Isabel Esterman Home to the world’s third-largest expanse of tropical forest, the world’s fourth-biggest population, and frequently ranked among the world’s top 10 greenhouse gas emitters, Indonesia is a country where what happens has a vast effect on global biodiversity and environmental health. Here, assembled by Mongabay staff, are some of the top news and… Continue reading From declining deforestation to quitting coal, Indonesia marks a pivotal 2022
Author: Mongabay
Mongabay is an environmental science and conservation news and information site.
Ethiopia’s honey forest: People and wildlife living in sweet harmony
Ed Holt Ethiopia has lost large swathes of its forest cover in recent decades, including areas cleared for coffee plantations. Ironically, Ethiopia — including Gura Ferda — is the only place in the world where coffee grows wild. The Gura Ferda forest in southwest Ethiopia is a beautiful example of a forest and local people living… Continue reading Ethiopia’s honey forest: People and wildlife living in sweet harmony
Indigenous people get less than 1% of climate funding? It’s actually worse (commentary)
Torbjørn Gjefsen The lead author of a Rainforest Foundation Norway report showing how little funding goes to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) for tenure and forest management writes that the reality is even worse than the “less than 1%” soundbite often shared. Over 10 years, $2.7 billion was given to support IPLCs’ tenure rights… Continue reading Indigenous people get less than 1% of climate funding? It’s actually worse (commentary)
Palm oil cultivation in India can lead to biodiversity and wildlife loss, especially in rich Northeast India
Rupsy Khurana In India the fear is that if plantations are expanded it could magnify the wildlife and habitat loss crisis. This will be especially so if palm oil cultivation is pushed in northeast India, which is one of the most biodiverse regions of the country. More than 40 percent of potential landscapes for oil… Continue reading Palm oil cultivation in India can lead to biodiversity and wildlife loss, especially in rich Northeast India
U.N. declares decade of ecosystem restoration to ‘make peace with nature’
Liz Kimbrough United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration launched by U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The goal: to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation worldwide. The U.N. has declared the coming decade a time for ecosystem restoration, highlighting in a new report the importance of preventing, halting and reversing ecosystem… Continue reading U.N. declares decade of ecosystem restoration to ‘make peace with nature’
Belgium bans biofuels made from palm oil, soy
In making the move, Belgium joins Denmark, France, and the Netherlands as other European nations that have barred palm oil-based biodiesel due the crop’s association with large-scale conversion of native forests and peatlands for industrial plantations, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. Belgium will ban biofuels made from soy and palm oil from 2022 onward as… Continue reading Belgium bans biofuels made from palm oil, soy
Rainforests: 11 things to watch in 2021
Rhett A. Butler 2020 was a rough year for tropical rainforest conservation efforts, as explained in Mongabay’s year-end wrap-up on rainforests. So what’s in store for 2021? Here are 11 things to watch. Mongabay Founder Rhett A. Butler reviews some of 11 key things to watch in the world of rainforests in 2021. These include: the… Continue reading Rainforests: 11 things to watch in 2021
‘CSI Amazon’: Epic study looks at what’s killing the rain-forest’s trees
Liz Kimbrough A newly published study in the journal Nature Communications provides insight into the patterns driving tree death in the Amazon and may help scientists explain why and how the forest is changing. A newly published study provides insight into why trees die in the Amazon, and why the rate of tree death may be increasing.… Continue reading ‘CSI Amazon’: Epic study looks at what’s killing the rain-forest’s trees
IPBES report details path to exit current ‘pandemic era’
John C. Cannon Rather than solely reacting to future outbreaks with containment, new treatments, and the development of vaccines, the authors of the report write that a proactive approach is necessary. A new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) calls for a “transformative change” in addressing the causes of… Continue reading IPBES report details path to exit current ‘pandemic era’
Mauritius grapples with worst environmental crisis in a generation
Malavika Vyawahare Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security, and health A ship that ran aground on a coral reef has leaked about 900 tons of fuel oil into the waters off the southeastern coast of Mauritius.… Continue reading Mauritius grapples with worst environmental crisis in a generation