In the public imagination, Sundarbans conjures visions of tigers, dense forests and tourism. But not many know, or perhaps care, that this region spread out in West Bengal and adjacent Bangladesh, is home to over 50 lakh people on the Indian side alone and has its unique history and politics. In this three-part series on the Indian Sundarbans, we look at various factors that are of consequence to this region- recurring climate disasters, human-wildlife conflict and the role of development. In the first episode of this series, reporter Urvashi Sarkar talks with Annu Jalais about the geographic, historical and social processes which make up the Sundarbans. We explore myth and legend, the inescapable role of tigers and the fragile ecological balance of this region. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

We all have seen big empty fields with lush green grasses. Those fields are actually called grasslands and they make up a huge chunk of India. Grassland conservation in India is facing a governance crisis due to the lack of proper policies and regulations. The Indian government has not included grasslands in any of its forest policies, and there is no dedicated policy for the management of grasslands. This has resulted in a bias towards forest-centric conservation strategies and a lack of attention towards the ecological and socio-economic importance of grasslands. But why do grasslands need attention? Who owns these grasslands? What's their deal? Why do they matter? How are they different from forests? And why are they being left out? In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya speaks to Dr. G.D. Muratkar, who's like the "Grass Man of India". He's a botany professor from Maharashtra who's come up with a technique for planting grass and making long fields, or meadows. References: Cabinet approves India’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ‘Foresting’ the grassland: Historical management legacies in forest-grassland mosaics in southern India, and lessons for the conservation of tropical grassy biomes Mapping the distribution and extent of India’s semi-arid open natural ecosystems Grassland Habitat in India NATIONAL FOREST POLICY 1988 Draft National Policy National Forest Policy Draft 2018 Takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back Grasslands and desserts NATIONAL MISSION FOR A GREEN INDIA Proposal to involve private sector in increasing India’s green cover has environmentalists worried See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Coral reefs are complex ecosystems made up of tiny coral polyps that provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for a wide variety of marine life. They are incredibly diverse ecosystems, home to an estimated 25% of all marine species, and are essential for human well-being. However, coral reefs are under threat from human activities such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In this explainer, host Rakesh Kamal talks about Coral reefs, the impact of climate change on them, and the need to protect them. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Betel Leaf or “Paan” has been seen across all streets in contemporary India. Paan consumption has continued to be a post-meal ritual for several centuries. Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh is known for cultivating a unique variety of pan called “Desawari”. But extreme weather conditions induced by climate change and rising input costs are making betel cultivation unviable in Mahoba. In this episode, Sneha Richhariya travels to Mahoba, a city in Uttar Pradesh, known for Desi Pan cultivation, to know why the city which once had a flourishing trade of pan, is now struggling to keep the paan legacy alive. In 2021, Mahoba’s Desawari pan variety was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, but farmers now fear its extinction. Why? Listen to know more. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

April is when we start to be serious about heat waves in India. But did you know that some sub-nationals like cities, districts and states in India have heat action plans which detail the actions that have to be taken during a heat wave? To talk more about how heat action plans help and about a report that a Delhi-based think tank CPR has produced on heat action plans we talk to Aditya, Associate fellow at CPR and who is one of the authors of the report "How Is India Adapting to Heatwaves?: An Assessment of Heat Action Plans With Insights for Transformative Climate Action" See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Around the world, the impact of climate change – rising temperatures, shifting patterns of rainfall, more frequent and intense extreme weather, and rising sea levels – will affect all types of infrastructure. Ensuring the climate change resilience of infrastructure will help to protect lives and livelihoods. The government is taking numerous measures like heat action plans to tackle impacts of heat waves but are they inclusive? In this episode, Sneha Richhariya reports on how residents of informal settlements in Delhi are tackling heat waves. We explore how heat waves hit one section of the society more severely, we track who are the most vulnerable and how it impacts the way they live and work and in what ways they seek relief. We answer why does India need to climate-proof its infrastructure? We also look into the human and economic toll of climate related damage due to poorly built infrastructure and finally at the need for accurate climate data. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

We live in a world of food abundance, yet there is widespread food insecurity. The government policies focus on the production side to increase the physical availability of food. However, the patterns of household consumption and the drivers behind them have been poorly understood. In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya speaks to “India’s Rice Warrior”, Dr. Debal Deb, a renowned scientist, ecologist and conservationist, on why we need to protect crop diversity and how monoculture in agriculture can affect India’s food security. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Winters have gone and we all are gearing up to beat the heat this summer season. Heat wave warnings have already started to scare us all. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned of a warming El Niño event developing in the coming months, which is likely to cause extreme heat waves, making 2023 even hotter than 2022. But what is El-Nino? Why are we hearing about it more often now? What impact is it likely to cause in India and across the world and what is its relation to climate change? Host Sneha Richhariya explains. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Buying clothes has never been easier. 80 billion items are manufactured every year. Millions of tonnes of clothes end up in landfills—it’s one of the fastest-growing categories of waste in the world. E-commerce and fast fashion have made our desires to own clothes for different occasions easier. But what’s the problem? Fast fashion allows consumers to buy more. But they are wearing these garments less often and disposing of at an unprecedented rate. The rise of fast fashion has had devastating consequences. In this episode, our reporter Sneha Richhariya tries to understand the magnanimity of the problem. The episode features conversations with Atin Biswas, Programme Director at Centre For Science and Environment, Apla Shrivastava, Associate Professor at National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, Monika Gera, Founder, One For Blue and Pooravi Chabbra, an instagram influencer See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Millets, the ancient grain family of Jowar, Bajra and ragi, are to come back into India’s foodscape. Millets are not new to India’s culture or kitchens. But in a country obsessed with rice, wheat and pulses, they aren’t widely produced or consumed. Will that now change? What is up with farmers who are already growing millets? Do they have enough incentives? Can the millets make India more food secure? Can they help fight malnutrition and climate change at once? In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya talks to millet farmers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This episode also features a conversation with Ms. Salome Yesudas, who has worked extensively on millets and other indigenous crops. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Plastic has infiltrated deep into our lifestyle, it is now so widespread that it is even finding its way into the water we drink, the fruit and vegetables we eat and in personal care products like your face wash! Latest studies show that microplastics have reached human bodies as well! But how do they get there? Are we responsible for this? Host Sneha Richhariya explains. This episode features conversation with Priti Mahesh, chief programme coordinator for Toxics Link. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

The agricultural industry is an important part of the Indian economy, and many startups are developing new technologies and innovations to improve agricultural practices and increase efficiency in the industry. In this episode, host Rakesh Kamal talks to Kaushik of Kheyti farms, which helps smallholder farmers in India gain a steady and dependable income. Kheyti has developed a “Greenhouse-in-a-box”, an affordable, modular greenhouse bundled with full stack services that use 90% less water, helps grow seven times more food and gives farmers a steady, dependable income. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

While presenting the annual budget last Wednesday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman listed seven priority areas that the budget had adopted this year. Green growth and energy transition has been kept among the priority areas and lies at the front and center of this year's Budget. In this podcast, host Sneha Richhariya speaks to Mr. Deepak Krishnan, who is an associate director for World Resources Institute India's energy programme. We look at how India is planning what is being called one of the largest energy transition programmes in the world. We try to analyze if the provisions in this budget will help accelerate our transition to green energy. Above all, we also attempt to see how inclusive this transition is going to be. References: Comments by CPR-ICEE on the Union Budget 2023-24 How the budget can spur India’s energy transition Budget Reactions: Views of industry experts Budget: Energy transition gets fund boost, green growth key economic driver See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Indigenous people play an important role in protecting the environment. The tribals or adivasis as they are called in India depend on the forest for their survival. They have developed sustainable practices that preserve natural resources. Indigenous people are also increasingly being recognized as key partners in conservation efforts and are being included in decision-making processes related to natural resource management. But contrarily in India, many tribals are still being jailed and are being harassed says the report "Wildlife Policing- The reign of criminilization in the forests of Madhya Pradesh " by Criminal justice and police accountability project. For this episode Host, Rakesh Kamal, brings you a very interesting conversation with Mrinalini Ravindranath and Nikita Sonavane who are two of 13 authors of this report. Link to the report https://cpaproject.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Report-Release-Draft_P-120th-jan.pdf Additional Resource: https://youtu.be/fDA8DU_LgkM See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

At the 68th International Whaling Commission meeting held in Portoroz, Slovenia in 2022, India, as one of the member countries, spoke about the conservation initiatives of dolphins in the country. The government officials from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forest (MOEFCC) put forth their agenda and suggestions in the forum. They talked about the need for a more inclusive participation from the developing countries in Asia and SouthEast Asia, which was largely missing. On the research front, they discussed how India is already leading in the conservation of dolphins, and is way ahead of the commission’s prescribed strategies. In this story, Sharada Balasubramanian, an environmental journalist, who received Earth Journalism Network's Biodiversity Media Initiative to cover the conference, spoke to the Indian delegation at the IWC, Dr. Vishnupriya Kollipakkam, Scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India and Bivash Ranjan, Additional Director General of Forests, MOEFCC. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

The annual Climate conference COP27 is being held next month in Egypt. This is the first time the conference is being conducted in Africa and a discussion on "Loss and Damage" is expected to set center stage. To discuss what we can expect from the negotiations this year, Climate Emergency Host Rakesh Kamal talks with Navroz K. Dubash, Professor, Centre for Policy Research. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

In the past couple of decades, we have been hearing of cloudbursts in some part of the country or another. How is the Indian Meteorological Department studying this phenomenon? Why are these incidents increasing over a period of time, and what can be done to minimize the damages cloudbursts cause, both to life and property? To understand this phenomenon, we spoke to Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune studying climate change research, and extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, floods, heat waves, and cyclones among others. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Ratan Hemrom, a 33-year-old rice farmer in Birbhum district, says he will lose his home, culture and community if the West Bengal government goes ahead with its coal mine plans. He lives in the Deucha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsingha area which is also home to the largest coal block in Asia, the 2nd largest in the world. Our reporter Suryatapa Mukherjee spoke to him about why the Santhal residents are protesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s plans. His voice has been dubbed by activist Udvas Das. We also hear from Dr Pradip Swarnakar, founder of the Just Transition research centre at IIT Kanpur, about what this means for India’s coal phase down plans. India has a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2070. This year, the Union Ministry of Coal set up a Just Transition division to draft sustainable coal mine closure plans. Additional reading: Deucha Panchami: Mamata Banerjee increases monetary package for tribals - The Economic Times Bengal: Solidarity Platform Formed to Protect Rights of People Hit by Deucha Pachami-Like Projects | NewsClick Coal ministry to have a 'just transition' division; WB to provide $1.1 mn | Business Standard News Target of Coal Ministry is to minimize import of thermal coal and to make the country aatmanirbhar in the sector: Union Coal Minister India’s Net Zero strategy: India can be a role model for developing countries | The Financial Express India’s largest coal block will displace thousands but may not be viable after all - The Probe See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

One of the main problems during the floods is the complete disconnection of essential services. Electricity disruption in hospitals and a lack of fuel for running generators have become a yearly problem in Assam. To address this World resources institute, India has piloted a project on adding solar panels to provide uninterrupted electricity to hospitals and the difference has been noticed this year during the floods. So talk about this, the host of Climate Emergency Podcast, Rakesh Kamal, spoke with Masfique of WRI and Mr Johnson Singson from Burroughs Memorial Christian hospital society. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

After the ivory kingpin, Umesh Aggarwal was nabbed in 2015, there were various discussions within the Kerala forest department officials on what could be the next steps to detect and prevent such crimes. The officials, after intense brainstorming, brought in a robust system by the name Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK). The system was developed by Kerala-based Leopard Tech Labs, a company formed by a group of young enthusiastic techies, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Kerala Forest Department. The shift from manual to a digital system for clocking crimes showed great potential to not just reduce and prevent wildlife crimes but also generate data that could throw patterns to predict such crimes in future. The first of its kind system, spearheaded by the Kerala forest department, HAWK is slowly taking its footsteps to the adjacent states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and hopes to expand to the other Indian states to have a uniform system across the country to stop such organised wildlife crimes. Sharada Balasubramanian, an environmental and development journalist traveled to Forest department offices in Kerala where this system was implemented. She spent time at Periyar Tiger Reserve to understand how it works. She spoke to Dr. Jose Louies, from Wildlife Trust of India, Manu Sathyan, DFO at Periyar Tiger Reserve, Sajesh Kumar ACF, Kerala forest department and Allen Shaji from Leopard Tech Labs, who developed the system HAWK. This investigation is part of a series on environmental crime in Asia, supported by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the Henry Nxumalo Foundation and Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism." See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.