Carbon Copy A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests. This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session, the Indian Parliament saw the passage of several consequential pieces of legislation in quick succession. Among them was the contentious amendment to the Forest Conservation...

The recently concluded Parliament session saw the passage of the highly controversial “Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023” amid wide protests and without much discussion. The bill is aimed to amend the erstwhile Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Among the changes suggested, the below preamble was inserted into the act, and the “Forest (Conservation) Act” is substituted by “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam” in the principal Act. While the Environment Ministry claims that...

-Hindustan Times The 73 species include nine species of mammals, 18 birds, 26 reptiles and 20 amphibians, according to IUCN criteria. New Delhi: Seventy-three species in India are critically endangered, the Union environment ministry informed the Rajya Sabha citing a report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), up from 47 in 2011. The 73 species include nine species of mammals, 18 birds, 26 reptiles and 20 amphibians, according to IUCN...

-IndiaToday.in The historic deal was signed in Montreal that aims to provide critical financing to the developing world to protect biodiversity. * The global framework comes a day before COP15 is set to end in Montreal * Governments have committed to protect 30% of land and water * The draft calls for raising $200 billion by 2030 for biodiversity After years of negotiations, back and forth and delays, governments have finally signed a deal to...

-ThePrint.in By next year, sparrows counting will be conducted to establish the impact of Conservation efforts. It shows that these grassroots efforts can have an impact. A group of tourists enters the thick 42-acre Garhi Mandu city forest, not too far from the Delhi Vidhan Sabha. They tiptoe on raised walking platforms in hushed silence, squinting at the tree tops for a glimpse of the most endangered species of India’s capital. The...