Deserts not deserted, but full of floral, faunal activity

These unforgiving lands may appear lifeless only to the unacquainted, but they are a unique and living ecosystem

Winter Capital: How Khichan, a village in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, came to host demoiselle cranes

Down To Earth’s photographer Vikas Choudhary captures the village of Khichan and its annual visitors

Climate change victim: How high temperatures, drought have endangered this Kalahari bird

The southern yellow-billed hornbill has not been able to breed properly and its numbers have declined subsequently

How prolonged conflicts left Libya vulnerable to climate change

Libya’s agriculture relies heavily on irrigation but climatic conditions are not conducive for good production

Over 200,000 hectares crops lost to locust attacks since 2019: Agriculture minister

The locust attacks since 2019 were the most serious in the country in 26 years  

Large quartz dust particles found in the middle of the North Atlantic

The mere existence of these particles at this location cannot be explained by conventional climate change models

One of the first Great Indian Bustard chicks of this year’s breeding season spotted

The chick has been spotted in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, the last major stronghold of the imperiled bird

Desert creatures may cope with climate change better than expected

Researchers took Gehyra variegate, a gecko, as the sample species and found that it does not shy away from heat and can maintain its population …

There is an urgent need to know the present status of the Great Indian Bustard population: Sumit Dookia

Down To Earth speaks to wildlife biologist on 64 GIBs being counted by the Rajasthan Forest Department during its annual waterhole survey

Agriculture in the cold desert of Spiti Valley is difficult, but there are ways to make it easier

Shallow soil, labour intensity, geographical remoteness from major markets and a lack of quality planting materials are some critical issues

Locust attack: Govt caught completely unawares, minister admits

Instead of taking accountability, Rajasthan, Centre, blame each other, Pakistan

Locust attack: Swarms pose most serious threat since 1993

Area measuring 370,000 hectares in Gujarat and Rajasthan affected

Over 70% of Africa's grazing land is facing degradation due to invasive plant species

Introduced as a viable reforestation solution, Prosopis juliflora is causing land degradation in Africa and has put pastoralists at risk as …

The real climate warriors

Communities in the desert of Rajasthan this year made full use of the very heavy rain that the region saw; there are many lessons we must draw …

COP27 was a mirage in the deserts of the Sinai

COP27 was a grand spectacle; it created a sense of hyper-action, when it actually was about reversing the little gains made till now to combat …

Significant increase in rainfall in north, central Africa: Study

Almost all regions of the continent, except the south and east, showed a significant increase in annual rainfall from 1983 to 2020    

Ancient southern Kalahari was more important to human evolution than previously thought

Ga-Mohana was much wetter than today, with pools of standing water and waterfalls tumbling down the hillside

Climate change pushed Indus Valley migrants west to east: Study

The research found new evidence at two sites in the Great Rann of Kutch and Thar desert to come to this conclusion

The dictum on desertification: UNCCD CoP14 presents an opportunity

Land is at the core of fighting climate change that is sure to hurt all sections eventually

Haryana's move to expose Aravallis to 'development' may turn Delhi into a desert

Already vulnerable gaps in the hills may no longer be able to protect north India from the Thar

Mapping climate change in India

India is the 13th most vulnerable country to climate change. Since more than 60 per cent of its agriculture is rainfed and it hosts 33 per cent …

Another endangered Great Indian Bustard dies due to electrocution

This is the fifth GIB to have died due to collision with power lines in the last one year

A fruitful journey

A food safari in the desert of Rajasthan reveals a variety difficult to imagine in cities

Torrential rainfall, cyclone may favour locust surge: FAO

Experts said prevention, mainly through early warning and early reaction, is the key to reducing the extent of locust infestation

Malaria in the Thar Desert: Facts, Figures and Future - Book review

One usually does not associate malaria with a desert environment. Common sense dictates that mosquitoes, that breed only in stagnant water, would …