Traditional Fishers Turn Rescuers in a Win for Declining Marine Wildlife [Commentary]
Coastal fishers in Tamil Nadu are forgoing hunting practices and instead increasingly rescuing dolphins, turtles, and dugongs during nearshore fishing operations. Long-term ecological knowledge, combined with fishing methods such as shore seine and hook-and-line fishing, enables rapid release of bycatch and adaptive responses to changing marine conditions. Incentive schemes, social recognition, and youth participation have […]
Forest governance needs more than tinkering at the edges
This opinion piece examines decentralisation in forest governance and the role of the Forest Rights Act in empowering community forest management.
What an Edible Insects Stall Revealed About Acceptance, Normal Food
Despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, insect-based foods are losing popularity. Urbanisation has created cultural distance from traditional practices.
What an Edible Insects Stall Revealed About Acceptance, ‘normal’ Food
Despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, people are increasingly moving away from insect-based foods. Urbanisation has created both physical and cultural distance from such practices. Many younger generations that have grown up or settled in cities are often unaware that insects are eaten across several parts of India
Market Gaps Reshape Farming and Economy in the Mountains
Poor connectivity, weak price discovery, and dependence on intermediaries undermine farm viability in the Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas.
Market Gaps Reshape Farming and Economy in the Mountains [commentary]
Poor connectivity, weak price discovery, and dependence on intermediaries undermine farm viability in the Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas despite demonstrating strong local production capacity and adaptability. While self-help groups, markets, and value-added products are emerging as solutions, limited infrastructure, training, and aggregation prevent scaling. Strengthening farmer producer organisations, post-harvest facilities, digital market linkages, and youth-focused […]
Revitalising Open Natural Ecosystems Through India’s National Red List Assessment Initiative
Open Natural Ecosystems cover nearly 10% of India’s land area and support rural livelihoods. This article explores India’s National Red List initiative to assess and conserve them.
Institutional expertise meets judicial confusion in the Aravalli hills definition case
Down To Earth | 30 December, 2025 Sachin Pernacca Sashidhar, Milind Bunyan, Kripa MK, Abi T Vanak The Supreme Court’s now-stayed definition of the Aravalli Range relies on a 100-metre height threshold that could exclude most of the landscape. Scientists and environmental groups warn the move ignores decades of ecological research on how the Aravallis […]
The Three-decade-old Pesa Act Has Not Been Implemented Yet.
The PESA Act is about to complete 29 years in India. The Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as the PESA Act, came into force on December 24, 1996, applicable to the Fifth Schedule areas of the country.
World Soil Day: Grassland Soils, Not Trees, Anchor India’s Climate Resilience
“Wastelands”. That’s how India’s biodiverse semi-arid grasslands and savannas have been undervalued ever since the British colonial era. For the masters, the woody forests of the subcontinent fuelled industrialisation, while the grassy biomes served no purpose in their timber-driven colonisation.
