Why are Wayanad tribals, farmers wary of poll promises?

It seems that tribal leaders, farmers and environmentalists are not impressed with Rahul Gandhi contesting from their constituency

Centre to give Indian Forest Act a facelift

The environment ministry has started comprehensively amending the Act by “weeding out” and updating obsolete provisions

Environment ministry makes forest rights Act irrelevant in initial stage of forest clearance

Letter from MOEFCC regarding Western Coalfields projects in Maharashtra also shun tribal ministry’s concerns

Lost valley of flowers

Floods have washed away two villages that cared for the upkeep of the precincts around the World Heritage Site. Will its residents get a chance …

Centre set to dilute tribal rights over forestland

Affidavit filed in Vedanta case says government can acquire forests in public interest by ‘extinguishing’ tribal rights

Tribals nail government lie on protecting indigenous people at biodiversity meet

'Will the Indian government abandon mining projects to protect us?' ask residents of Singrauli who face displacement because of Mahan coal project

Letters

Tensions that continue

While launching this newsmagazine, our founder-editor Anil Agarwal had said that in the years ahead, India will have to seize every possible …

How many Indians are pastoralists? No official data, but report says 13 mln

A figure of 35 million is often quoted, but without a source, claims report  

Madhya Pradesh village protests for right to vote

There is no village, says collector

Maharashtra forest department backtracks on forest fire guidelines

To relax rules to lure tendu contractors

Political economy of welfare

The BJP-led government's change of heart for big-ticket rural programmes says a lot about its dwindling political fortune

Deforestation rampant in Malawi as residents chop forests to produce charcoal for fuel

Charcoal trade has emerged as a viable means of livelihood for the power-starved villagers

Kalahandi MP denied bamboo passage

He is not allowed to cart away bamboo poles purchased from village conferred community rights under Forest Rights Act   

Bamboo rights: Maharashtra gives priority to paper mill over Forest Rights Act

Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan says agreement with Ballarpur Industries predates the Act

CAG flags community centre under FRA actually MP govt tourist lodge in Pench

CAG slams action as being tantamount to misuse of powers by forest department and against spirit of Forest (Conservation) Act

How tribal leadership in Chhattisgarh is helping people access rights

The civil society’s intervention in the tribal regions began in early 1980s on two issues-sustainable livelihood, particularly in forest …

Low tiger population haunts newly notified Navegaon-Bandh Nagzira reserve

Activists say notification of reserve may intensify conflict between forest department and locals

The new votaries of Forest Rights Act

Is it the upcoming elections that are prompting states to focus on FRA and win hearts of the tribal people? wonders Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava

Mahan coal block gets clearance

Forest rights of Baigas scuttled to clear way to mine dense forest

Uprooted for the sake of compensatory afforestation

To compensate for forest land diversion for Parsa coal block, Chhattisgarh government identifies 16 villages without approval from gram sabhas

Indigenous people in India and the web of indifference

On the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we bring together the stories of exclusion, oppression, and at times, recognition

Green tribunal questions two-stage forest clearance for POSCO

Raises hope of residents, activists who have been opposing the clearance given to the project

Global Eco Watch: Ice Age woolly rhino unearthed in Siberia

Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology

Rights overruled

States are making their own rules to reclaim the authority over forests from tribes, derailing community forest rights