Articles
Critically Endangered Forest Owlet: Under Threat from Habitat Loss
05 Jan 2022 | Ms Sharada Balasubramanian
Forest owlets are an endemic species to India. They are found only in small pockets of forest patches in India, and nowhere else in the world. The species were thought to be extinct, until a group of scientists rediscovered the species, and then started working on them. The forest owlets are threatened by severe habitat loss and development projects, apart from changes in climate. Sharada Balasubramanian writes about the birds, their rediscovery and how their habitat is threatened by ancient climate change and landscape modification.
Rajaji National Park: A Biodiversity-rich Landscape in the Lap of River Ganga
12 May 2021 | Dr Ritesh Joshi| | Ms Kanchan Puri
Rajaji National Park is a magnificent ecosystem nestled in the Shivalik range and the beginning of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plains, representing rich floral and faunal diversity. The Park constitutes an important repository of the wild fauna and the last refuge of a number of threatened animal species in the lesser Himalayan zone and upper Gangetic plains. Considering the abundance of nature's bounties heaped in and around the Park, the area attracts a large number of wildlife conservationists, nature lovers, and eco-tourists.
The Elf of Plants They Call Mushroom
09 Mar 2021 | Mr Rajshekhar Pant
Thomas Carlyle had said once, 'Thou fool! Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom; the idle crag thou sittest on is six thousand years of age.' Isn't it a fact that we haven't yet grown big enough to realize the benevolence of nature that has long been arming us to the teeth against all odds?
Carbon finance is a way to conserve India's tigers and their habitat
28 Jul 2020
Ahead of International Tiger Day on 29th July, our ecologist Yatish Lele highlights TERI's efforts to measure the value of ecosystem services in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, reducing human-wildlife conflict in protected areas of India, and public awareness towards wildlife conservation.
Biodiversity, Pandemics, and the Web of Life
29 Jun 2020
India can restore biodiversity in urban and rural areas by creating green corridors in cities and rejuvenating water bodies in rural areas.
India's forests and biodiversity can rescue migrants returning home in distress
03 Jun 2020
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of migrants head home, without any promise of livelihood, India's forestry and biodiversity resources can offer a ray of hope. There are solutions and mechanisms in place, but they need to be implemented with conviction. Dr. JV Sharma, Director, Land Resources Division, TERI, explains.
Bringing Back Tigers to Mukundara
06 Jan 2020 | Dr AJT Johnsingh
The big cat is India's pride but its dwindling population is a serious concern today. In this piece, the author writes about his observations on the behavioural ecology of tigers in the Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) — Rajasthan's recently established tiger reserve and gives suggestions for the successful management of the reserve.
The role of business in restoring India's degraded land
20 Sep 2019
Degraded land is an underperforming asset and poses significant risks to a wide spectrum of industries. There are, however, opportunities and benefits for businesses by adopting sustainable land management (SLM) in their value chains.
Special drive for tree plantations in Uttar Pradesh faces several challenges
20 Mar 2019
In order to provide state level support to India's commitment to achieve additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030 (two thirds potential of this target is with agroforestry), the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has taken the initiative to plant 22 crore saplings in July 2019.