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)
In conversation with nature
This study from Bihar shows that official flood prediction systems are often inadequate to understand the true impact of the floods on the population. Local gendered knowledge can help fill this gap.
Amitangshu Acharya
Anjal Prakash
Posted on 15 Apr, 2019 05:42 PM

“There is a special type of black ant that is visible just before (and during) the onset of heavy rains.
Shape of clouds can be an important indicator of weather. Source: Robert Hensley/Wikimedia Commons
River conservation efforts need to be prioritised
Healthy forests are necessary for healthy rivers and prosperous communities that depend on the river, say experts.
Water Initiatives Odisha
Posted on 05 Apr, 2019 02:06 PM

Odisha is home to 11 major rivers of which many are interstate rivers such as the Mahanadi. As climate change makes extreme rainfall events more frequent in the state, there is an urgent need to better manage the rivers and their basins.
Engagement with indigenous communities in protecting natural forests and rivers is vital (Image: Priya Ranjan Sahoo)
What’s forest governance without local hand
Multilayered governance and involvement of forest dwellers in the decision making processes can go a long way in managing our forests better.
Sharachchandra Lele
Posted on 02 Apr, 2019 11:42 AM

The recent news on the forced eviction of more than 1,000,000 tribal and other forest-dwelling households from 16 states by a Supreme Court order has again brought the long-debated issue of the role of the state and

Mangar Bani, a green patch between Faridabad and Gurgaon (Image: Pradip Krishen, Facebook)
Bullet train project worries activists
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 27 Mar, 2019 03:15 PM

Activists seek President, PM intervention to protect mangrove trees in Maharashtra
A wetland in Mumbai (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Could the water towers of Asia be drying up soon?
As climate change and urbanisation threaten water security in the HKH region, there is an urgent need for good water governance.
Christopher A. Scott et al
Posted on 24 Mar, 2019 11:03 AM

The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) cover 3500 kms across eight countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Protecting Surajpur wetland
Surajpur wetland faces the threat of habitat loss because of the proliferating real estate development in the area.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 13 Mar, 2019 05:29 PM

The migratory bird season is in full swing and avid bird watchers have flocked to Surajpur wetland to sight the charismatic Common Teal, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Bar-headed Goose, Greylag Goose, Northern Shoveler and Gadwall.
The forest department and local activists discuss the threats on Surajpur, an urban wetland encroached upon by private real estate as well as the government. (Image: India Water Portal)
Hazardous waste rules amended
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 13 Mar, 2019 03:34 PM

Centre amends hazardous and other wastes rules 2016 to ban import of solid plastic waste
Different types of plastic waste displayed at a sanitation park. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Pollution affects Ganga's riverbed sediment: Study
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 06 Mar, 2019 08:45 AM

Not just surface water, pollution leads to deficit in dissolved oxygen in Ganga's riverbed sediment: Study
The Ganga river (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Earth not for humans alone: NGT to Assam
Policy matter this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 06 Mar, 2019 08:17 AM

NGT takes a stand on Deepor Beel
Waste dumped near the Deepor Beel (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Can we gain from changing rains?
While changing rainfall patterns, increased frequency of cyclones, droughts and floods threaten food and water security in India, adaptation strategies to cope with these changes are crucial.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 07 Feb, 2019 12:30 PM

India is undergoing a major transition with changes in rainfall patterns leading to increased frequency of droughts, floods, heat waves amidst fear of a major water crisis in the years to come. Why are these threats increasing?
Changing rainfall patterns in India (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
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