Malaysian companies dominate PNG forest-clearance permits: report (December 15, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/malaysian-companies-dominate-png-forest-clearance-permits-report/
- A recent report examining land-conversion permits issued by the Papua New Guinea government found that 65 of 67 such licenses are controlled by Malaysian-linked companies.
- The stated purpose of these permits — Forest Clearing Authorities (FCAs) — is for creation of sustainable jobs via agribusiness and other development projects, but critics contend the licenses have been used to facilitate large-scale logging and timber exports.
- After repeated allegations of misuse of the permits, PNG’s government imposed a moratorium on new FCAs in 2023, but exports continue from existing projects.
- The 65 licenses examined by the report cover 1.68 million hectares (4.1 million acres) of rainforests, about 88% of which are categorized as ‘undisturbed forest.’
The vanishing pharmacy: How climate change is reshaping traditional medicine (December 15, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/natures-vanishing-pharmacy-how-climate-change-is-reshaping-traditional-medicine/
- Climate change is threatening medicinal plants globally, with rising temperatures, shifting rainfall and habitat loss causing species to lose suitable habitats and face extinction, jeopardizing health care for the 80% of the world’s population that relies on traditional medicine.
- Environmental stress from extreme weather is altering the chemical composition of medicinal plants, changing their therapeutic properties and making traditional remedies less predictable or effective.
- The loss of these plants means losing not only potential sources for pharmaceutical development (more than 70% of modern drugs derive from natural compounds) but also millennia of Indigenous and traditional knowledge, cultural practices and spiritual connections to healing.
- Communities worldwide are fighting back through conservation efforts including creating medicinal plant gardens, developing alternative species lists, training new healers, documenting traditional knowledge and combining agroforestry with forest restoration to protect their health care systems.
Sumatra’s ‘natural’ disaster wasn’t natural: How deforestation turned a rare cyclone catastrophic (December 15, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/sumatras-natural-disaster-wasnt-natural-how-deforestation-turned-a-rare-cyclone-catastrophic/
- Cyclone Senyar was an unusually rare event for Sumatra, but the scale of destruction cannot be explained by weather alone. Decades of deforestation, mining, plantations, and peat drainage left watersheds unable to absorb intense rainfall, turning extreme weather into a mass-casualty disaster.
- Forest loss and land conversion have systematically weakened Sumatra’s natural defenses. The island has lost millions of hectares of forest since 2001, increasing runoff, destabilizing slopes, and amplifying floods and landslides when heavy rain hits.
- Peatland drainage has created a hidden, compounding flood risk. Canals dug for plantations dry and compact peat soils, causing land subsidence and transforming once water-retentive landscapes into low-lying areas prone to chronic inland and coastal flooding.
- Rising exposure, not just rising hazards, is driving future risk. Urban expansion into floodplains and degraded catchments means that even rare storms now endanger more people and infrastructure, locking much of Sumatra into a cycle of disaster unless land-use governance changes.
Birds, bugs and butterflies netted in global seizures by Interpol (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/birds-bugs-and-butterflies-netted-in-global-seizures-by-interpol/
In a single month this year, nearly 30,000 live animals, were seized in a coordinated global crackdown on the illegal trade in wildlife and plants. Known as Operation Thunder and coordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), it also confiscated tens of thousands of body parts from endangered species, and high-value plants and […]
Illegal fishing, other maritime threats cost Western Indian Ocean $1b a year: Report (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/illegal-fishing-other-maritime-threats-cost-western-indian-ocean-1b-a-year-report/
Maritime threats in the Western Indian Ocean cost the region roughly $1.14 billion per year, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The losses amount to 5.7% of the region’s gross marine product, a significant economic loss for activities linked to oceans, seas and coastal zones, collectively referred to […]
Banned for years, dangerous pesticides persist in Nigerian farming (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/banned-for-years-dangerous-pesticides-persist-in-nigerian-farming/
- Nigeria has banned a list of organochlorine pesticides since 2008, due to their potential health effects, but lab tests reveal small amounts of several such substances in soil, vegetable and soil animal samples in farm fields.
- Farmers interviewed for this story say they use organochlorine pesticides, which are sold in the local market.
- Recent research points to the need for greater education among Nigerian farmers, as many are misusing pesticides (including banned chemicals) and applying them without protective gear; many also suffer health effects from these substances.
- Experts emphasize the importance of adopting sustainable agricultural practices, such as integrated pest management (IPM), climate-resilient agriculture and agroecological practices to reduce dependency on synthetic pesticides and to promote soil health.
Nepal Indigenous leaders refile writ petition against hydropower project (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/nepal-indigenous-leaders-refile-writ-petition-against-hydropower-project/
- In 2024, Indigenous Bhote-Lhomi Singsa people filed a writ petition against a hydropower project expressing concerns over what they say is a flawed EIA, forged signatures and community rights violations in Lungbasamba landscape, a biocultural heritage home to endangered flora and fauna.
- More than a year since the petition, leaders say the construction work has progressed in the absence of an interim order from the court to halt the construction, which has impacted their livelihoods, supported by farming, yak herding and trade in medicinal herbs.
- Demanding the project’s cancellation with an interim order to halt the ongoing construction activities, and to declare the EIA void, leaders filed another petition in November.
- Given the criticisms over the project and impacts outlined by the EIA report, the company says it still looks forward to the project, which is set to be completed in 2028.
Study finds more ‘laggards’ than ‘leaders’ among high seas fisheries managers (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/study-finds-more-laggards-than-leaders-among-high-seas-fisheries-managers/
- A new paper suggests that regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) haven’t done a very good job setting up systems to conserve fish stocks and broader ecosystems.
- The paper questions RFMOs’ readiness for a coming new era of marine governance, with the high seas treaty set to take effect in January.
- The authors rated 16 RFMOs based on 100 management-related questions, such as “Are there consequences for violations of conservation measures …?” and used the answers to help identify “leaders” and “laggards.” The average rating was 45.5 out of 100.
- They also determined that on average, more than half of RFMOs’ target stocks are overexploited or collapsed, reinforcing previous research.
Top-down projects, exotic trees, weak tenure: Congo Basin restoration misses the mark (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/top-down-projects-exotic-trees-weak-tenure-congo-basin-restoration-misses-the-mark/
- Despite a panoply of projects — from tree-planting drives to agroforestry schemes — a new study finds that much of what’s happening in the name of “forest restoration” in the Congo Basin may not be restoring forests at all, but largely focused on growing nonnative, commodity species.
- The research found nearly two-thirds of projects favored planting exotic species over native ones, primarily because they grow more quickly, require less care, and their seeds are easier to source.
- It also noted a lack of ecological monitoring, with few initiatives tracking tree survival rates, soil recovery or carbon storage, and most lasting less than five years — far too short to measure real ecological impact.
- Beyond agroforestry and fuelwood plantations, the study calls for approaches that promote natural regeneration, restore native biodiversity and reconnect fragmented habitats.
Sumatran flood disaster may have wiped out a key Tapanuli orangutan population, scientists fear (December 12, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/sumatran-flood-disaster-may-have-wiped-out-key-tapanuli-orangutan-population/
- As many as 35 critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans — 4% of the species’ total population — may have been wiped out in the catastrophic floods and landslides that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra recently, scientists warn, after the discovery of a carcass.
- Satellite and field evidence show massive destruction of the western block of the Batang Toru ecosystem, with thousands of hectares of steep forest slopes destroyed — an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape.
- Conservationists have lost contact with monitored orangutans in the disaster zone, raising fears more individuals were killed or displaced as feeding areas and valleys were obliterated.
- The tragedy has renewed calls to safeguard the Batang Toru ecosystem by halting industrial projects and granting it stronger protection, as climate-driven disasters escalate across Sumatra.
The Amazon’s lakes are heating up at ‘alarming’ rate, research finds (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/the-amazons-lakes-are-heating-up-at-alarming-rate-research-finds/
Five out of 10 lakes in the central Amazon had daytime temperatures over 37° Celsius, (98.6° Fahrenheit) during the region’s 2023 extreme heat wave, a recent study found. One of the most well-known water bodies is Tefé Lake in Amazonas state, northern Brazil. In September and October 2023, 209 pink and grey river dolphins, roughly […]
Elephant seals can recognize the voices of their rivals (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/elephant-seals-can-recognize-the-voices-of-their-rivals/
Elephant seals spend most of their lives at sea, returning to shore just twice every year to molt and breed. The breeding season typically includes males weighing thousands of kilograms violently clashing with each other to compete for females. New research finds the hefty mammals remember the voices of rivals they’ve met before and retreat […]
African environment programs still try to fill funding gap since USAID freeze (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/african-environment-programs-still-try-to-fill-funding-gap-since-usaid-freeze/
- Close to a year after the suspension of USAID funding in Africa, the future of many environmental programs remains uncertain.
- Alternative funding is sought from the EU, World Bank and private sector initiatives, yet experts say a significant climate finance gap remains, especially as some of these sources curtail their funding as well.
- Africa receives just 3-4% of global climate finance, according to the African Development Bank Group; while the continent contributes just 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains especially vulnerable to climate disasters.
Global manta and devil ray deaths far exceed earlier estimates: Study (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/global-manta-and-devil-ray-deaths-far-exceed-earlier-estimates-study/
- A new global assessment estimates more than 259,000 manta and devil rays (genus Mobula) die in fisheries each year, far exceeding previous figures, with researchers warning that the true toll is likely higher due to major data gaps.
- Small-scale fisheries account for 87% of global mortality, with India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Peru responsible for most mobulid deaths .
- The study documents steep, long-term declines, including in Mozambique, the Philippines and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Yet many losses came to light only recently due to late adoption of monitoring and weak reporting.
- Researchers say the recent uplisting of all mobulid species to CITES Appendix I, which bans international commercial trade, is a key step, but note that national-level protections, improved data reporting, gear reforms, and better spatial management are needed to reduce mortality.
Africa’s wildlife has lost a third of its ‘ecological power,’ study says (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/africas-wildlife-has-lost-a-third-of-its-ecological-power-study-says/
- A recent study quantifies the impact of biodiversity loss on ecological functions by tracking energy flows within them. It found that declines in birds and small mammals have led to a significant erosion of ecological functions in sub-Saharan Africa.
- The study crunched data on nearly 3,000 bird and mammal species found in the region, which performed 23 key ecosystem functions, ranging from pollination to nutrient disposal.
- In the paper, the researchers group animals according to the ecological roles they play. By taking into account species present in an area, their abundance, body sizes, diets, and metabolic rates, they turn the animal’s food consumption into a measure of energy flow.
- The analysis found that the “ecological power” of wild mammals and birds weakened drastically, by about 60%, in areas converted to agricultural land; however, in well-managed protected areas, ecological functions are almost 90% intact.
As fish catches fall and seas rise, Douala’s residents join efforts to restore mangroves (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/as-fish-catches-fall-and-seas-rise-doualas-residents-join-efforts-to-restore-mangroves/
- Cameroon’s coastal fisheries are in decline, leaving fishers with dwindling catches — a crisis linked directly to the depletion of the country’s mangroves, experts say, which are breeding grounds for fish.
- The expansion of urban settlements, conversion of coastal land for agriculture, and sand extraction drives mangrove loss in Cameroon; another key driver is the use of mangrove wood for smoking fish.
- The Cameroon government and NGOs have set themselves an ambitious goal of restoring 1,000 hectares (nearly 2,500 acres) of mangrove forests by 2050.
- A key strategy involves engaging local communities in the replanting process and providing alternative livelihoods, such as urban farming and beekeeping, to reduce dependence on mangrove wood.
South Greenlanders speak out on rare earths interests (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/video/2025/12/south-greenlanders-speak-out-on-rare-earths-interests/
QAQORTOQ, Greenland – South Greenland is increasingly targeted for new mining projects as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow. These developments promise jobs, revenue and the prospect of greater economic independence. Yet for small-scale fishermen like Jens Peter, the expansion of mining into coastal zones presents real risks, including potential restrictions on access […]
‘My mother would not be happy with the state of the planet’: Interview with Wanjira Mathai (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/my-mother-would-not-be-happy-with-the-state-of-the-planet-interview-with-wanjira-mathai/
- Twenty years after Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize, her daughter Wanjira Mathai says the world has grown more fragmented even as environmental crises deepen — but insists there are bright spots Africa must seize on.
- Wanjira warns that her mother would be troubled by the pace of climate action and the growing dangers faced by environmental defenders, but she believes Africa’s youth, green industrialization, and renewable energy potential offer unprecedented hope.
- Speaking after a Nairobi event honoring her mother’s legacy, Wanjira reflects on the “power of one,” Africa’s leadership gaps and opportunities, and what it means to “bask in her mother’s light” while carving her own path.
Study warns of major funding gap for 30×30 biodiversity goal (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/study-warns-of-major-funding-gap-for-30x30-biodiversity-goal/
A new study launched at the U.N. Environment Assembly in Nairobi warns that international funding to help countries meet the global “30×30” biodiversity target is rising but remains billions of dollars short of what is needed. The State of International 30×30 Funding report has tracked public and philanthropic support for protected and conserved areas in […]
Climate change is straining Alaska’s Arctic. A new mining road may push the region past the brink (December 11, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/climate-change-is-straining-alaskas-arctic-a-new-mining-road-may-push-the-region-past-the-brink/
AMBLER, Alaska (AP) — In Northwest Alaska, a proposed 211-mile mining road has divided an Inupiaq community already devastated by climate change. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd has plummeted 66% in two decades while salmon runs have collapsed from record rainfall and warming waters. The Trump-approved Ambler Access Road would unlock copper deposits and other […]