Droughts Can Drive Antibiotic Resistance in Soil Bacteria, Research Finds

“India is vulnerable because it simultaneously faces several challenges relating to increased frequency of droughts, heavy antibiotic use in humans and livestock, wastewater irrigation, dense human-animal-soil interactions, and heavy agricultural dependence,” G. Ravikanth, senior fellow and convenor, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, said.

Nature-based Solutions: Hype or Hope?

NbS is not fully understood in the Global South context. Researchers have even questioned the term itself. The phrase “nature-based solutions” is a confusing catch-all that does not specify what problem is actually being solved, says Dr Sharachchandra Lele, distinguished fellow, Environmental Policy and Governance, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

Invasive Fish Species Threaten Native Biodiversity in Vembanad Lake

A recent study conducted by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and the ATREE has revealed a significant decline in native fish species in the lake over the past two decades, while the population of exotic fish species continues to rise. Maneeja Murali, senior programme officer at ATREE’s Community Environmental Resource Centre, […]

Ringed Harrier Makes Nemmeli Seasonal Home

Earlier this year, Suzhal Arivom, an environmental research and conservation collective, spotted a ringed adult male Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) at Nemmeli in Chennai. Now it’s been confirmed from the ring number that the bird was originally ringed in Rajasthan by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) under their Harrier […]

No More Prawns in Vembanad Lake This Time; Invasive Fish Take Over the Lake

The invasive fish sucker catfish is spreading in the Vembanad Lake, posing a threat to native fish. Invasive fish species such as sucker fish, pacu and pearl gourami were found during the Vembanad fish census. Although sucker fish have been found in the Vembanad Lake before, it has been found that they are now reproducing […]

But, Your Honour, Cockroaches Are Important Insects

“They play a crucial role in nutrient cycling,” said entomologist Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Senior Fellow at Bengaluru’s Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). “Cockroaches help clean up the system.”