Mongabay
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Award-winning nonprofit media outlet publishing global environmental science & news in 6 languages via bureaus in India, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia & US: https://mongabay.com
Policymakers met to advance the $2.5B Belém Call to Action to protect the Congo Basin.
Priorities include direct community funding, stronger laws and clear financing — critical for a rainforest long threatened by deforestation and chronic underfunding.
Priorities include direct community funding, stronger laws and clear financing — critical for a rainforest long threatened by deforestation and chronic underfunding.
What’s next for the major pledge to halt & reverse Congo Basin deforestation?
Copince Ngoma, a member of the Bakouele Indigenous community, has relied on the lush green Congo Basin rainforest his whole life. His village’s forests, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Policymakers met to advance the $2.5B Belém Call to Action to protect the Congo Basin.
Priorities include direct community funding, stronger laws and clear financing — critical for a rainforest long threatened by deforestation and chronic underfunding.
Priorities include direct community funding, stronger laws and clear financing — critical for a rainforest long threatened by deforestation and chronic underfunding.
Urban households across 26 Global South countries are burning plastic for cooking and waste disposal, a study finds — especially in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
The practice carries serious health and pollution risks, underscoring the need for safer fuel and disposal options.
The practice carries serious health and pollution risks, underscoring the need for safer fuel and disposal options.
Plastic household waste burned as fuel on rise in Global South, risking health
Burning plastic waste for household fuel, or to manage household waste, may be far more prevalent in poor urban areas in developing countries than previously thought, raising serious environmental…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Urban households across 26 Global South countries are burning plastic for cooking and waste disposal, a study finds — especially in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
The practice carries serious health and pollution risks, underscoring the need for safer fuel and disposal options.
The practice carries serious health and pollution risks, underscoring the need for safer fuel and disposal options.
An Arctic blast pushed rare cold into the southeastern U.S., forming long “cloud streets” over the Atlantic as frigid air passed over warmer water — a striking signal of one of Florida’s coldest air masses in years, captured by NOAA satellites.
NOAA’s satellites capture extreme cold in striking detail
When an Arctic blast pushed deep into the southeastern United States last weekend, it left behind more than freeze warnings and broken records. Over the Atlantic, the cold air reorganized the lower…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:15 PM
An Arctic blast pushed rare cold into the southeastern U.S., forming long “cloud streets” over the Atlantic as frigid air passed over warmer water — a striking signal of one of Florida’s coldest air masses in years, captured by NOAA satellites.
Good news: The deadline for our Y. Eva Tan Fellowship was extended!
This paid, remote program supports early-career journalists from tropical countries reporting on climate, biodiversity, and Indigenous issues — with mentorship and six published stories.
Apply: form.jotform.com/242843950588...
This paid, remote program supports early-career journalists from tropical countries reporting on climate, biodiversity, and Indigenous issues — with mentorship and six published stories.
Apply: form.jotform.com/242843950588...
February 9, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Good news: The deadline for our Y. Eva Tan Fellowship was extended!
This paid, remote program supports early-career journalists from tropical countries reporting on climate, biodiversity, and Indigenous issues — with mentorship and six published stories.
Apply: form.jotform.com/242843950588...
This paid, remote program supports early-career journalists from tropical countries reporting on climate, biodiversity, and Indigenous issues — with mentorship and six published stories.
Apply: form.jotform.com/242843950588...
Finland, Canada’s Arctic and the U.S. are teaming up to protect peatlands — ecosystems covering just 3–4% of Earth yet storing up to one-third of soil carbon.
A cross-regional push aims to boost conservation and climate resilience.
A cross-regional push aims to boost conservation and climate resilience.
Local communities join global push to protect European, Arctic & US peatlands
After her father’s death, Bigga-Helena Magga and her sister were determined that their ancestral homeland, Alttokangas, a Sámi boreal forest and peatland in Finland’s Inari municipality, would not be…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Finland, Canada’s Arctic and the U.S. are teaming up to protect peatlands — ecosystems covering just 3–4% of Earth yet storing up to one-third of soil carbon.
A cross-regional push aims to boost conservation and climate resilience.
A cross-regional push aims to boost conservation and climate resilience.
[COMMENTARY]
After nationwide protests, Ghana repealed a law that opened ~90% of forest reserves to mining.
Advocates call it a major win — but a new oped warns it’s only one step in stopping forest destruction.
**Views are author's.
After nationwide protests, Ghana repealed a law that opened ~90% of forest reserves to mining.
Advocates call it a major win — but a new oped warns it’s only one step in stopping forest destruction.
**Views are author's.
Successful campaign proves Ghana’s forests are worth more than gold (commentary)
On Dec. 10, 2025, Ghana’s government revoked one of the worst pieces of environmental legislation in our country’s history. The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations passed…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:40 PM
[COMMENTARY]
After nationwide protests, Ghana repealed a law that opened ~90% of forest reserves to mining.
Advocates call it a major win — but a new oped warns it’s only one step in stopping forest destruction.
**Views are author's.
After nationwide protests, Ghana repealed a law that opened ~90% of forest reserves to mining.
Advocates call it a major win — but a new oped warns it’s only one step in stopping forest destruction.
**Views are author's.
The global ban on commercial whaling just turned 40 — widely credited with saving great whales from extinction.
Today, the biggest threats aren’t harpoons but fishing gear and ship strikes, which kill 300,000+ whales and dolphins each year.
Today, the biggest threats aren’t harpoons but fishing gear and ship strikes, which kill 300,000+ whales and dolphins each year.
Global moratorium on whaling, a ‘defining moment,’ turns 40
The global moratorium on commercial whaling reached its 40-year mark in January, during which time it’s been credited with helping Earth’s largest creatures recover from centuries of hunting…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:40 PM
The global ban on commercial whaling just turned 40 — widely credited with saving great whales from extinction.
Today, the biggest threats aren’t harpoons but fishing gear and ship strikes, which kill 300,000+ whales and dolphins each year.
Today, the biggest threats aren’t harpoons but fishing gear and ship strikes, which kill 300,000+ whales and dolphins each year.
Malaysia has lost ~20% of its coral cover since 2022, with bleaching, pollution and tourism driving the decline.
Even protected reefs are struggling, threatening fisheries and coastal livelihoods. Researchers urge stronger management before recovery slips further.
Even protected reefs are struggling, threatening fisheries and coastal livelihoods. Researchers urge stronger management before recovery slips further.
Malaysia lost 20% of its coral reefs in three years
Malaysia’s coral reefs are shrinking at a pace that is hard to ignore. According to the latest national survey by Reef Check Malaysia, about one-fifth of the country’s coral cover has been lost since…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Malaysia has lost ~20% of its coral cover since 2022, with bleaching, pollution and tourism driving the decline.
Even protected reefs are struggling, threatening fisheries and coastal livelihoods. Researchers urge stronger management before recovery slips further.
Even protected reefs are struggling, threatening fisheries and coastal livelihoods. Researchers urge stronger management before recovery slips further.
Floods hit Hat Yai with little warning last November, cutting power, communications and rescue access.
With limited compensation and poor urban planning, the city’s readiness for future extreme weather is in doubt, says an analysis.
** Views are authors'.
With limited compensation and poor urban planning, the city’s readiness for future extreme weather is in doubt, says an analysis.
** Views are authors'.
Thailand’s Hat Yai picks up the pieces in wake of devastating floods (analysis)
HAT YAI, Thailand — Largely forgotten by the public, politicians and the media, the flood crisis that Hat Yai, the largest city in the south of Thailand, experienced in November 2025 is far from…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Floods hit Hat Yai with little warning last November, cutting power, communications and rescue access.
With limited compensation and poor urban planning, the city’s readiness for future extreme weather is in doubt, says an analysis.
** Views are authors'.
With limited compensation and poor urban planning, the city’s readiness for future extreme weather is in doubt, says an analysis.
** Views are authors'.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
More than half of turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction.
In South Carolina, the Turtle Survival Center is racing to keep some from disappearing — breeding rare species and preparing confiscated turtles for survival.
More than half of turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction.
In South Carolina, the Turtle Survival Center is racing to keep some from disappearing — breeding rare species and preparing confiscated turtles for survival.
A last refuge for turtles on the brink
The Turtle Survival Center, run by the Turtle Survival Alliance, exists to buy time for species that no longer have much of it. Founded in 2013 in South Carolina, the center functions as a…
news.mongabay.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:53 AM
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More than half of turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction.
In South Carolina, the Turtle Survival Center is racing to keep some from disappearing — breeding rare species and preparing confiscated turtles for survival.
More than half of turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction.
In South Carolina, the Turtle Survival Center is racing to keep some from disappearing — breeding rare species and preparing confiscated turtles for survival.
Artificial light at night may extend pollen season by 1–2 weeks, raising allergy risks.
Researchers say light pollution is a public-health “blind spot” urban planners should consider.
Researchers say light pollution is a public-health “blind spot” urban planners should consider.
Light pollution could worsen allergy seasons, new study suggests
Nighttime light is a well-known hazard for migrating birds and sea turtles. New research suggests it may also pose risks for human health. The study finds that plants exposed to artificial light at…
news.mongabay.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:45 AM
Artificial light at night may extend pollen season by 1–2 weeks, raising allergy risks.
Researchers say light pollution is a public-health “blind spot” urban planners should consider.
Researchers say light pollution is a public-health “blind spot” urban planners should consider.
Mulkharka’s Indigenous Tamang residents oppose the planned Nagmati Dam near Kathmandu, warning of displacement, forest loss and seismic risk.
Critics say weak assessments could put downstream communities in danger. With elections ahead, locals want the project debated at the ballot box.
Critics say weak assessments could put downstream communities in danger. With elections ahead, locals want the project debated at the ballot box.
A dam threatens Nepal’s Indigenous community; they want it on the ballot
MULKHARKA, Nepal — Ashok Tamang’s first glimpse of his community’s future flickered on a projector screen inside a local monastery. It was July 2023, and a few dozen people had gathered at the Sonam…
news.mongabay.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Mulkharka’s Indigenous Tamang residents oppose the planned Nagmati Dam near Kathmandu, warning of displacement, forest loss and seismic risk.
Critics say weak assessments could put downstream communities in danger. With elections ahead, locals want the project debated at the ballot box.
Critics say weak assessments could put downstream communities in danger. With elections ahead, locals want the project debated at the ballot box.
Once hunted for oil and meat, whale sharks are now being rescued by fishers along India’s west coast, with 1,000+ freed since 2001.
Experts say better compensation and social protections are still needed to support the fishers behind these rescues.
Experts say better compensation and social protections are still needed to support the fishers behind these rescues.
Whale sharks released from nets along India’s coast as fishers turn rescuers
On a March morning in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state’s capital in southern India, a group of fishers were hauling their kambavala — a traditional net fixed between bamboo poles…
news.mongabay.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:45 AM
Once hunted for oil and meat, whale sharks are now being rescued by fishers along India’s west coast, with 1,000+ freed since 2001.
Experts say better compensation and social protections are still needed to support the fishers behind these rescues.
Experts say better compensation and social protections are still needed to support the fishers behind these rescues.
A decade-long seagrass restoration effort in Peninsular Malaysia shows degraded meadows can recover, with high survival rates at a site impacted by coastal development.
Researchers say success depends on understanding local species, adapting methods, and addressing the drivers of decline.
Researchers say success depends on understanding local species, adapting methods, and addressing the drivers of decline.
Seagrass restoration in Malaysia finds multi-species approach boosts recovery
In the shallow waters off Johor Bahru’s rapidly urbanizing shoreline in Peninsular Malaysia, a busy assemblage of crabs, marine worms and mollusks are a sign of recovery. Just over a decade ago, the…
news.mongabay.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:56 AM
A decade-long seagrass restoration effort in Peninsular Malaysia shows degraded meadows can recover, with high survival rates at a site impacted by coastal development.
Researchers say success depends on understanding local species, adapting methods, and addressing the drivers of decline.
Researchers say success depends on understanding local species, adapting methods, and addressing the drivers of decline.
A new report maps 816 ocean areas vital for threatened sharks and rays — covering under 3% of the sea in studied regions, suggesting protection is achievable.
The findings arrive ahead of a U.N. migratory species summit where marine protections are on the agenda.
The findings arrive ahead of a U.N. migratory species summit where marine protections are on the agenda.
New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection
Shark and ray populations are struggling across the world due to overfishing and other threats. A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help them recover. The…
news.mongabay.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:10 AM
A new report maps 816 ocean areas vital for threatened sharks and rays — covering under 3% of the sea in studied regions, suggesting protection is achievable.
The findings arrive ahead of a U.N. migratory species summit where marine protections are on the agenda.
The findings arrive ahead of a U.N. migratory species summit where marine protections are on the agenda.
Colombia is pushing for a binding global minerals treaty to tackle mining harms through supply-chain traceability.
But resistance at UNEA-7 watered the proposal down to a nonbinding resolution — leaving traceability out as NGOs and some states vow to keep fighting for stronger rules.
But resistance at UNEA-7 watered the proposal down to a nonbinding resolution — leaving traceability out as NGOs and some states vow to keep fighting for stronger rules.
What’s happening with the global treaty to trace critical minerals?
The negotiations were intense, says Julia Peña Niño, the Colombia country manager at the Natural Resource Governance Institute. At the seventh U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi last…
news.mongabay.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Colombia is pushing for a binding global minerals treaty to tackle mining harms through supply-chain traceability.
But resistance at UNEA-7 watered the proposal down to a nonbinding resolution — leaving traceability out as NGOs and some states vow to keep fighting for stronger rules.
But resistance at UNEA-7 watered the proposal down to a nonbinding resolution — leaving traceability out as NGOs and some states vow to keep fighting for stronger rules.
Sustainable food entrepreneur Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr. spoke with Mongabay on Negros Island, host of Slow Food’s first Asia-Pacific conference.
The gathering spotlighted agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food — and why Negros is being called the region’s “agroecology capital.”
The gathering spotlighted agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food — and why Negros is being called the region’s “agroecology capital.”
Why is a Philippine island now the Asia Pacific center for agroecology? Interview with Ramon ‘Chin-Chin’ Uy Jr.
Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr. is a sustainable-food entrepreneur based on Negros Island in the Philippines, which recently hosted the global “good food” movement Slow Food’s first-ever regional conference…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Sustainable food entrepreneur Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr. spoke with Mongabay on Negros Island, host of Slow Food’s first Asia-Pacific conference.
The gathering spotlighted agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food — and why Negros is being called the region’s “agroecology capital.”
The gathering spotlighted agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food — and why Negros is being called the region’s “agroecology capital.”
More than 50 years after Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s legacy still shapes environmental thought.
On the Mongabay Newscast, writer Megan Mayhew Bergman explores how Carson fused science with emotion — helping spark a movement and showing why moral clarity still matters today.
On the Mongabay Newscast, writer Megan Mayhew Bergman explores how Carson fused science with emotion — helping spark a movement and showing why moral clarity still matters today.
Writer Megan Mayhew Bergman on science, emotion, and the lasting power of ‘Silent Spring’
It’s been more than half a century since the publication of Silent Spring by the scientist and creative writer Rachel Carson. The seminal volume caught the attention of U.S. presidents, artists and…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:02 PM
More than 50 years after Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s legacy still shapes environmental thought.
On the Mongabay Newscast, writer Megan Mayhew Bergman explores how Carson fused science with emotion — helping spark a movement and showing why moral clarity still matters today.
On the Mongabay Newscast, writer Megan Mayhew Bergman explores how Carson fused science with emotion — helping spark a movement and showing why moral clarity still matters today.
Legacy PFAS in North Atlantic pilot whales have dropped 60% over the past decade, reflecting earlier chemical phaseouts.
But researchers warn of “regrettable substitution,” as replacement PFAS may pose similar risks — even as newer chemicals appear to be accumulating more on land than at sea.
But researchers warn of “regrettable substitution,” as replacement PFAS may pose similar risks — even as newer chemicals appear to be accumulating more on land than at sea.
Lower levels of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in North Atlantic whales show regulations work: Study
North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) now have 60% lower concentrations of some legacy PFAS than they did a decade ago, offering rare good news about the effectiveness of…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Legacy PFAS in North Atlantic pilot whales have dropped 60% over the past decade, reflecting earlier chemical phaseouts.
But researchers warn of “regrettable substitution,” as replacement PFAS may pose similar risks — even as newer chemicals appear to be accumulating more on land than at sea.
But researchers warn of “regrettable substitution,” as replacement PFAS may pose similar risks — even as newer chemicals appear to be accumulating more on land than at sea.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
Tree planting pledges often favor scale over ecology — sometimes replacing savannas with monocultures.
The Global Biodiversity Standard aims to change that by certifying restoration projects based on measurable biodiversity gains, not tree counts.
Tree planting pledges often favor scale over ecology — sometimes replacing savannas with monocultures.
The Global Biodiversity Standard aims to change that by certifying restoration projects based on measurable biodiversity gains, not tree counts.
Getting forest restoration right
Tree planting has become a favored response to environmental loss. Governments, companies, and philanthropies announce large targets with reassuring round numbers. Forests, after all, store carbon,…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:18 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
Tree planting pledges often favor scale over ecology — sometimes replacing savannas with monocultures.
The Global Biodiversity Standard aims to change that by certifying restoration projects based on measurable biodiversity gains, not tree counts.
Tree planting pledges often favor scale over ecology — sometimes replacing savannas with monocultures.
The Global Biodiversity Standard aims to change that by certifying restoration projects based on measurable biodiversity gains, not tree counts.
From above, Brunei’s Temburong forests reveal rivers threading through largely intact canopy — a rarity on much of Borneo.
In this reflection, Mongabay founder & CEO Rhett Ayers Butler writes about aerial photography as an exercise in patience, restraint, and noticing what remains.
In this reflection, Mongabay founder & CEO Rhett Ayers Butler writes about aerial photography as an exercise in patience, restraint, and noticing what remains.
From above: Aerial Borneo
Aerial photography invites a level of uncertainty. The ground offers clues but rarely the full picture. Once the view lifts, certain patterns begin to register: peat-dark water cutting through…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:20 PM
From above, Brunei’s Temburong forests reveal rivers threading through largely intact canopy — a rarity on much of Borneo.
In this reflection, Mongabay founder & CEO Rhett Ayers Butler writes about aerial photography as an exercise in patience, restraint, and noticing what remains.
In this reflection, Mongabay founder & CEO Rhett Ayers Butler writes about aerial photography as an exercise in patience, restraint, and noticing what remains.
Major soy traders including Cargill, ADM and Bunge are exiting the Amazon Soy Moratorium — a move that could raise deforestation by 30% by 2045.
Observers warn it sends a “green light” to land speculators, even as forest loss threatens rainfall, yields and long-term market stability.
Observers warn it sends a “green light” to land speculators, even as forest loss threatens rainfall, yields and long-term market stability.
Amazon deforestation may rise 30% as major traders exit historic soy pact
As global soy giants walk away from a landmark pact, land grabbers move in to clear the forest for new crops.
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Major soy traders including Cargill, ADM and Bunge are exiting the Amazon Soy Moratorium — a move that could raise deforestation by 30% by 2045.
Observers warn it sends a “green light” to land speculators, even as forest loss threatens rainfall, yields and long-term market stability.
Observers warn it sends a “green light” to land speculators, even as forest loss threatens rainfall, yields and long-term market stability.
Isabel Esterman, Mongabay’s Southeast Asia managing editor, says journalism’s impact is cumulative — built by staying on stories long enough to shift understanding, from Sumatran rhino numbers to contested land deals.
** Her interview is part of the 'Inside Mongabay' series.
** Her interview is part of the 'Inside Mongabay' series.
Inside Mongabay with Isabel Esterman and the long arc of environmental reporting
For Isabel Esterman, journalism’s influence is often cumulative. It comes from staying with a subject long enough for the evidence to become harder to ignore. “It’s not one story,” she tells…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Isabel Esterman, Mongabay’s Southeast Asia managing editor, says journalism’s impact is cumulative — built by staying on stories long enough to shift understanding, from Sumatran rhino numbers to contested land deals.
** Her interview is part of the 'Inside Mongabay' series.
** Her interview is part of the 'Inside Mongabay' series.
[COMMENTARY]
Conservationists must move beyond assumptions and test whether their actions truly work, a new op-ed argues, adding: “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception."
** Views are author's.
Conservationists must move beyond assumptions and test whether their actions truly work, a new op-ed argues, adding: “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception."
** Views are author's.
Conservation programs must embrace causal evidence when evaluating impact (commentary)
In 2006, Paul Ferraro and Subhrendu Pattanayak issued an urgent warning: conservation lacked the causal evidence needed to know what actually works. This mattered because decades of conservation…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:40 PM
[COMMENTARY]
Conservationists must move beyond assumptions and test whether their actions truly work, a new op-ed argues, adding: “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception."
** Views are author's.
Conservationists must move beyond assumptions and test whether their actions truly work, a new op-ed argues, adding: “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception."
** Views are author's.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
The U.K. now warns biodiversity loss is a national security risk, threatening food supply, stability, migration and conflict.
With Britain importing ~40% of its food, ecosystem collapse abroad could quickly become a domestic crisis.
The U.K. now warns biodiversity loss is a national security risk, threatening food supply, stability, migration and conflict.
With Britain importing ~40% of its food, ecosystem collapse abroad could quickly become a domestic crisis.
When nature becomes a security risk
Britain’s national security thinking has traditionally been shaped by familiar concerns: hostile states, terrorism, energy supply, and, more recently, cyber threats. A new assessment from the U.K.…
news.mongabay.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:40 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
The U.K. now warns biodiversity loss is a national security risk, threatening food supply, stability, migration and conflict.
With Britain importing ~40% of its food, ecosystem collapse abroad could quickly become a domestic crisis.
The U.K. now warns biodiversity loss is a national security risk, threatening food supply, stability, migration and conflict.
With Britain importing ~40% of its food, ecosystem collapse abroad could quickly become a domestic crisis.