Book Excerpt: Tenochtitlan is testament to the Aztecs’ urban development skills

Stefan Rinke’s ‘Conquistadors and Aztecs’ dispels the myth that the Spanish conquered the Aztecs easily or simply  

Himalayan plunder: Certain towns at greater risk

While the entire Himalayan region is fragile, the zones that receive snow and rain are the most unstable

Krack-a-Dawna: How a young couple pioneered natural farming in Mysuru

Today, after 37 years, Vivek and Julie are involved in helping mitigate rural problems through activism and policy

Poverty and inequality a threat to urban poor: UN report  

Multidimensionality of urban poverty and inequality should be at the centre of interventions to create an inclusive and equitable urban future …

Adapting to urbanisation: 66 bird species documented at Eco Park near Kolkata

The first GPS-tagged photographic documentation on avian diversity at Eco Park has been prepared to promote it a bird refuge for …

Invisible particles do matter for the air we breathe, finds studies

Ultrafine particles having almost negligible weight, surface area do have an effect on haze formation, visibility and air pollution, the studies found

Simply Put: Evolution of Shimla

Simply Put: Home, sweet new Home

Sound planning in the Himalayas

Aspects to consider while determining carrying capacity, development of Himalayan towns

Himalayan Plunder: Balanced tourism critical

Promoting tourism in the Himalayas should not come at the cost of the region’s environment and ecology

Joshimath dispatch: Afraid to report cracks in homes, locals protesting demolition of hotels say

Joshimath locals claim they have been stopped from entering their houses; demand clarity and transparency in compensation

Joshimath, a well-engineered calamity

Sinking of the Himalayan town shows we have completely lost the ability to plan keeping in mind the ecological uniqueness of fragile areas

Delhi’s (and India’s) urban poor may have houses to live. But are they habitable

The habitability of housing, rather than just its availability, will be an important factor in the future, given the trends in climate change

India’s built-up area grew by 2.5 million hectares in 17 years

Large part of the increase caused by diversion of agricultural land

The Nipah virus in Kerala may have mutated due to climatic stress: Expert

Urbanisation could cause spillover from other states, scientist says

Doda land subsidence: Improper drainage system among main causes, say geologists

Several houses in Ramban district, which borders Doda, have also developed cracks

Clear and present danger in the Himalayas

As Himalayan towns continue to grow haphazardly without development plans and carrying capacity assessment, how does one secure their future?

Tourism provides an opportunity for rural areas to reposition themselves, stem depopulation: Sandra Carvao

Down To Earth speaks with Sandra Carvao from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), on its unique initiative  

India’s invisibilisation of donkey labour is rooted in the caste system

Donkeys are an integral part of livelihood of many marginalised sections; though donkeys play an important role in building cities, they are …

Himalayan plunder: How hydropower projects in the hills have increased disasters there

There has been a mushrooming of hydroprojects in the Himalayas despite the fact that they are prone to landslides and earthquakes

Infographic: Himalayan blunders

Haphazard infrastructure development has made the fragile Himalayas even more vulnerable

Himalayan plunder: Save the springs of the region

Drying up of the important water sources will have a profound impact on people and the ecosystem

How Delhi Master Plan 2041 misses the bus in every aspect

The draft Delhi Master Plan 2041 in its current form, lacks substance, basic data and numbers worth of a Master Plan on a range of issues, from …

Unplanned constructions, wastewater seepage causing land subsidence in Chenab Valley

More than 60 houses damaged in Ramban area of Jammu

Joshimath evacuees return to their unsafe & damaged homes even as rehabilitation policy non-existent after 16 months

They say they have not been given enough compensation to restart their lives; work for stabilisation of Joshimath has also not started