZ turns 65, a call for Korean peace through conservation (commentary)
As the world continues to watch the high-stakes diplomacy that is unfolding between North Korea, South Korea, and their key allies, there’s been wide speculation about the many outcomes that…
Drone used to confirm existence of uncontacted Amazon tribe (video)
The Brazilian government used a drone to help confirm the presence of an uncontacted indigenous group deep in the Amazon rainforest. FUNAI, Brazil's indigenous affairs agency, undertook an expedition to…
A river runs through it — and keeps the Amazon’s bird species diverse
Amazonian rivers don’t often drive the creation of new species, but do help maintain distinct populations, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances last month. Amazonian rivers…
In Morocco’s markets, conditions for wildlife are ‘universally poor’
In Morocco’s live animal markets, a wide variety of wildlife is available for sale. There’s the threatened spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca), going for around $1, and the endangered Barbary macaque (Macaca…
In other news: Environmental stories from around the web, August 24, 2018
Tropical forestsCentral African countries embark on an effort for more sustainable architecture (CIFOR Forests News). Community land rights get a boost in Ethiopia with a new forestry law (CIFOR Forests…
A Malaysian port city grapples with the fallout from Chinese funding
KUANTAN, Malaysia — Beijing is more than 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) north of the sandy beaches, oil palm plantations and tropical forests that distinguish peninsula Malaysia’s less prosperous South China…
Another mass fish kill hits Indonesia’s largest lake
Millions of fish in floating cages died suddenly this week in Lake Toba, the biggest lake in Indonesia. E. Naibaho, a local aquafarmer, noticed the fish in his floating pens…
From sink to source: Droughts are changing the Amazon rainforest
Because they take vast amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, rainforests are an important part of the planet’s carbon cycle and their conservation is playing front and center…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Murder of activist in India highlights growing risk to environmental defenders
- Number of murdered environmental activists rose once again in 2017
- Indonesia to investigate death of journalist being held for defaming palm oil company
Indonesias forest guardians
- Papuan chef Charles Toto serves up sustainability and environmental protection in a platter
- In eastern Indonesia, a forest tribe pushes back against miners and loggers
- Faith in the forest helps Indonesia’s Dayaks keep plantations, loggers at bay
Amazon infrastructure
- Brazilian elections and the environment: where top candidates stand
- Community-run trading posts help Amazon forest people reverse rural exodus
- Ruralists in Brazilian congress put nation’s protected areas at risk
Asian rhinos
- In protecting the Javan rhino, locals gain a ‘more meaningful life’
- Rhino poop gives villagers in India a conservation incentive
- In its fight against rhino poachers, India lets the dogs out
