India finally gives its ‘wastelands’ a name and a future
India has launched its first national guide to grasslands and other open natural ecosystems, challenging the long-standing “wasteland” label for deserts, scrublands and ravines. The document maps diverse landscapes, highlights their biodiversity, soil carbon and pastoral livelihoods, and urges climate and land policies to move beyond tree-centric restoration that has often damaged these vital rangelands.
India’s online garden trade is selling 57 invasive species, study finds
Researchers said that online commerce may be a route for biological invasions in India that has not been closely examined. Because sellers can mail seeds, bulbs, and live plants nationwide, online trade can raise what scientists call “propagule pressure,” the frequency and number of times a species is introduced into new places. Aravind N.A., a […]
Butterflies find new homes
Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, an entomologist at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment in Bengaluru, says the study throws open an important question – are generalist species using diverse host plants expanding their range while specialists face a higher risk of extinction?
Conservation Biologist Kamal Bawa to Lead Boston Conservation Walk on August 30
Conservation biologist Kamal Bawa, Ph.D, will lead a community walking discussion on biodiversity and conservation in Boston on Sunday, Aug. 30, as part of a Legacy 250 program connecting environmental issues with the history of India-U.S. relations. The event, titled “Walk with the Giants,” will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., beginning at the […]
What would meaningful progress on water look like in 2026?
Throughout World Water Week, under the 2026 theme Water for People and Progress thousands of participants from different countries, sectors and backgrounds will be asking what it takes to make that happen. The question runs through hundreds of conversations shaping our water future.
130 lakes in Bengaluru, thousands of data points — but who is tracking what happens next?
According to Priyanka Jamwal, Associate Professor at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), monitoring is only the first step in lake management. “Water-quality monitoring is like a blood test,” she quips. “The purpose is not just to know the numbers but to understand what is wrong and take corrective action.”
Understanding the true value of forest ecosystem services
India’s forests provide significant economic and livelihood benefits, particularly for people who depend on forest ecosystems for food, employment and resources. Forests provide many ecosystem services that are often not reflected in market-based assessments. Forest ecosystem valuations can strengthen conservation, but researchers stress the need for more consistent methods and for these findings to reach […]
Lantana camara: The elephant-size problem hiding in India’s green forests
Online ornamental plant trade may be an overlooked pathway for invasive species
A new study has found that a majority of ornamental plants sold online in India are alien species, many of which are known to be invasive or naturalised in other countries. Based on data from three of India’s largest online plant retailers, the study compiled an inventory of 1,856 ornamental species. It found that 57 […]
