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Should potentially harmful chemicals be appraised by class, not one at a time? (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/should-potentially-harmful-chemicals-be-appraised-by-class-not-one-at-a-time/ - Everyday household items very likely contain synthetic chemicals that were never tested for long-term safety. And even when one chemical is proven harmful, manufacturers often quickly replace it with a similar substitute that in time is often found to be equally dangerous, a cycle scientists call “regrettable substitution” or the “toxic treadmill.” - In response, some scientists and health advocates are pushing for a “Six Classes” framework that evaluates entire groups of chemicals, or chemically related subgroups, together, flagging them for scrutiny before harm is documented rather than after. - The framework targets six broad categories of chemicals that share many common traits: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), flame retardants, phthalates and bisphenols, antimicrobials, certain solvents, and certain metals. - The chemical industry argues that grouping diverse chemicals oversimplifies the science and isn’t a workable system, but proponents say the framework is not meant to result in blanket bans but to create a more effective screening tool that better protects consumers. | |
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Juliette Chapalain on building networks and nurturing talent to tell Africa’s environmental stories (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/juliette-chapalain-on-building-networks-and-nurturing-talent-to-tell-africas-environmental-stories/ - Juliette Chapalain is Mongabay Africa’s multimedia and fellowship editor, leading the bureau’s video, podcast and fellowship initiatives. - She has more than a decade of experience across French and international media, including TV5 Monde, Arte and BBC News. - Through Mongabay’s fellowship program, she mentors and trains African environmental journalists, helping build a diverse network of storytellers driving impact across the continent. - This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom. | |
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New mapping data show where oil blocks threaten Venezuela’s protected areas (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/new-mapping-data-show-where-oil-blocks-threaten-venezuelas-protected-areas/ - New mapping analysis by Mongabay reveals the potential threat from oil extraction to numerous ecosystems in Venezuela, including mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, coral reefs and Amazon rainforest, among others. - Venezuela has 538,883 km2 (208,064 mi2) of protected areas and 177,843 km2 (68,666 mi2) of oil blocks, some of them already in production and others in the pre-exploration or exploration phases. - An estimated 70,785 km2 (27,330 mi2)— or around 13% — of those oil blocks overlap with protected areas. - Extracting all 303 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves would release an estimated 33.1 gigatons of CO2 by 2100, according to Climate Interactive’s calculator for fossil fuel extraction from biomass-rich areas. | |
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Contested Amazon dam called to review water flow as river ecosystem fails (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/contested-amazon-dam-called-to-review-water-flow-as-river-ecosystem-fails/ - A federal court and Brazil’s environmental agency ordered the Belo Monte hydropower plant to revise the Xingu River’s water-sharing plan, a decade after its debut, but a legal stay blocks enforcement of the ruling. - The plant’s water flow has been subject to several complaints, as low water levels in the Volta Grande do Xingu have dried flooded forests and rock habitats, disrupting fish and turtle reproduction and threatening endemic species. - “Increasing the amount of water is the only solution to restore this ecosystem,” says Josiel Juruna, coordinator of an Indigenous-led monitoring program documenting the impacts. | |
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Investigation links DRC air pollution concerns to major copper-cobalt plant (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/investigation-links-drc-air-pollution-concerns-to-major-copper-cobalt-plant/ In 2024, the mother of a 6-month-old baby described to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) what happened to her son after one of Africa’s largest copper and cobalt processing complexes was built just a few hundred meters from their home. “One evening, he started vomiting blood. He vomited more than three times, and then he […] | |
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Eight arrested as Europe cracks down on lucrative eel smuggling syndicates (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/eight-arrested-as-europe-cracks-down-on-lucrative-eel-smuggling-syndicates/ - Authorities in France and Spain have arrested eight suspects tied to a cross-border syndicate, accused of trafficking critically endangered European eels. - Investigators say more than 7 million juvenile glass eels, worth nearly 600,000 euros (690,000 dollars), were smuggled over two years’ time. - The arrests follow a year-long joint probe by investigators from the two countries into illegal fishing and laundering of eel catches. - The case highlights the scale of an illicit trade that persists despite bans and trade protections for the species. | |
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Indonesia court orders release of withheld impact studies on new capital (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/indonesia-court-orders-release-of-withheld-impact-studies-on-new-capital/ - Indonesia mining industry watchdog Jatam has won a case at the country’s Supreme Court requiring the government to disclose environmental impact assessments pertaining to two utility water projects at the country’s new capital city site. - In 2019, then-president Joko Widodo announced he would move the capital of the world’s fourth-most-populous country from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new site surrounded by forests and Indigenous communities on the east coast of Borneo. - At issue are the Sepaku Semoi Dam and Sepaku River intake, two infrastructure projects at Nusantara that have impacted local Indigenous populations, Jatam said. - The NGO called the ruling a victory for transparency, but criticized efforts to withhold documents and pointed to a 2008 law as well as Indonesia’s Constitution requiring public access to information. | |
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An ‘ethereal’ new-to-science poison dart frog from the Amazon: Photo of the week (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/an-ethereal-new-to-science-poison-dart-frog-from-the-amazon-photo-of-the-week/ Scientists in Brazil described a new-to-science species of poison dart frog last year. It was first found among the leaves of wild banana plants on a research expedition to the Juruá River Basin in the western Amazon in 2023. The frog, around the length of a paperclip (14–17 millimeters, or 0.5-0.7 inches), is reddish-brown and blue […] | |
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How foreign investor lawsuits stymie environmental protection (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/how-foreign-investor-lawsuits-stymie-environmental-protection/ - New data reveal that lawsuits filed by corporations against Latin American and Caribbean countries are increasing, undermining government efforts to implement policies that could benefit the energy transition, human rights and the environment. - Between 2014 and 2024, 212 lawsuits were registered, a 133% increase from previous decades. - Across 419 known cases filed by mid-October 2025, countries in the region are facing a total of $36.6 billion in lawsuits from corporations, with 23% of claims coming from the mining, oil and gas sector, making it the second-most sued region globally by foreign investors. | |
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World Frog Day: New species described amid threats to amphibian survival (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/world-frog-day-new-species-described-amid-threats-to-amphibian-survival/ March 20 is World Frog Day. Frogs and toads have inhabited Earth for hundreds of millions of years, but 40% of amphibians species are now at risk of extinction, according to the latest conservation assessments. Every year, roughly 150 new amphibian species are described. But many are immediately listed as threatened or endangered due to […] | |
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Facebook shuts Indonesia groups after Mongabay and Bellingcat report illegal wildlife trade (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/ - Facebook parent company Meta has closed nine groups on the social network after reporters from Mongabay and Bellingcat found evidence of illegal wildlife trade being conducted openly on the platform in Indonesia. - In one Facebook group, reporters last year found an advertisement for a rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), a protected species. - “Bad actors constantly evolve their tactics to avoid enforcement, which is why we partner with groups like the World Wildlife Fund and invest in tools and technology to detect and remove violating content,” Meta said in a statement. | |
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Indonesia plan to rezone elephant reserve for carbon trading and tourism sparks backlash (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/indonesia-plan-to-rezone-elephant-reserve-for-carbon-trading-and-tourism-sparks-backlash/ - Indonesia plans to rezone large parts of Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra for carbon trading and luxury tourism to raise conservation funds. - Critics warn the move could fragment core habitat and harm critically endangered species like Sumatran elephants, tigers and rhinos. - Experts say carbon projects and reforestation could reduce elephant food sources and worsen human-wildlife conflict. - Concerns are mounting over transparency, governance and whether revenues will truly support conservation and local communities. | |
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Hat Yai’s floods are a warning for cities built against nature (analysis) (March 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/hat-yais-floods-are-a-warning-for-cities-built-against-nature-analysis/ - Hat Yai’s economy is still struggling to recover from the devastating November 2025 floods, raising fears that repeated disasters could drive businesses and investment away from the southern Thai tourism hub. - Flood risk is rising due to urban expansion, altered drainage, upstream land-use change and increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change. - Decades of costly engineering fixes have failed to keep pace, and without major land-use reforms and nature-based solutions, the city risks locking itself into a cycle of worsening floods. - This post is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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From endangered to invasive: Rare ocelot spotted on Mexico’s Cozumel Island (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/from-endangered-to-invasive-rare-ocelot-spotted-on-mexicos-cozumel-island/ In 2016, when biologists in Mexico reviewed their photo traps from Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, they were surprised to see an ocelot, a wildcat considered endangered in the country. But curiosity soon turned to alarm: ocelots are effective predators of endemic species on the island, which have no experience or natural defense […] | |
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Brazil protects huge coastal area with endangered dolphins and megafauna fossils (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/brazil-protects-huge-coastal-area-with-endangered-dolphins-and-megafauna-fossils/ Brazil’s federal government created a huge conservation area on March 6 to protect a critical biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic Ocean. The newly created Albardão marine park and coastal environmental protected area are home to at least 25 endangered species and Pleistocene epoch megafauna fossils. The new national park is off the coast of Brazil’s […] | |
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Rwanda advances nuclear ambitions after positive IAEA assessment (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/rwanda-advances-nuclear-ambitions-after-positive-iaea-assessment/ In early March, while attending the Nuclear Energy Summit, Rwandan President Paul Kagame reaffirmed his ambition to develop civilian nuclear reactors in Rwanda. “Nuclear energy is not too complex or risky for developing countries,” he said during the meeting. “It will diversify our energy mix while providing the stability required for industrial growth and long-term […] | |
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Paul Ehrlich, ‘Population Bomb’ ecologist, dies at 93 (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/paul-ehrlich-population-bomb-ecologist-dies-at-93/ - Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford ecologist whose research on butterflies and population dynamics helped shape modern ecology, became one of the most prominent scientific voices in the early environmental movement. He died March 13 at age 93. - His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, argued that rapid human population growth threatened to outstrip the planet’s capacity to provide food and resources, influencing public debate while also drawing sustained criticism. - Ehrlich’s forecasts of widespread famine proved too stark as agricultural productivity rose, and a widely publicized wager with economist Julian Simon over commodity prices ended in Ehrlich’s loss. - Despite the controversies, his scientific work on extinction risk, habitat fragmentation and biodiversity decline helped frame how ecologists think about the pressures human societies place on the living world. | |
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A bonobo named Kanzi could play pretend, challenging ideas about animal imaginations (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-bonobo-named-kanzi-could-play-pretend-challenging-ideas-about-animal-imaginations/ - Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo, identified and tracked pretend objects across tea party-like experiments, marking the first controlled demonstration of imagination in a nonhuman animal - In three experiments, Kanzi repeatedly pointed to the correct location of imaginary juice and grapes, and chose real juice over pretend juice, showing that he understood the difference between real and imaginary objects. - This study suggests that the cognitive capacity for imagination may date back 6 to 9 million years to the common ancestor of humans and great apes, though some researchers question whether simpler explanations could account for Kanzi’s responses. - Kanzi died in March 2025 at age 44, but researchers hope to explore whether other apes, including those without extensive human language training, share this capacity. | |
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Nepal’s rural women at increasing risk of human-wildlife conflict (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/nepals-rural-women-at-increasing-risk-of-human-wildlife-conflict/ - Women in forest-edge communities around Bardiya National Park are increasingly exposed to human-wildlife conflict, as daily subsistence work brings them into forests where encounters with tigers and other wildlife occur. - Labor migration has shifted agricultural and household responsibilities onto women, pushing many to collect fodder, firewood and other forest resources in high-risk areas. - Most fatal wildlife encounters occur during routine livelihood activities, such as cutting grass or grazing livestock in forests and buffer zones where people and wildlife share space. - Nepal’s widely celebrated tiger conservation success is unfolding alongside growing risks for rural communities, particularly women who depend on forests for daily survival; meanwhile, women remain largely absent from the institutions that shape conservation policy. | |
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Dams, drains and other artificial habitats could buy time for threatened mussels: Study (March 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/dams-drains-and-other-artificial-habitats-could-buy-time-for-threatened-mussels-study/ Described as the “liver of rivers” for their water filtering capabilities, freshwater mussels are facing an extinction crisis. These slow-growing, long-lived bivalves are one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Now researchers in Australia have found that artificial water bodies could provide a lifeline for some species. Freshwater mussels live in […] | |
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By protecting tigers ‘we save so much more,’ says Debbie Banks (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/03/by-protecting-tigers-we-save-so-much-more-says-debbie-banks/ Tiger populations have risen in some countries, such as Bhutan, Nepal and India, but the global population of the big cat species remains critically endangered, says Debbie Banks, campaign lead for tigers and wildlife crime at the Environmental Investigation Agency. The global tiger population was recorded at roughly 5,574 in 2022, with the species having […] | |
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Two marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found alive in Indonesian Papua (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/two-marsupials-thought-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive-in-indonesian-papua/ Two species of marsupials thought to have been extinct for the past 6,000 years have been found very much alive on the island of New Guinea. The two Lazarus species, named after a biblical figure who was said to have risen from the dead, were recently described from rainforests in the Bird’s Head Peninsula on […] | |
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Flagship conservation platforms SMART and EarthRanger join forces in new tech partnership (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/flagship-conservation-platforms-smart-and-earthranger-join-forces-in-new-tech-partnership/ - The two largest conservation technology platforms, SMART and EarthRanger, are merging into a single product known as SERCA. - SMART and EarthRanger have overlapping functions yet are different enough that many organizations need to adopt both. Managing data across two platforms has created logistical challenges that ultimately led to the idea of merging the software. - SERCA will combine EarthRanger’s user-friendly interface and real-time visualization with SMART’s data collection and analysis capabilities. - The project is a collaboration between WCS, WWF, Re:wild, Panthera, North Carolina Zoo, Wildlife Protection Solutions, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Zoological Society of London and EarthRanger, developed by the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. | |
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Beyond the screen: DCEFF (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/03/beyond-the-screen-dceff/ Documentary films have the power to shape how we understand nature. They offer a deeper look into the planet’s challenges, bringing people together through shared experiences and inspiring action. As a media partner for the 2026 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF), Mongabay is featuring exclusive insights into some of this year’s standout […] | |
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In Brazil, regenerative farming advances, but deforestation still pressures ecosystems (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/in-brazil-regenerative-farming-advances-but-deforestation-still-pressures-ecosystems/ - Agribusiness accounts for roughly a fifth of Brazil’s economy and about 40% of exports. While it is a major economic engine, it is also responsible for over 90% of deforestation and about a quarter of national emissions, with cattle ranching and soy production the main drivers of deforestation. - Agricultural innovation transformed states like Mato Grosso from non-arable land into global farming hubs. Now, agribusinesses and researchers in Brazil are exploring whether similar innovation can boost regenerative farming to restore degraded pasturelands and reduce further deforestation caused by agriculture. - REVERTE, one of Brazil’s largest agricultural regeneration projects, led by Swiss pesticide producer Syngenta, aims to restore 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of degraded pastureland by 2030. Over the next decade, Brazil aims to restore 40 million hectares (100 million acres) of degraded land. - Restoring degraded pasturelands will not be enough to halt deforestation for agriculture in the Cerrado and Amazon, experts warn. They say that without robust land-use governance, enforcement of forest protections and binding private-sector commitments, productivity gains risk fueling further expansion rather than reducing pressure on Brazil’s ecosystems. | |
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War exacerbates long-standing irrigation crisis for Sudan farmers (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/war-exacerbates-long-standing-irrigation-crisis-for-sudan-farmers/ - Sudan’s Gezira irrigation scheme spans nearly 890,000 hectares (2.2 million acres), pumping water from the Nile to farmers through a network of canals fed by the Sennar Dam. - Twenty years ago, the government moved to privatize and decentralize operation and maintenance of this and other irrigation infrastructure. - The loss of resources and experienced state employees has seen the system of pumps and canals deteriorate, leaving tens of thousands of farmers to improvize solutions. - Wealthier farmers have installed pumps — increasingly turning to solar-powered ones — but with civil war making fuel and spare parts unaffordable, many small-scale farmers have been unable to grow food. | |
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Amazon waterway noise threatens unique social life of giant river turtles (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/amazon-waterway-noise-threatens-unique-social-life-of-giant-river-turtles/ - A planned shipping waterway on the Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon, may disrupt the sophisticated social communication systems used by the Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis expansa), a species likely to be endangered. - Underwater noise from barges risks drowning out the vocalizations used by adult females to guide their young during collective migration in the species’ second-most important nesting area, scientists say. - The waterway is a central piece of Brazil’s new push to ease the transport of soybean and corn for export. | |
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Toucans reintroduced 50 years ago disperse seeds of endangered trees in Brazil (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/toucans-reintroduced-50-years-ago-disperse-seeds-of-endangered-trees-in-brazil/ More than 50 years ago, the ariel toucan was reintroduced to Tijuca National Park, the world’s largest urban forest, located in Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. Now, a new study finds that the bird, which became locally extinct in the 1960s, has almost entirely settled back into its original role in the ecosystem, serving […] | |
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At dusk in Kenya’s caves, scientists study the hidden lives of bats (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/at-dusk-in-kenyas-caves-scientists-race-to-understand-the-hidden-lives-of-bats/ - David Wechuli and other researchers are studying bats living in cave systems in Kenya, to better understand how they interact with their environment and how human activities affect bat habitat. - Research shows that many bat species are highly sensitive to disturbances, sometimes abandoning their roosts, with damaging consequences. - Wechuli works for Bat Conservation International, which has helped communities develop guidelines to protect caves hosting bat colonies from disturbance. | |
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A decade after the death of Berta Cáceres, we can no longer tolerate threats to environmental activists (commentary) (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-decade-after-the-death-of-berta-caceres-we-can-no-longer-tolerate-threats-to-environmental-activists-commentary/ - On the 10th anniversary of the murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres, the director of the Goldman Environmental Prize argues in a new op-ed that the era of impunity for such crimes is over and that the capacity to defend such people is steadily increasing. - A 2015 winner of the award for her work defending her Indigenous community against a hydroelectric development in Honduras, Cáceres was killed by gunmen hired by executives of the dam-building company. - Her legacy has since made her a legend, with her likeness now adorning a banknote in her nation, and her story inspiring a wave of philanthropy aimed at protecting nature’s defenders. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Kenya’s renewed oil push faces a tainted legacy (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/kenyas-renewed-oil-push-faces-a-tainted-legacy/ - Nairobi-based Gulf Energy is reviving a dormant project to extract oil from northwestern Kenya, five years after the previous operator, Tullow Oil, abandoned the field. - Residents of Turkana county say Tullow’s exploration activities damaged the environment; a 2022 study found heavy contamination in eight of 11 groundwater samples collected near oil well pads in the Lokichar Basin, and people have reported health problems. - Seventy-three residents have filed a case against Tullow and the county and national government to press for land rehabilitation and prevent further harm. - Locals say they will hold Gulf Energy and regulatory authorities to account as efforts to develop the oil field resume. | |
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Planters stranded amid degraded forests as Bangladesh agarwood scheme falters (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/planters-stranded-by-degraded-forests-as-bangladesh-agarwood-scheme-falters/ - Between 1999 to 2011, the Bangladesh Forest Department created 4,822 hectares (11,915 acres) of agarwood plantations across the country with local beneficiaries carrying out the clearing of forest land and planting and maintenance of the plantations. - Agarwood trees take 6-8 years to mature. However, even the older trees from these plantations have not been auctioned since plantation. - Agarwood and attar (agar perfume) exports from Bangladesh have seen unsteady profits over the last few years. - Now, there are too many agar plantations in the country while the size of the local perfume industry remains small, and planters wait for buyers. | |
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Accidental discovery reveals new climate threat to emperor penguins (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/accidental-discovery-reveals-new-climate-threat-to-emperor-penguins/ - Scientists have discovered new sites in Antarctica where emperor penguins gather for their annual molt, a vulnerable life stage when they shed and replace all their feathers. - Through satellite data, they also discovered that many of these sea ice sites might have melted from under the penguins. - The discovery suggests that the threats posed by global warming to emperor penguins might be more dire than previously thought. | |
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The hidden cost of fisheries subsidies (March 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-hidden-cost-of-fisheries-subsidies/ - Governments provide roughly $35 billion a year in fisheries subsidies, much of it supporting fleets that can operate beyond what fish stocks alone would sustain. - Research suggests many high-seas fisheries would be unprofitable without public support, raising questions about whether some “productive” fishing activity exists largely because of subsidies. - Recent efforts such as the WTO fisheries subsidies agreement aim to curb support tied to illegal fishing and depleted stocks while improving transparency around how governments finance their fleets. - Treating oceans as assets on the public balance sheet—from reforming subsidies to investing in monitoring and coastal ecosystems—could help governments reduce long-term fiscal risks while supporting healthier fisheries. | |
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The Dutch Nitrogen Crisis (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/03/the-dutch-nitrogen-crisis/ What happens when biodiversity conservation and food systems collide? As the top meat exporter in the European Union, the Netherlands has become a case study in the ecological limits of industrial farming. When courts forced action to protect fragile ecosystems, it set off mass farmer protests, political upheaval, and a tug-of-war between regulation, technology and […] | |
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Pharmaceutical companies move away from horseshoe crab biomedical testing (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/pharmaceutical-companies-move-away-from-horseshoe-crab-biomedical-testing/ Horseshoe crabs were crawling along the shallow sandy bottoms of Earth’s oceans 200 million years before the first dinosaurs came on the scene. But some populations have declined dramatically with the rise of humans, raising concerns they may be headed toward extinction. One of the biggest drivers of their population collapse is their unsustainable harvest […] | |
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Glyphosate found in South African baby cereal; watchdog group calls for ban (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/glyphosate-found-in-south-african-baby-cereal-watchdog-group-calls-for-ban/ In February, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) released a report documenting concentrations of glyphosate in wheat and maize that exceeded default maximum residue limits. ACB also found traces of the herbicide in bread and baby cereal. “Finding glyphosate in baby cereal was very disturbing. Babies are the most vulnerable. It shouldn’t be there. We […] | |
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Cambodia’s Supreme Court denies release of five imprisoned environmental activists (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/cambodias-supreme-court-denies-release-of-five-imprisoned-environmental-activists/ - Five environmental activists from the group Mother Nature Cambodia remain in prison after a Supreme Court judge declined on March 2 to release them pending their appeal against a conviction for subversion. - The activists, who were profiled in the Mongabay-produced film “The Clearing,” have been in prison since July 2, 2024 — more than 600 days — when they were sentenced to six to eight years in prison and ordered to pay fines for plotting against the government and insulting the king. - Mother Nature activists have campaigned against logging, destructive dams and sand mining in Cambodia — activism they and others say is their right to carry out. - Currently, sources say no date is set for the activists’ appeal; human rights groups contend its repeated postponement constitutes a violation of their fundamental right to a trial without undue delay. | |
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How a community defended its ancestral forest from logging (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/how-a-community-defended-its-ancestral-forest-from-logging/ - In northeastern Gabon, the community of Massaha used participatory mapping to document ancestral villages, sacred sites and traditional land use inside a rainforest slated for industrial logging. - Their biocultural map revealed a long history of occupation that colonial records and modern conservation maps had largely overlooked. - The evidence helped the community argue for protection of their forest, prompting government intervention that halted logging and opened discussions about formal conservation. - The case highlights how local knowledge and community-led mapping can complement global conservation data and reshape how forests are understood and protected. | |
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An ancient fishing tradition in Indonesia could help build a more sustainable fishery (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/an-ancient-fishing-tradition-in-indonesia-could-help-build-a-more-sustainable-fishery/ In the remote coastal areas of eastern Indonesia, a centuries-old tradition is providing a contemporary blueprint for sustainable development. The practice, known as Sasi Laut, imposes temporary fishing closures of six to 12 months to allow sedentary marine species such as sea cucumbers and shellfish to replenish. A new study published in Marine Policy reveals […] | |
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Brazil is both the world’s environmental treasure and its most exposed victim (commentary) (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/brazil-is-both-the-worlds-environmental-treasure-and-its-most-exposed-victim-commentary/ - Brazil is one of the countries most exposed to climate breakdown and the one with the most power to slow it. Its failure to act on either front is becoming an economic and political emergency, argue Robert Muggah and Igor Oliveira of the Igarapé Institute. - Brazil’s major biomes—the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal—function as an interconnected system that regulates rainfall, water supplies, and agricultural productivity across the country. Degrading one part of that system destabilizes the others, creating cascading economic and environmental risks. - Despite mounting evidence of climate vulnerability—from floods and droughts to energy and food price shocks—Brazil’s political and economic institutions have yet to integrate climate risk into national planning at the scale required, leaving the country increasingly exposed to systemic disruption. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Climate-resilient housing models slow to gain ground in disaster-prone Bangladesh (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/climate-resilient-housing-models-slow-to-gain-ground-in-disaster-prone-bangladesh/ - In one of the world’s most climate sensitive deltas, disasters are on the rise. The need for resilient housing has become a significant concern for Bangladesh. - Amid various challenges, architectural models to promote sustainable construction materials are emerging. - Experts recommend separate zonal building codes for specific climatic event-prone areas. | |
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Are government subsidies undermining conservation efforts in Australia? (March 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/are-government-subsidies-undermining-conservation-efforts-in-australia/ - A new analysis finds Australia spends tens of billions of dollars each year on subsidies that likely harm biodiversity — far more than it allocates to conservation. - Most of the identified support flows to fossil fuels, transport infrastructure, and resource-intensive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, shaping land and sea use in ways that degrade ecosystems. - These incentives can lower the cost of activities that drive habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate pressures, potentially undermining environmental policies intended to protect species and landscapes. - Reforming harmful subsidies is now a global commitment under the Kunming-Montreal framework, but doing so will require balancing ecological goals with economic realities for affected industries and communities. | |
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The toughest toad in town (March 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/the-toughest-toad-in-town/ Meet our story hero: the admirable red-belly toad. A tiny amphibian found nowhere else on Earth but a small forest patch in southern Brazil. Listed as a critically endangered species, it is capable of amazing things. In 2014, it stopped the construction of a hydroelectric dam that would have destroyed its home. In 2024, catastrophic […] | |
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In search of the tiny toad that stopped a dam (March 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/03/in-search-of-the-tiny-toad-that-stopped-a-dam/ Arvoreznha, Brazil — Meet the admirable red-belly toad — a tiny amphibian found nowhere else on Earth but a small forest patch in southern Brazil. Don’t let its size fool you. In 2014, it made history by halting the construction of a hydroelectric dam that would have wiped out its only home. With just over […] | |
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Mass pilot whale stranding in Indonesia raises questions about ocean health (March 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/mass-pilot-whale-stranding-in-indonesia-raises-questions-about-ocean-health/ Villagers in central Indonesia rescued 34 short-finned pilot whales following a mass stranding on March 9, but despite their overnight efforts were unable to save 21 others. Mongabay Indonesia’s Ebed De Rosary reports that residents first discovered the pod in the shallow waters off Deranitan village, in East Nusa Tenggara province, at approximately 3:30 p.m. […] | |
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Indigenous knowledge confirms what scientists observe: Large birds are disappearing (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/indigenous-knowledge-confirms-what-scientists-observe-large-birds-are-disappearing/ Many Indigenous peoples and local communities live in close contact with nature and learn to identify the wildlife around them from an early age. New research published in the International Journal of Conservation draws on that knowledge to better understand a scientifically documented trend: large bird populations are shrinking. Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, an ethnobotanist with the […] | |
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A fish a day: More than 300 freshwater species described in 2025 (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/a-fish-a-day-more-than-300-freshwater-species-described-in-2025/ Taxonomists described 309 new species of freshwater fish in 2025, according to a report released by SHOAL, the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group (FFSG) and the California Academy of Sciences (CAS). With nearly one new description each day of the year, the tally is the highest since 2017, and the third-highest since 1758, when scientists […] | |
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Costa Rica’s head start may mask tougher EUDR road ahead (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/costa-ricas-head-start-may-mask-tougher-eudr-road-ahead/ - The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), passed in 2023, will require that traders in several agricultural commodities, including coffee, prove that their products don’t contribute to deforestation. - To prepare, Costa Rica developed a pilot program with the country’s largest coffee growers’ cooperative, and started shipping deforestation-free coffee to Europe in March 2024. - Costa Rica has since provided the tools developed for this pilot to the entire coffee sector, with the aim of all coffee shipped from the country being certified deforestation-free. - However, Costa Rica’s long-standing sustainability standards gave it a head start on meeting the new regulations, experts say, warning that other countries with lower standards and fewer resources may find it difficult to quickly emulate its success. | |
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Photos show the dramatic dawn flight of migrating snow geese (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/photos-show-the-dramatic-dawn-flight-of-migrating-snow-geese/ KLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Birdwatchers gather before dawn at Middle Creek in Pennsylvania to witness thousands of migrating snow geese lifting off from the reservoir in a swirling mass. The display lasts only minutes before the birds fan out to nearby farm fields to feed as they continue their annual spring migration north toward New […] | |
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Disastrous floods in Colombia reignite debate over hydroelectric dam (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/disastrous-floods-in-colombia-reignite-debate-over-hydroelectric-dam/ - In early February, severe flooding across the Colombian department of Córdoba affected 24 municipalities and displaced tens of thousands of people across the region. - The heavy rainfalls occurring during the dry season have been linked to increasing temperatures and stronger coastal winds, which have amplified the impacts of a cold front in the Caribbean region. As official efforts to clean up the flooded areas fall short, locals worry that mosquito-borne diseases like dengue might spread. - The flooding has reopened debate over Urrá, a large hydroelectric dam on the Sinú River. The project has been the subject of Indigenous resistance for decades, and some locals, experts and politicians blame it for intensifying recent flooding. | |
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South Africa endorses treaty to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/south-africa-endorses-treaty-to-triple-global-nuclear-energy-capacity-by-2050/ South Africa has endorsed the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050, joining 33 other countries that signed the nonbinding pledge during the United Nations climate summit in Dubai in 2023. Tsakane Khambane, spokesperson for South Africa’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, told Mongabay via email that the move marks a “significant moment” beyond […] | |
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Forest advocates accuse EU energy firm of Dutch biomass certification fraud (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/forest-advocates-accuse-eu-energy-firm-of-dutch-biomass-certification-fraud/ - The sustainability certification of forest biomass produced to generate industrial-scale energy has long been controversial and called into question. - Wood pellet companies argue their product is sustainable and doesn’t cause deforestation, while governments claim biomass burning results in climate-neutral emissions, which is why they offer subsides to energy companies burning sustainability certified forest biomass. - However, forest advocates and scientists have provided significant evidence that forest biomass production contributes to deforestation, is not sustainable and that burning wood generates more carbon emissions per unit of energy than coal. - In an unprecedented move, Dutch law enforcement is considering a criminal investigation into RWE, one of the Netherlands’ largest energy providers, after a Dutch forest advocate alleged that the firm dodges biomass certification rules, using wood pellets imported from Malaysia sourced not from sawmill waste, but allegedly from whole trees. | |
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Oil patch appears after IRIS Dena sinking in Sri Lanka; origins still unverified (March 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/oil-patch-appears-after-iris-dena-sinking-in-sri-lanka-origins-still-unverified/ - Following the March 4 sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, fishers and coastal communities have spotted an oil patch along the Hikkaduwa coast in southern Sri Lanka, raising concerns about its origin. - Authorities are conducting investigations to determine the origin of the oil patch and debris washed ashore. - Studies show the sea around Sri Lanka as highly vulnerable to oil spills, as more than 25% of oil transported globally passes through Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone. - Legal experts say in the event of confirmed environmental impact due to the ship sinking, the “polluter pays principle” should be applied. | |
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Study finds livestock pushing lions away from shared rangeland in Kenya (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-livestock-pushing-lions-away-from-shared-rangeland-in-kenya/ - A new study in Kenya’s Mara conservancies finds lions increasingly avoiding areas used by Maasai livestock, even after the animals have moved on. - Researchers suggest lions are responding not just to immediate encounters with herders but to past grazing pressure and perceived long-term risk. - The findings raise questions about how livestock grazing may reshape predator behavior and wildlife use of shared landscapes. - Experts say any grazing limits must balance conservation goals with Maasai livelihoods that depend heavily on livestock. | |
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Conservationists are burning out — and some are breaking (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/conservationists-are-burning-out-and-some-are-breaking/ Conservation has long been framed as a moral calling. For many who enter the field, it is precisely that sense of purpose that sustains difficult work in remote places, under uncertain funding, and against problems that rarely yield quick victories. Yet the same intensity of commitment now appears to be exacting a psychological toll, Mongabay’s […] | |
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At least 50 people killed and 125 others reported missing after landslides sweep Ethiopia (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/at-least-50-people-killed-and-125-others-reported-missing-after-landslides-sweep-ethiopia/ ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — At least 50 people have died and 125 others are missing after landslides hit three districts in southern Ethiopia following a week of heavy rains, a local official said Thursday. The landslides happened in Gamo Zone and affected the Gacho Baba District, Kamba District and Bonke District, according to Gamo […] | |
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Why saving seagrass meadows could help save the world’s coastlines (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/why-saving-seagrass-meadows-could-help-save-the-worlds-coastlines/ - Seagrass is known for its blue carbon potential, but meadows also play an important role in coastal protection by helping reduce wave intensity and stabilizing sediments, both of which are key to reducing coastal erosion. - Experts point out that seagrass brings multiple other benefits, such as improving water quality that helps the marine environment, including coral reefs. - Yet seagrass meadows across the globe face declines due to multiple stressors, including climate change. - Conservationists and researchers are working to restore meadows and help them become resilient to increasing ocean temperatures and potentially devastating marine heat waves. | |
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Outlook for migratory species worsens amid habitat loss & avian flu, report finds (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/outlook-for-migratory-species-worsens-amid-habitat-loss-avian-flu-report-finds/ - A U.N.-backed report finds that nearly half of the world’s migratory species protected under a global treaty are now decreasing — and about one in four now faces extinction. - Habitat loss and degradation as well as hunting and fishing are driving these declines, but a deadly virus, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, is also taking a heavy toll on bird populations. - Wildlife corridors and protected ocean networks can play a pivotal role in conserving imperiled species: Animals need to move to find food, a mate and migrate. | |
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If Florida reefs aren’t protected, storms will increase flooding & costs: Study (March 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/if-florida-reefs-arent-protected-storms-will-increase-flooding-costs-study/ - Coral reefs absorb incoming waves, protecting shorelines from tropical storms. - A recent Earth’s Future study examines flood risks from tropical storms to communities in Florida, if coral reefs keep degrading at current rates. - The study finds that future coral reef degradation will increase the annual risk of flooding to people by 42% and to buildings by 47%. - This increased degradation would predictably cause $412.5 million in damages to structures and economic disruption of $438.1 million annually. | |
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