Mongabay
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Award-winning nonprofit media outlet publishing global environmental science & news in 6 languages via bureaus in India, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia & US: https://mongabay.com
New research documents the positive impacts that Afro-descendant populations have had on tropical ecosystems in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname.
The study found that deforestation rates are between 29% and 55% lower in Afro-descendant lands than in protected areas.
The study found that deforestation rates are between 29% and 55% lower in Afro-descendant lands than in protected areas.
Afro-descendant territories slash deforestation, lock in carbon, study shows
Afro-descendant peoples in Latin America have historically been guardians of nature, but their role could be more important than previously estimated. New research carried out in four Amazonian…
news.mongabay.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:10 AM
New research documents the positive impacts that Afro-descendant populations have had on tropical ecosystems in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname.
The study found that deforestation rates are between 29% and 55% lower in Afro-descendant lands than in protected areas.
The study found that deforestation rates are between 29% and 55% lower in Afro-descendant lands than in protected areas.
Parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, India’s largest cities, are slowly sinking, mainly due to overextraction of groundwater, according to a recent study, reports Mongabay India’s Manish Chandra Mishra.
Indian megacities are sinking putting thousands of buildings at risk: Study
Parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, India’s largest cities, are slowly sinking, mainly due to overextraction of groundwater, according to a recent study, reports Mongabay India’s…
news.mongabay.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, India’s largest cities, are slowly sinking, mainly due to overextraction of groundwater, according to a recent study, reports Mongabay India’s Manish Chandra Mishra.
Sri Lanka recently reported a “fish rain,” where fish were found far from water bodies after heavy rains; but rather than falling from the sky, experts say these were amphibious fish that “walked” overland after the rains, making a rare but real phenomenon appear mysterious.
Behind Sri Lanka’s ‘fish rain’ lies a web of migrations now blocked by rising dams
COLOMBO — From time to time, curious tales of “fish rain” grab media attention: fish seemingly fall from the sky, far from any bodies of water, following heavy downpours. The most recent incident…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Sri Lanka recently reported a “fish rain,” where fish were found far from water bodies after heavy rains; but rather than falling from the sky, experts say these were amphibious fish that “walked” overland after the rains, making a rare but real phenomenon appear mysterious.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
In Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, rich with macaques, gibbons & hornbills, Indigenous youth continue practicing Arat Sabulungan — a belief that every part of nature holds spirits. Rituals before cutting trees or fishing remain a way to keep balance.
In Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, rich with macaques, gibbons & hornbills, Indigenous youth continue practicing Arat Sabulungan — a belief that every part of nature holds spirits. Rituals before cutting trees or fishing remain a way to keep balance.
How religious beliefs may help protect Mentawai’s forests
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, the Mentawai Islands…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
In Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, rich with macaques, gibbons & hornbills, Indigenous youth continue practicing Arat Sabulungan — a belief that every part of nature holds spirits. Rituals before cutting trees or fishing remain a way to keep balance.
In Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, rich with macaques, gibbons & hornbills, Indigenous youth continue practicing Arat Sabulungan — a belief that every part of nature holds spirits. Rituals before cutting trees or fishing remain a way to keep balance.
A new agreement announced at the COP30 climate talks in Brazil intends to unify countries and institutions from around the world to monitor and protect the Amazon Rainforest.
New agreement aims to streamline Amazon Rainforest protection efforts
A new agreement that aims to streamline the monitoring and protection of the Amazon Rainforest was announced at the COP30 climate summit that wrapped up this week in Belém, Brazil. The Mamirauá…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:18 PM
A new agreement announced at the COP30 climate talks in Brazil intends to unify countries and institutions from around the world to monitor and protect the Amazon Rainforest.
The European Union has voted to postpone implementing a key antideforestation law for the second year in a row, citing technical concerns.
Critics of the move warn that a delay and other proposed changes will further weaken the law.
Critics of the move warn that a delay and other proposed changes will further weaken the law.
EU backs another one-year delay for EUDR antideforestation law
The European Union has voted to postpone implementing a key antideforestation law for the second year in a row, citing technical concerns. Critics of the move warn that a delay and other proposed…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The European Union has voted to postpone implementing a key antideforestation law for the second year in a row, citing technical concerns.
Critics of the move warn that a delay and other proposed changes will further weaken the law.
Critics of the move warn that a delay and other proposed changes will further weaken the law.
Record Indigenous participation marked COP30 in Belém. New commitments — including a $1.8B land tenure pledge and the TFFF — offer hope.
But delegates say frustration grew as financing for adaptation, loss & damage, and plans to end deforestation fell short.
But delegates say frustration grew as financing for adaptation, loss & damage, and plans to end deforestation fell short.
What was achieved for Indigenous peoples at COP30?
After two weeks of negotiations in Belém, Brazil, the COP30 U.N. climate summit delivered mixed outcomes, Indigenous delegates say. The event saw the largest Indigenous participation in COP history…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Record Indigenous participation marked COP30 in Belém. New commitments — including a $1.8B land tenure pledge and the TFFF — offer hope.
But delegates say frustration grew as financing for adaptation, loss & damage, and plans to end deforestation fell short.
But delegates say frustration grew as financing for adaptation, loss & damage, and plans to end deforestation fell short.
Honduras will hold elections Nov. 30 for president and all 128 seats in Congress.
The winners will hold office for the next four years, shaping the country’s environmental policies at a time when its many forests and ocean ecosystems are rapidly disappearing.
The winners will hold office for the next four years, shaping the country’s environmental policies at a time when its many forests and ocean ecosystems are rapidly disappearing.
What’s at stake for the environment in Honduras’ presidential election?
Honduras will hold elections Nov. 30 for president and all 128 seats in Congress. The winners will hold office for the next four years, shaping the country’s environmental policies at a time when its…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Honduras will hold elections Nov. 30 for president and all 128 seats in Congress.
The winners will hold office for the next four years, shaping the country’s environmental policies at a time when its many forests and ocean ecosystems are rapidly disappearing.
The winners will hold office for the next four years, shaping the country’s environmental policies at a time when its many forests and ocean ecosystems are rapidly disappearing.
As winter closes in across much of North America, migratory birds are heading south to warmer climes and more abundant food.
But until recently, scientists didn’t have a good understanding of exactly where they went.
But until recently, scientists didn’t have a good understanding of exactly where they went.
Central America’s forests are crucial for migrating birds: Study
As winter closes in across much of North America, migratory birds are heading south to warmer climes and more abundant food. But until recently, scientists didn’t have a good understanding of exactly…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:17 PM
As winter closes in across much of North America, migratory birds are heading south to warmer climes and more abundant food.
But until recently, scientists didn’t have a good understanding of exactly where they went.
But until recently, scientists didn’t have a good understanding of exactly where they went.
29 houndsharks and 16 gulper sharks are up for listing on CITES Appendix II at the wildlife trade regulator’s summit in Uzbekistan this week.
Critics say “lookalike” species shouldn’t face trade restrictions. Proponents argue it’s necessary given the lack of knowledge among customs officials.
Critics say “lookalike” species shouldn’t face trade restrictions. Proponents argue it’s necessary given the lack of knowledge among customs officials.
45 more shark species up for CITES protections; tight vote expected
More than 180 nations gathering in Uzbekistan this week for the annual CITES conference could vote as early as Thursday on a proposal to regulate international trade in nearly 30 species of…
news.mongabay.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:53 AM
29 houndsharks and 16 gulper sharks are up for listing on CITES Appendix II at the wildlife trade regulator’s summit in Uzbekistan this week.
Critics say “lookalike” species shouldn’t face trade restrictions. Proponents argue it’s necessary given the lack of knowledge among customs officials.
Critics say “lookalike” species shouldn’t face trade restrictions. Proponents argue it’s necessary given the lack of knowledge among customs officials.
In 2024, the DRC experienced an uptick in primary forest loss, according to Global Forest Watch.
Subsistence agriculture continues to be the main driver of forest loss, with recent research finding artisanal mining in the eastern DRC results in more forest loss than previously thought.
Subsistence agriculture continues to be the main driver of forest loss, with recent research finding artisanal mining in the eastern DRC results in more forest loss than previously thought.
DRC hit by record deforestation in 2024, satellite data show
Africa’s great Congo Basin rainforest, often called the Earth’s second lung, covers an area about the size of India. Millions of people depend directly on the forest for food, energy and income. It…
news.mongabay.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:10 AM
In 2024, the DRC experienced an uptick in primary forest loss, according to Global Forest Watch.
Subsistence agriculture continues to be the main driver of forest loss, with recent research finding artisanal mining in the eastern DRC results in more forest loss than previously thought.
Subsistence agriculture continues to be the main driver of forest loss, with recent research finding artisanal mining in the eastern DRC results in more forest loss than previously thought.
African negotiators secured significant gains on just transition, including recognition of clean cooking and energy poverty, marking the first time these priorities entered the formal United Nations climate negotiations.
Fossil fuel failure eclipses Africa’s wins at COP30
The climate talks at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, closed with gains for Africa, Indigenous peoples and adaptation finance — but the summit’s failure to agree on a global fossil fuel phase-out overshadowed…
news.mongabay.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:10 AM
African negotiators secured significant gains on just transition, including recognition of clean cooking and energy poverty, marking the first time these priorities entered the formal United Nations climate negotiations.
[VIDEO]
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers.
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers.
How do we stop the next pandemic?
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers. Thousands of pathogens have been silently circulating in our forests for centuries.…
news.mongabay.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
[VIDEO]
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers.
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers.
Oceanic manta rays dive to record depths of 1,250 meters, according to a first-of-its-kind study to examine in detail the extreme deep-diving behavior of these rays.
Researchers propose that dives help rays sample stable environmental signals in preparation for navigating the open ocean.
Researchers propose that dives help rays sample stable environmental signals in preparation for navigating the open ocean.
Deep-diving manta rays use the ocean’s midnight zone to build mental maps, study suggests
In the darkness nearly a mile beneath the ocean’s surface, where the pressure would crush a human and temperatures hover just above freezing, a creature with wings wider than a car glides through the…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Oceanic manta rays dive to record depths of 1,250 meters, according to a first-of-its-kind study to examine in detail the extreme deep-diving behavior of these rays.
Researchers propose that dives help rays sample stable environmental signals in preparation for navigating the open ocean.
Researchers propose that dives help rays sample stable environmental signals in preparation for navigating the open ocean.
Areas dominated by humans are home to fewer species, with similar ecosystem function and proximity in the evolutionary family tree, a recent study in Nepal’s southern plains suggests.
Human activities act like a filter, letting only certain birds survive.
Human activities act like a filter, letting only certain birds survive.
Bird diversity drops in human-dominated habitats, Nepal study suggests
KATHMANDU — Birds prefer to live in a mix of forests, fields and wetlands, but human activities such as logging, hunting and sand and gravel mining are taking a toll on such mosaics in Nepal’s…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Areas dominated by humans are home to fewer species, with similar ecosystem function and proximity in the evolutionary family tree, a recent study in Nepal’s southern plains suggests.
Human activities act like a filter, letting only certain birds survive.
Human activities act like a filter, letting only certain birds survive.
Researchers are developing solutions to help Brazil nut collectors in the Amazon Rainforest reduce the physical toll of the trade.
These advances are part of Brazil’s national push for a bioeconomy, a model designed to generate economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the rainforest.
These advances are part of Brazil’s national push for a bioeconomy, a model designed to generate economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the rainforest.
Brazil nut hauling effort gets easier with zip lines and ‘Amazon Waze’
Lugging 50-kilo bags through the rainforest’s rough terrain is a vital piece of the nut trade, but could soon change.
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Researchers are developing solutions to help Brazil nut collectors in the Amazon Rainforest reduce the physical toll of the trade.
These advances are part of Brazil’s national push for a bioeconomy, a model designed to generate economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the rainforest.
These advances are part of Brazil’s national push for a bioeconomy, a model designed to generate economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the rainforest.
Under agreements for sustainable use and protection, Ecuador’s environment ministry has granted concessions for 98,000 hectares of mangrove forests to artisanal fishers in the Gulf of Guayaquil.
The fishers can catch crabs to sell, but are committed to the protection of this valuable ecosystem.
The fishers can catch crabs to sell, but are committed to the protection of this valuable ecosystem.
How community custody empowered Ecuador’s crab catchers and revived its mangroves
Puerto Buenavista Island is home to a small village of crab catchers and fishers in the middle of the waters of the Gulf of Guayaquil in Ecuador. There are only 30 families, 140 people, and their…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Under agreements for sustainable use and protection, Ecuador’s environment ministry has granted concessions for 98,000 hectares of mangrove forests to artisanal fishers in the Gulf of Guayaquil.
The fishers can catch crabs to sell, but are committed to the protection of this valuable ecosystem.
The fishers can catch crabs to sell, but are committed to the protection of this valuable ecosystem.
A new analysis finds that tropical forests in 68 countries sit atop fossil fuel deposits that, if extracted, would emit 317 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases — more than the remaining 1.5°C (2.7°F) carbon budget — revealing a major blind spot in global climate policy.
Saving forests won’t be enough if fossil fuels beneath them are still extracted, experts warn
BELÉM, Brazil — A new analysis warns that the world is overlooking a major source of future emissions hidden beneath tropical forests — and that Brazil’s newly launched Tropical Forest Forever…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:20 PM
A new analysis finds that tropical forests in 68 countries sit atop fossil fuel deposits that, if extracted, would emit 317 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases — more than the remaining 1.5°C (2.7°F) carbon budget — revealing a major blind spot in global climate policy.
In Sri Lanka’s southern district of Hambantota, authorities have launched a large-scale elephant drive, mobilizing wildlife officers, armed forces and villagers to push herds from villages into what is known as the Managed Elephant Reserve (MER).
As Sri Lanka continues new elephant drive, scientists warn against creating new conflicts
COLOMBO — Playful 7-year-old Thinuli loved accompanying her father to his chena fields in a remote village in Hambantota, in Sri Lanka’s deep south. In August, she joined him as usual, eager to help…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:14 PM
In Sri Lanka’s southern district of Hambantota, authorities have launched a large-scale elephant drive, mobilizing wildlife officers, armed forces and villagers to push herds from villages into what is known as the Managed Elephant Reserve (MER).
Reptile species found only on islands are significantly more vulnerable to extinction than their mainland counterparts, yet remain vastly overlooked by researchers, according to a recent study.
Island-confined reptiles face high extinction risk, but low research interest
Reptile species found only on islands are significantly more vulnerable to extinction than their mainland counterparts, yet remain vastly overlooked by researchers, according to a recent study.…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reptile species found only on islands are significantly more vulnerable to extinction than their mainland counterparts, yet remain vastly overlooked by researchers, according to a recent study.
As climate change talks took center stage at COP30, a growing number of countries have integrated ocean-based solutions into their national climate commitments.
A new report found that 92% of coastal and island nations’ updated climate plans now include ocean-related measures.
A new report found that 92% of coastal and island nations’ updated climate plans now include ocean-related measures.
COP30: What did it deliver for the ocean?
Between Nov. 10 and 21, more than 56,000 delegates, including representatives from nearly 200 nations, gathered in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:10 AM
As climate change talks took center stage at COP30, a growing number of countries have integrated ocean-based solutions into their national climate commitments.
A new report found that 92% of coastal and island nations’ updated climate plans now include ocean-related measures.
A new report found that 92% of coastal and island nations’ updated climate plans now include ocean-related measures.
[PODCAST]
Filipino lawyer Nonette Royo, head of The Tenure Facility, shares how her team of “barefoot lawyers” has helped secure land rights across 34M hectares.
On Mongabay’s podcast, she discusses their Earthshot recognition and why tenure is key for people and planet.
Filipino lawyer Nonette Royo, head of The Tenure Facility, shares how her team of “barefoot lawyers” has helped secure land rights across 34M hectares.
On Mongabay’s podcast, she discusses their Earthshot recognition and why tenure is key for people and planet.
Rights to millions of hectares of Indigenous & local communities’ lands restored by ‘barefoot lawyers’
Nonette Royo is a lawyer from the Philippines and executive director of The Tenure Facility, a group of “barefoot lawyers” working to secure land tenure for Indigenous, local and Afro-descendant…
news.mongabay.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:10 AM
[PODCAST]
Filipino lawyer Nonette Royo, head of The Tenure Facility, shares how her team of “barefoot lawyers” has helped secure land rights across 34M hectares.
On Mongabay’s podcast, she discusses their Earthshot recognition and why tenure is key for people and planet.
Filipino lawyer Nonette Royo, head of The Tenure Facility, shares how her team of “barefoot lawyers” has helped secure land rights across 34M hectares.
On Mongabay’s podcast, she discusses their Earthshot recognition and why tenure is key for people and planet.
A recent study from the U.S. state of California finds that the public reported more encounters with wildlife in times of drought.
Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife interactions in other areas also facing water shortages — a growing problem amid climate change.
Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife interactions in other areas also facing water shortages — a growing problem amid climate change.
Drought amplifies human-wildlife conflict, study finds
A recent study from the U.S. state of California finds that the public reported more encounters with wildlife in times of drought. Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife…
news.mongabay.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
A recent study from the U.S. state of California finds that the public reported more encounters with wildlife in times of drought.
Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife interactions in other areas also facing water shortages — a growing problem amid climate change.
Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife interactions in other areas also facing water shortages — a growing problem amid climate change.
Working with South African daisies, Colombian magnolias and Philippine coffee trees, botanists the world over are discovering the secrets to bringing extremely rare and threatened plants back from the brink of extinction.
Botanists decode secret life of rare plants to ensure reintroduction success
It was 2006 and Ismail Ebrahim, a botanist with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), was worried. While surveying one of the last remaining patches of renosterveld shrubland in…
news.mongabay.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Working with South African daisies, Colombian magnolias and Philippine coffee trees, botanists the world over are discovering the secrets to bringing extremely rare and threatened plants back from the brink of extinction.
A new report by the Forests & Finance Coalition finds that despite years of voluntary climate commitments, banks and other financial institutions have continued to increase their investments in companies linked to deforestation.
Big finance still funds deforestation, 10 years after Paris pact
A new report by the Forests & Finance Coalition finds that despite years of voluntary climate commitments, banks and other financial institutions have continued to increase their investments in…
news.mongabay.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:18 PM
A new report by the Forests & Finance Coalition finds that despite years of voluntary climate commitments, banks and other financial institutions have continued to increase their investments in companies linked to deforestation.