India losing biodiversity hotspots

Kerala floods: Government was warned long back, but it chose to ignore

Ignoring experts’ recommendations on protecting fragile ecology of Western Ghats, Kerala had chosen development over environment

Deforestation rate slowed down: FAO

The pace of loss of forests has slowed in recent years even though the world’s forest area decreased from 31% to 30% between 1990 and 2015

Dust storms to become more intense if degradation of Aravallis continues

Withering of Aravallis, mainly due to erosion of forests along the northern and central tracts, is making dust storms more intense

Less than a quarter of emission targets from Paris climate agreement met in 7 years

World is not on track to achieve forest goals of ending and reversing deforestation by 2030

Is new-age environmentalism narrowing down to planting saplings?

Planting saplings is undoubtedly a good idea, but considering it as the panacea to all our environmental woes is dangerous

The Yellow River has been known as ‘China’s sorrow’. Now we know who was responsible

Deforestation, erosion on the Loess Plateau caused the Chinese to construct levees to tame the river, in turn, worsening the risk of flooding

What Aarey case means for forest land classification

The question of classification of the land as forest or revenue isn’t relevant in the matter due to the SC order in the TN Godavarman …

Road expansion, deforestation shrinking wildlife in Congo Basin: Study

Accelerating deforestation could also leak carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect

Planting problems

Forest development corporations fell rich forests to raise plantations, undermining people's rights and biodiversity. It's time India introduced …

The seeds of trouble

Privatisation of tea and rubber plantations has endangered the flora and fauna in southern Sri Lanka

There's more to trees than timber

New thinking on forestry management calls for reducing the emphasis on sustainable timber production and concentrating instead on the protection …

Kerala brick industry taking over rice fields

The fast-expanding brick industry (in Kerala) is causing irreversible damage to paddy-fields in a state that is already beset by an acute rice …

Wood substitutes threaten plywood industry

A CPWD proposal to ban use of timber in construction has generated friction between manufacturers of wood substitutes and plywood, with each side …

Dying repositories of the world's biodiversity

Rich in flora and fauna, rain forests are nevertheless ecologically fragile. Their loss due to human depredation could result in environmental …

Court ruling on tree felling worries officials

A dispute over a plot demarcation has highlighted the problem of protecting privately owned forests in Himachal.

The nature of human health

It's high time that we invested wisely in a robust environment, a prerequisite for public health

Wisdom from an obscure archipelago

In Down To Earth's first Country Report, ANIL AGARWAL and SUNITA NARAIN look at Papua New Guinea, its short but volatile transition to the market …

Fights for space

Once harmonious, the human-elephant relationship has taken an ugly turn. Faulty forest policies and nationwide destruction of elephant habitats …

Barren continent

After the destruction of Europe's conifers, it took millions of years for the regeneration of forests

Deforestation embargoes in Brazilian Amazon not followed in over 85% area: Report

Embargoes helped revive only 13% forest area

Earth’s energy budget is not in balance. Should we be concerned?

The Earth will continue to warm as long as this energy imbalance persists

Over 1,700 trees to be axed for widening NH-59 in Odisha

The felling of several old trees has already been started in Ratanpur

Putting an end to commercialisation

Careless losses