Rural Women Volunteers Lead Initiatives to Clean Water Sources
Traditional water sources like tanks and ponds have played a very important source in meeting water needs of villages in India, but partly because of the increased spread of piped…
Environmental Protection
Finishing What the World Started at the UN Ocean Conference
NICE – As the sun sets on the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, there is much to celebrate, but also much unfinished business for the world to address…
As Heat Waves Intensify in India, These Inspiring Examples Show How Small Budget Efforts to Conserve Water Made Big Contributions
Heat waves have been intensifying over vast areas of India in recent days and there are also many reports of water scarcity making the conditions worse for people. However the…
Plummeting Insects
Insects are vanishing from pristine rainforests. “Around the world many insect populations are crashing.” (Natural History Museum, April 2025) Insects are crucial for the health of nature, whereas humans are…
The Pollution Challenge: Can Pakistan Turn the Tide?
Air pollution poses a precarious threat to public health and environmental stability in Pakistan, particularly in urban centers like Lahore and Karachi. Indeed, the growing evidence of its harmful impact…
Green Crime Goes Global
RIO DE JANEIRO – In late 2024, Brazilian federal police dismantled a sprawling illegal gold mining network in Pará, exposing a criminal enterprise that stretched far beyond the rainforest. The operation, part…
Study Confirms Urgency of Avoiding High-Risk Glyphosate as it is linked to Multiple Types of Cancer
GM Watch is an organization and website dedicated to providing the latest information about the high-risks of GM crops and the various hazardous agro-chemicals sold for use in growing these.…
Tree Planting Drives Will Not Save India’s Environment
Every year on June 5th, the familiar scenes unfold across India. Saplings are planted by schoolchildren under fluttering banners, bureaucrats pose beside freshly dug pits with ceremonial shovels, and hashtags…
Who Will Defend Our Oceans—the Last Global Commons?
Our planet’s oceans remain one of the last global commons—a shared resource that supports countless species, regulates our climate, and feeds billions of people. However, for over 50 years, we…
Protect Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland system
MEFCC should proactively intervene to protect Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland system from encroachments, especially chemicals-based aquaculture and ill-advised upstream projects ToShri Tanmay KumarSecretaryUnion Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MEFCC)…
GM Crops and Their False Promise of Higher Yield
The fact that genetically modified (GM) crops have major adverse impacts related to safety and environment is widely recognised now. Despite this the companies involved in the spread of genetically…
World Environment Day 2025: Beating Plastic Pollution—A Global Call to Action
Introduction World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5, is the United Nations’ flagship event to raise awareness and drive collective action for protecting our planet. The 2025 theme, “Beat…
Cries for Environmental Justice
It is ‘World Environment Day’ once again! Everywhere one witnesses a flurry of ‘activities.’ There is the usual jostle to plant saplings(trees), the plethora of long, boring speeches on the…
World Environment Day: Act Now for Our Future
Every year on June 5th, the world comes together to celebrate World Environment Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and acting against environmental degradation. As we progress further into…
Increasing Importance of Seed Conservation by Farmers and Rural Communities
In traditional farming one of the most important tasks and responsibilities was that of selecting, saving and conserving seeds. In several rural communities women farmers had an important role in…
Burning Waste, Warming Cities: New Report Links Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Plants to Urban Heat Crisis in Delhi
Delhi, India — June 4, 2025 — A new report titled “Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Incineration and Urban Heat in Delhi: Burning Waste, Warming Cities?” released today by The People’s Alliance for…
Climate Criminal Australian Labor Government Approves NWS Gas Expansion & Threatens Ancient Aboriginal Rock Art
Just before the 3 May 2025 elections in which it was re-elected, the climate criminal and dishonest Australian Labor Government gained votes by shelving plans for an Environment Protection Authority…
Grief, Guilt and Graffiti — Why the Legacy of “Killer Carbide” in Bhopal Must Not Fade from Public View
This article reassembles existing evidence to challenge a dominant narrative of the Bhopal disaster as a closed historical tragedy, arguing instead that it remains an ongoing disaster. While activists have…
Shipwreck off the Kerala Coast: Friends of the Earth Demands Immediate Action
Friends of the Earth, India Demands Full Disclosure, Accountability, and Immediate Measures to Protect the marine ecosystems and livelihoods of Fisherpeople Following Shipwreck and Chemical Spill in Kerala Coast. Friends…
A Dead World, Plastic-Wrapped to Preserve Freshness
In the classic 1967 film The Graduate, a family friend of lead character Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman) offers him career advice: “One word. Plastics!” I was 16 when The Graduate was…
There should be more concern for protecting rivers than for just trying to get a higher share of their water
There are several international and regional disputes over the sharing of water of several rivers. These are likely to worsen in times of increasing water scarcity. Which country or region…
The True Cost of Ocean Plastic Pollution
PARIS – The problem of maritime plastic-waste pollution first became apparent in the 1970s. In the half-century since then, the problem has become ever more widespread, as scientific expeditions conducted…
Andhra Pradesh’s Cancer Crisis: Industrial Pollution and Regulatory Failures Beyond Global Treaties
Introduction: A Looming Health Catastrophe In Balabhadrapuram, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, cancer cases—potentially linked to unchecked industrial pollution—are rising at an alarming rate. Two Chlor-Alkali Plant expansion projects, undertaken…
Future Conflicts: Water Scarcity and Migration
According to a study by the National Institute of Hydrology, the accelerating pace of development in India is likely to intensify the water crisis, potentially leading to conflicts among states.…
Breathing Life Back In: The Vitality of Ecosystem Restoration
“The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us." — David Attenborough (Biologist, broadcaster and writer) On January 6, 2025, a catastrophic incident occurred in…
Himalayan Villages may be Extremely Beautiful, but We Cannot Neglect These Worrying Aspects
Most Himalayan villages are extremely beautiful. However we cannot afford to ignore some deeply worrying ecological and social aspects of these villages, particularly as in some contexts these show an…
Toxic Agribusiness’s Genetically Mutilated Greenwash
In recent years, the global movement toward regenerative and organic agriculture has gained significant momentum. These approaches promise to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals and…
Is zero waste Kerala’s dream or dilemma?
On March 30, 2025, the International Day of Zero Waste, Kerala declared that 98.47% of local bodies in the state achieved waste-free status. ‘Zero waste’ has been a campaign slogan of the…
Sunita Williams affirms her commitment to protect the earth
Happy to share this message received from astronaut Ms Sunita Williams, who has become a legend, in response to my note of congratulations on her recent feat. I am so…
The necessity for green spaces in cities
Green spaces, including parks, urban forests, gardens, and green rooftops are crucial for cities. This note will discuss the primary reasons for having green spaces in cities at greater length,…
“KGF”: New Chapter Or, the Case of a Forest called Kancha Gachibowli, that Seeks to Be
Prologue: In memoriam of all the trees, green spaces and life forms of all shapes and sizes that have been uprooted, maimed and sacrificed to make a city of the…
Africa at a Crossroads: A Future of Ruin or Renewal?
Africa, the cradle of civilization, stands at a critical moment in history. Once home to thriving ecosystems and abundant resources, it now faces severe crises: relentless droughts, disappearing forests, vanishing…
The Invisible Threat of Microplastics: From Chewing Gum to Bottled Water
Several new national and international research surveys have warned that hazardous microplastics are present in our breath, drinking water, and crops. Various research journals worldwide continuously publish alarming findings from…
Water-management and Conservation Can Improve Significantly with Community Based Local Solutions
Water scarcity for many months in a year is becoming a significant problem in many rural communities of the world. In many areas it has become a survival issue and…
Women’s Water March Brings out the Firmness of their Social Commitment
When a man agrees to walk for 300 km to take the message of water conservation to many villages, this is great. However when a rural woman decides to do…
How Foot-Marches Can Achieve Durable Development Gains
India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma…
An Understanding of Water Crisis that Encourages, Participative People-Based Solutions
As the water-crisis spreads to many areas, it is important to have an understanding of the crisis that encourages participative, people-centered solutions. Without such an understanding solutions that are imposed…
These villages show the extent to which water conservation can improve life within a relatively short time
Till just about five years ago, in Nadna village of Shivpuri district (Madhya Pradesh) in Central India, the situation for most households was quite distressing. As several women of this…
Jal Sahelis–Water Conservation based on Community Strength and Women Volunteers
At a time when several environmental problems have become so serious as to threaten the basic life-nurturing conditions of our planet, thoughtful and concerned people all over the world are…
Urgency of Checking Spread of GM and Gene Editing Technologies as well Control of Multinational Companies on Farming and Seeds
As consciousness regarding the many-sided adverse impacts and high hazards and risks of GM crops have grown, some promoters allied to the same big business interests and multinational companies directly…
Protection of Indigenous Cows and Bullocks Needs Much Higher Emphasis
Often we pay a high price for neglecting our heritage. In the context of indigenous breeds of cattle a recent report in The Indian Express (7 March 2025) with…
Do not kill the River Rushikulya
On 16 th March Padayatra began from Pipalapanka and will end at Ganjam in Odisha on 25 th March to create public opinion and call for the State Government to…
The wilding of Rivaldo, An elephant learns to “forget”
My hosts asked if they could fix a drink for me adding that there may be visitors dropping by later. Seated in the verandah facing the natural expanse of trees…
Butterflies declined by 22% in just 2 decades across the US – there are ways you can help save them
If the joy of seeing butterflies seems increasingly rare these days, it isn’t your imagination. From 2000 to 2020, the number of butterflies fell by 22% across the continental United States. That’s…
Why Government Must Join Hands with Local People to Save Thousands of Threatened Trees near Gangotri
Probably the most ecologically sensitive area in India, also known for its great cultural and spiritual heritage, is the Uttarkashi-Gangotri area near the origin of the Ganga River in the…
Making Erhai Lake Bloom Again: A Story of China’s Ecological Transformation
On a clear morning in June 2023, I arrived in the city of Dali, located in China’s southwestern province of Yunnan, and was received by He Licheng, a local resident…
With just 5 years to go, the world is failing on a vital deal to halt biodiversity loss
by Justine Bell-James and James Watson Almost 200 nations have signed an ambitious agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss but none is on track to meet the crucial goal,…
Citizens from across India stand up to protect the young activist fighting to save Delhi’s Dwaraka forest
The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ) and the Delhi chapter of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) have written to the Commissioner of Police and the…
The Intricate Connection of Birdsongs to Human Language
Introduction Birdsongs have inspired poets and lovers, becoming one of the philosophical focal points in ancient Greece and Rome. They have also led to several long-ago debates about the relationship between birdsong…
Taking the Message of Water Conservation to Remote Villages of Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand region in Central India, comprising 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, has often been in the news due to water scarcity but at the same time it…
NACEJ writes Open Letter to MoEF & CC: Demands immediate withdrawal of notifications exempting industries from Consent to Establish and Operate of SPCBs
11th Feb, 2025: The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-India initiative of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) to address the climate crisis through an…
Apathy Towards Air and Water Pollution: Who is Responsible?
Despite the continuously deteriorating air quality in the country, air pollution has not become a major topic of national discussion. It is unfortunate that this crucial public health issue neither…
While plastic dominates human consumption, the global economy will remain hooked on fossil fuels
In early December 2024, hopes for a landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution were dashed as negotiations in South Korea stalled. Leading the campaign against the deal were major oil-producing…
Biodiversity Crisis: A Question of Earth’s Future
Biodiversity and environmental conservation have become some of the most pressing global concerns today. The diversity of life on Earth, the interconnections between species, and the balance of natural ecosystems…
A Voice silenced: The Premeditated Murder of Environmental Rights Defender Jagabar Ali
Jagaber Ali, son of Kareem, is a resident of Vengalur, Konapattu (PO), Thirumayam Taluk, Pudukkottai District. He is a AIADMK functionary in Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, apart from his political…
A Brief Note on Recent Events in the Tijmali Region, Odisha
Compiled By: Randall Sequeira and Ranjana Padhi Since May-June 2023, the Adivasi and Dalit communities of Tijmali, Kuturumali and Majhingimali, in Kashipur and Thuamal Rampur blocks in Raygada and Kalahandi…
Ganga, our sacred link from Himalayas to Sundarban is truly a world Heritage
For millions of Indians, Ganga starts from Gaumukh and culminates its journey at Gangasagar in Bay of Bengal at Sundarban. Every year, thousands of pilgrims’ throng to Gangasagar to visit…
India should adopt a protective Himalayan policy
Himalayan policy should emphasize sustainable livelihoods, environment protection and decentralization based strengthening of communities linked closely to national interests Civil Society magazine has recently published a series of interviews with…
High risks of large dam projects in the Himalayas
Various countries are building large dams on Himalayan rivers. Apart from local factors this often gets discussed in terms of the conflicting interests of various countries. In the process the…
India’s Massive River Links Project Can Disrupt River Ecology like Never Before
Viswamitra sage : (Addressing Beas and Satluj rivers)—You move like chariots to the sea, through the power of Indira. You are full of water and wish to unite with each…
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