Biodiversity

Featured Articles
December 4, 2022
Small scale inland open water fisheries of India
What is the status of inland fisheries in India? Read these situational analysis reports to know about inland fisheries, the life of the fisherfolk, governance and tenure in inland fisheries and threats to the sustainability of inland fisheries.
Fishing in an irrigation canal in Kerala (Image Source: Martin Pilkinton via Wikimedia Commons)
August 2, 2022
Floods in Assam - a boon or a bane for fish diversity?
The frequency and intensity of floods is on the rise in Assam spelling doom for fish biodiversity.
Life during floods in Assam (Image Source: Kausika Bordoloi via Wikimedia Commons)
June 27, 2022
Poisoned wetlands, toxic fish
Heavy metal pollution is poisoning the East Kolkata wetlands, affecting fish and posing a threat to the health of humans who depend on this fish for their food. Urgent action is needed!
Fishermen use wastewater in Kolkata to rear fish (Image Source: India Water Portal)
June 15, 2022
Damned by pollution, doomed by beautification
The River Front Development project planned by the PMC is nothing but a cosmetic makeover for the already choked Mula Mutha river in Pune, argues Dr Gurudas Nulkar while speaking to the India Water Portal.
The highly polluted and encroached Mula Mutha river in Pune (Image: Alexey Komarov via Wikimedia Commons)
June 4, 2022
Conserving India’s freshwater ecosystems: A shared vision
Freshwater ecosystems in India are in peril. We invite comments on this vision document by TNC-India, FES and Ooloi labs that highlights future actions needed to save them.
Freshwater ecosystems, in peril! (Image Source: The Nature Conservancy, India)
May 10, 2022
India’s fantastic freshwater fauna and where to find them
Freshwater ecosystems are not mere sources of water, they are treasure troves of biodiversity. Know more about the fascinating and diverse animal species that inhabit freshwater habitats in India.
Freshwater ecosystems, treasure troves of biodiversity (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Dibang hydel project gets approval
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 24 Jul, 2019 04:27 PM

Cabinet approves Dibang hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh
People protesting Dibang Hydropower Project (Source: SANDRP)
Budget allocation to Jal Shakti ministry reduced by 9.4 percent
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 10 Jul, 2019 12:01 PM

Government cuts budget for Jal Shakti Ministry by 9.4 percent; increases funds for rural drinking water mission 
Irrigation well in Randullabad, Maharashtra. Image credit: Manu Moudgil for India Water Portal
Adequate water most important for plant diversity
Study shows how rainfall and temperature affect variety of plants in major bio-geographic zones of India
Monika Kundu Srivastava
India Science Wire
Posted on 09 Jul, 2019 03:58 PM

New Delhi, July 9 (India Science Wire): India has a total geographical area of nearly 329 million hectares. The climate varies from the north to the south and east to west. However, in spite of this diversity, little is known about how climate affects the diversity of plants that grow in a particular area.
Image used for representational purposes only. Image source: India Water Portal on Flickr
Cultivating more millets to make food production climate resilient in India
A study finds that selectively increasing coarse grains/millets in crop production can greatly help in reducing the negative impacts of climate shocks on future food production in India.
Davis et al
Posted on 09 Jul, 2019 02:32 PM

Crop production is highly influenced by the sensitivity of crops to variations in climate and can have major implications for food supply and rural livelihoods. The effects of climate change are increasing in India, where extreme rainfall events have become more frequent and spatially more variable.
A millet crop ready for harvest in rural India (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Go green this Van Mahotsava
The major cause of insufficient forest cover in India seems to be ruthless cutting of trees in the name of urbanization and development.
Anita Sharma
Posted on 08 Jul, 2019 12:44 PM

Van Mahotsava is an annual tree planting festival which was initiated by Shri Kulapati Kanaiyalal Munshi, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, Government of India, in 1950 to create awareness about the importance of trees and conservation of forests.
Chilepata core forest area in Buxa, Alipurduar district of West Bengal (Image: Tridib Choudhury, Wikimedia Commons, CC-SA 4.0 International)
Glacier melt threatens water reserves in Satluj basin
A new study finds that 55% of the glaciers in the Satluj basin could disappear by 2050 and 97% by 2090 due to climate change.
Veena Prasad et al
Posted on 08 Jul, 2019 12:28 PM

River Satluj, the powerhouse of the Himalayas
The Sutlej, from Bilaspur (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Economics of land degradation: India’s new environment targets
What are India's plans for managing its natural resources, undertaking sustainable land management and combating droughts?
Arjuna Srinidhi
Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)
Posted on 28 Jun, 2019 09:38 AM

Managing natural resources, the sustainable way
Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar with representatives of UNCCD, IUCN and other panelists at the June 17th meeting. (Photo: DD News Hindi)
Engage local communities to protect marine life: study
Study shows need for awareness, involvement of local stakeholders to protect marine life
Sunderarajan Padmanabhan
India Science Wire
Posted on 25 Jun, 2019 12:00 AM

New Delhi, June 25 (India Science Wire): A new study by Wildlife Conservation Society-India has emphasised the need for awareness campaigns, involvement of local stakeholders in decision-making and empowerment of authorities to help promote protection of marine species. 
Gorgonians, one of the highly traded species, which is protected under WLPA (Photo : Vardhan Patankar)
From water to agriculture, well-being and beyond
While WOTR’s work has contributed to improving SDG outcomes, what are the learnings from the efforts made by the organisation to map and identify the pathways that have brought about this change?
Arjuna Srinidhi
Marcella D’Souza
Crispino Lobo
Posted on 17 Jun, 2019 06:20 PM

Sustainable development, still an unfinished agenda
WOTR’s holistic approach integrates environmental, social and development challenges. (Image Source: WOTR)
Surya Ganga: A film review
The film Surya Ganga makes a case for a shift in India’s energy policy towards renewable sources.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 14 Jun, 2019 10:42 AM

Surya Ganga, a film directed by Valli Bindana takes an all embracing view of the energy sector, especially the social and environmental consequences of big energy projects in India. The film was released in India recently.
Ganga's riverflow near Dhari Devi temple in Uttarakhand (Image: SuryaGanga Facebook Page)
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