Climate change is impacting the world. It is the poorest who suffer the most. Yet often rural Indians are leading the way in sustainable advances and trialling schemes that – if rolled out on a macro scale – can create real change in the environment.
Environment
Floods in Assam fan out to new areas, cause more harm
While the intense rains and obstructions on river courses cause floods in Assam, the flood waters enter new territories, causing more damage than before.
A thousand ponds for this Maharashtrian village’s vineyards
When switching from water-intensive crops to grapes didn’t solve problems for farmers in drought-prone Manerajuri, they found a sustainable water source by digging farm ponds and harvesting rainwater.
A peek into rural India’s plastic waste
Government of India’s strict ban on the use of ‘single-use plastic’ comes into effect on 1 July, 2022. The notification permits jail term of up to five years, or a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, for violators. As this ban is imposed, we asked our growing photo community to show us how plastic waste affects rural India. The photos show the prevalence of plastic waste and the toxic ways in which it affects everyone - humans and animals alike - in the rural ecosystem.
Sacred groves guarded by village deities need human help
Tamil Nadu’s disappearing sacred groves host some of the last remaining patches of critically endangered tropical dry evergreen forests, which - though guarded by the gods - need human help restoring them.
Rural youth turn to cool eco-tourism jobs
Converted into an eco-tourism facility, the scenic spot near Kodar Dam in Chhattisgarh offers a perfect weekend get-away, while ensuring local employment for rural youth and better income.
Black cardamom loses flavour among Kalimpong farmers
Farmers who considered black cardamom a golden crop are now shifting to other crops due to losses caused by plant diseases and their own reluctance to adopt modern farming practices.
And with fury flows the Teesta
The River Teesta bears the brunt of ill-planned development with dams and tunnels in the disaster-prone area, leading to many rafting and car accidents.
Conserving endemic small mammals
A Tamil researcher’s love for little mammals – from cute hedgehogs to despised rats – has got him on a mission to get villagers, especially children, to put away their catapults and help protect these small mammals.
India’s Earth Day heroes
From the farmers who turn barren land into lush forests to those who breed new, sustainable varieties of fruits (with fewer seeds to boot!) - India’s villages are bursting with eco-warriors who are investing in our planet. Join us as we salute them on Earth Day 2022.