Mongabay

For more than a century, nations have measured societal gains in terms of economic growth. But a new review published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health in January 2025 questions that convention. It concludes that humanity would benefit more if it aims for…

JALAPÃO, Brazil — The buritis, or moriche palms, are fighting for their lives in the streambed now lined with scorched earth. For two years now, drought has advanced a barrier of dead vegetation through this once-humid oasis, called a vereda by the people…

JAKARTA — Indonesia, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, has signaled it might follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. “If the United State [the second-biggest emitter after China] does not want…

Madagascar is bracing for Tropical Cyclone Faida to make landfall on its northern coast on Feb. 4, even as it deals with the aftermath of another recently dissipated storm, Elvis, that reportedly killed at least five people. Those killed during Elvis’s…

When certain algae flourish in the sea, they produce neurotoxins that can sicken both humans and marine animals. Acute exposure to these toxins is known to kill whales and other marine mammals outright, but many carry the toxins chronically without displaying…

KATHMANDU — In the 1970s, Nepal’s government faced major challenges conserving the fertile flood plains of the country’s south. The region is the natural habitat of the iconic greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) and Bengal tiger (Panthera…

A small town in southern India has rolled out an innovative solar-powered “invisible” fencing system designed to alert residents of approaching wildlife. The system makes some residents feel safer, but several challenges remain before it can effectively…

TEBO, Indonesia — Dewita’s voice cracked through tears as she read her personal statement before a court on Dec. 3 in Tebo, a landlocked district in Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. “I beg your honor to show mercy and generosity, to…

Wild chimpanzees have long been known to rely on their powerful memories to know where and in what trees they can find ripe wild fruit. Less has been understood about whether and how the great apes use their memory to locate foods of animal origin, such as…

2024 was a chaotic year. The year was, once again, the warmest on record globally, according to the World Meteorological Organization, with multiple climate disasters around the globe. The year was also the third since Russia had invaded Ukraine, it saw 12…

What’s new: Following the discovery of the underwater Borealis Mud Volcano on the Arctic seabed in 2023, researchers have now confirmed that the methane-spewing volcano is home to a diverse array of marine life thriving in the unique habitat. What the study…

After sea level rise significantly ate away at their town, most residents of Mexico’s El Bosque community have been relocated by the government. However, the residents, who mostly depend on fishing for their livelihoods, are now concerned about job security,…

In the summer of 1948, naturalist Charles J. Guiguet spent four months on the Goose Island Archipelago, a cluster of tree-covered islands with wild, rocky beaches located off the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. He noted the birds and animals he…

Brazilian Amazon states are leading an offensive against environmental regulations in the Amazon and beyond. 

Fertilizers help feed the world, but excessive use is poisoning water, polluting the air and accelerating climate change. Despite the damage fertilizers can cause, roughly a third of the world’s largest food companies don’t acknowledge any risk, while most…

We can now confirm that on the evening of Jan. 5, 2025, Mongabay journalist Gerald Flynn was denied entry to Cambodia while returning from a vacation. Immigration officials at the airport told Flynn that he was permanently banned from Cambodia because there…

BANGKOK, Thailand — On Jan. 5, Mongabay journalist Gerald Flynn was denied entry to Cambodia. Flynn has lived and reported in the country since 2019, but upon his return from a brief visit to neighboring Thailand, Cambodian immigration officials accused him…

More than a year late, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation has finally submitted its response to an investigation that found evidence of grave human rights violations at the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) that it helps fund in Liberia. The…

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and key members of his administration met with select members of the Ogoni community from the Niger Delta on Jan. 21 to discuss restarting oil drilling in the region, after health and environmental concerns brought the activity…

The soundscape in mangrove forests can be wonderfully complex. If you prime your ears, you might chance to hear mudskippers sloshing their bellies across silky mud, or fiddler crabs pattering between their burrows. If you’re lucky, a rustling overhead might…

Jaguar have always disregarded national borders, but some threats are keeping the big cats contained within the territories that they inhabits. The spread of extensive monoculture plantations, illegal ranches, forest fires, roads and hunters are putting severe…

On Dec. 28, 2024, wildlife inspectors from Bangladesh’s Forest Department, following a tip-off, intercepted an intercity bus in Dhaka. They discovered two crates full of live turtles in the luggage compartment. The bus operators stated that the consignment…

The trade of endangered long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) from Cambodia should be suspended, according to recommendations announced Jan. 14 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) secretariat. The…

Each year, thousands of migratory birds such as the colorful African pygmy goose, maccoa duck and African spoonbill stop at the Cleveland Dam wetland in Zimbabwe to breed and rest. The wetland is the largest protected area in the country’s capital, Harare,…

Gold mining has exploded in Nicaragua over the past few years, bringing in billions of dollars and becoming the country’s top export, surpassing even coffee and beef. International sanctions against the industry have done little to slow it down, with…

The Arctic region has shifted from storing carbon dioxide to releasing it into the atmosphere, according to the 2024 Arctic Report Card released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report, authored by 97 scientists from 11…

MEXICO CITY — A court in Mexico on Monday halted the construction of two controversial train lines that critics said could damage the environment. But the decision comes so late that the lines are already built and surrounding ecosystems are feeling the…

Genetic diversity within many species is declining globally, according to a recently published study. “Any threat that reduces the size of a population, or which causes a larger population to become fragmented into two or more smaller populations, can cause…

“Rainforestation” projects led by Indigenous communities in the southern Philippines are reaping benefits for both native trees and local wildlife, reports Mongabay’s Keith Anthony Fabro. On the island of Mindanao lies Mount Kalatungan Range Natural…

A Kenyan court dealt a blow to the conservation group Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) when a three-judge panel ruled that two of its community conservancy affiliates were set up illegally. The decision, issued by the Environment and Land Court of Isiolo county…