Indigenous leader assassinated in Colombia’s Caldas department (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/indigenous-leader-assassinated-in-colombias-caldas-department/
Indigenous leader José Albino Cañas Ramírez was recently shot and killed by two unknown individuals in Colombia’s Caldas department. Indigenous authorities suspect it was a targeted attack linked to his work in defense of one of the oldest Indigenous reserves in Colombia, the Resguardo of Colonial Origin Cañamomo Lomaprieta (RCMLP). It’s a 37.6-square-kilometer (14.5-square-mile) reserve […]
Spiro secures $50 million to expand Africa battery-swapping network (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/spiro-secures-50-million-to-expand-africa-battery-swapping-network/
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Financing for electric vehicle transport is ramping up in Africa as confidence rises in the potential for battery swapping, fast charging and other technologies. Spiro, Africa’s largest electric mobility operator, has secured $50 million in debt financing from African Export-Import Bank, or Afreximbank, U.S.-based climate fintech platform Nithio and the Africa […]
Flying along with monarch butterflies (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/flying-along-with-monarch-butterflies/
Every year, monarch butterflies make their iconic migration across North America. The journey spans thousands of miles and three countries. However, very little is known about this migration, resulting in the lack of concrete data about a very important life stage of these butterflies. Scientists are now using lightweight radio tags to get insights into […]
As Nepal votes, climate change is an elephant in the room for Sherpa community (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/as-nepal-votes-climate-change-is-an-elephant-in-the-room-for-sherpa-community/
- Seasonal migration and low resident voter presence in Nepal’s Sagarmatha (Everest) region mean election campaigns concentrate on infrastructure rather than climate adaptation, leaving long-term environmental resilience underprioritized.
- Sherpa communities are witnessing retreating glaciers, erratic snowfall, avalanches and flooding, consistent with IPCC reports on elevation-dependent warming, changing snow and monsoon patterns and downstream water risks.
- Everest mountaineering revenue and helicopter tourism generate income, but limited reinvestment in climate adaptation, environmental regulation and sustainable infrastructure threatens ecosystems and the local economy in the face of climate change.
Botswana shows how smarter cattle herding can save lions, reopen ancient wildlife pathways (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/botswana-shows-how-smarter-cattle-herding-can-save-lions-reopen-ancient-wildlife-pathways/
- Restoring traditional herding practices in northern Botswana has led to a huge decrease in cattle predation and retaliatory lion poisonings in the Okavango Delta region.
- More lion cubs are now surviving, with the lion population in northern Botswana up 50% over the past four years.
- Experts say bringing back traditional herding practices is the key to restoring migration routes for wildebeest, zebra and many other species.
- If herding expands, government officials may consider removing some veterinary cordon fences that have blocked wildlife corridors for decades.
Measuring what works in conservation (February 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/measuring-what-works-in-conservation/
- Conservation has many widely used strategies, but far less reliable evidence about how well they work, making it difficult to direct scarce resources effectively. Researchers increasingly argue that measuring causal impact — not just tracking activities or trends — is essential to understanding real outcomes.
- Impact evaluation seeks to determine what would have happened without an intervention, but doing so is challenging because conservation actions occur in complex, real-world settings where experiments are often impractical. Without accounting for factors like location bias, programs can appear more effective than they truly are.
- To address this, conservationists are adopting methods from fields such as economics and public health, including randomized trials where possible and quasi-experimental approaches when they are not. Different tools suit different contexts, and evaluation needs evolve as projects move from pilot stages to large-scale implementation.
- Evidence gaps, limited resources, and institutional incentives can all discourage rigorous evaluation, yet the stakes are high as biodiversity loss accelerates. Most experts now agree that while not every project requires exhaustive study, systematic learning about what works is crucial to improving conservation outcomes.
Panama NGOs face lawsuits, asset seizures in fight over port construction (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/panama-ngos-face-lawsuits-asset-seizures-in-fight-over-port-construction/
- Two environmental groups fighting the Puerto Barú project in Panama have been named in lawsuits claiming they defamed the developers and created public confusion about the project.
- The Center for Environmental Advocacy of Panama and the Adopt a Panama Rainforest Association (Adopta Bosque) say the port would destroy mangroves and harm vulnerable shark and ray species.
- Both organizations have had their assets seized, including bank accounts and properties that serve as private nature reserves.
Azores dodges proposal to overturn no-fishing zones in its giant new MPA network (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/azores-dodges-proposal-to-overturn-no-fishing-zones-in-its-giant-new-mpa-network/
- A law establishing the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network was approved in October 2024 and took effect recently, on Jan. 1 this year.
- The network now safeguards 30% of Azorean waters, 287,000 square kilometers of seascape sheltering a rich array of marine life, and makes up the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic Ocean.
- Not two weeks later, on Jan. 15, the Azores Parliament voted on a measure that upholds a core provision of the MPA network, after it came under fire in recent months: No fishing inside the fully protected areas, which constitute half the vast network.
- Conservationists expressed satisfaction, broadly, with the agreement, but fishers’ groups expressed disappointment.
It’s electric: Scientists develop cheap way to keep sharks off fishing hooks (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/its-electric-scientists-develop-cheap-way-to-keep-sharks-off-fishing-hooks/
- Unintentional catch is a major reason that more than a hundred shark species are threatened with extinction.
- A new study found that creating a small electric field around fishing hooks using zinc and graphite is enough to keep many sharks away.
- Researchers have for decades tried to take advantage of sharks’ electrosensitivity to develop devices to keep them off fishing hooks. The authors of the new study chose zinc and graphite because they’re nonmagnetic, cheap and readily available materials.
- The lead author and two former students are pursuing commercial applications for the new method.
Supreme Court agrees to hear from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-from-oil-and-gas-companies-trying-to-block-climate-change-lawsuits/
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday that it will hear from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, Colorado, among a series of lawsuits alleging the companies deceived the […]
How Lucia Torres is bringing people into nature’s frame (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/how-lucia-torres-is-bringing-people-into-natures-frame/
- Lucía Torres is the video managing editor at Mongabay and leads efforts to tell environmental stories through people-centered video journalism.
- With a background in biology and science journalism, she specializes in solutions-focused storytelling that centers on Indigenous voices and local perspectives.
- From covering climate-displaced communities in Mexico to shaping Mongabay’s video strategy, Torres is committed to making complex environmental issues accessible and impactful.
- 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.
A journey from student to Amazon “Junglekeeper”: Interview with Paul Rosolie (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-journey-from-student-to-amazon-junglekeeper-interview-with-paul-rosolie/
- Conservationist Paul Rosolie published a new book describing his journey from student to Amazon “Junglekeeper.”
- In a wide-ranging interview, Rosolie talks about uncontacted tribes, drug traffickers and the distance he still needs to go to achieve his goal of protecting the Las Piedras River.
- Rosolie also discusses the personal challenges and sacrifices of devoting his life to this slice of the Peruvian Amazon.
Petrostates stymie effort to rein in Arctic shipping carbon emissions (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/petrostates-stymie-effort-to-rein-in-arctic-shipping-carbon-emissions/
- Black carbon emissions (colloquially known as soot) produced by marine shipping contribute to Earth’s warming climate and also reduce ice and snow cover. In the Arctic, those emissions are hastening regional heating and sea ice loss.
- In the 21st century, climate change has so diminished Arctic sea ice thickness and extent that transpolar crossings in summer by large numbers of commercial vessels has not only become possible but also increasingly frequent, resulting in a marked increase in black carbon emissions from dirty fossil fuels.
- In February, members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) voted on a proposal by several nations to require use of cleaner polar fuels, which emit lower amounts of black carbon. But the effort was blocked and delayed by large petrostates, including the U.S., Russia and Saudi Arabia.
- Implementation of the measure is expected to be delayed by at least two years. With Arctic sea voyages forecast to soar from thousands of trips annually to tens of thousands by 2050, NGOs are calling for greater support for clean polar fuels as a quick and effective way of reducing warming pressure on the Arctic region.
Mongabay Explains (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/02/mongabay-explains/
Join Mongabay’s reporters as we unpack some of the most urgent and intriguing issues in climate, the environment and biodiversity today. In this multimedia Special Issue, we go beyond the headlines to examine how science, policy and human activity intersect with Nature. We try to answer questions you might not have known to ask, with […]
After logging bans, Australia turns to “forest thinning”. Does it reduce fire risk? (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/after-logging-bans-australia-turns-to-forest-thinning-does-it-reduce-fire-risk/
- As native forest logging ends in parts of Australia, governments and industry are turning to large-scale forest thinning as a tool to reduce bushfire risk, prompting a new debate over how best to protect communities in a warming climate.
- Research shows thinning can lower fire severity under some conditions, especially when paired with prescribed burning, but its effectiveness often diminishes during extreme fire weather — the very conditions driving the most destructive fires.
- Scientists warn that removing trees can alter forest structure, dry fuels, release stored carbon, and eliminate critical wildlife habitat, meaning the ecological and climate costs may be substantial in high-conservation forests.
- The controversy reflects deeper tensions over land use, public safety, and economic transition, with critics arguing that large-scale thinning risks becoming logging by another name while supporters see it as a necessary adaptation to escalating fire danger.
The cost of compliance with the EUDR will limit its impact on reducing deforestation (commentary) (February 23, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-cost-of-compliance-with-the-eudr-will-limit-its-impact-on-reducing-deforestation-commentary/
- Many links in agri-commodity supply chains have very narrow profit margins, making them particularly sensitive to additional costs.
- The costs of implementing “zero deforestation” agri-commodity supply chain commitments requiring physical segregation are likely to cause positively engaged companies to avoid commodities grown in regions with active deforestation, leaving companies with no deforestation commitments in their place.
- Contrary to dominant beliefs in adding controls and costs, systemically linking markets and public policy in producer regions enables cheaper, more price-competitive and thus more effective forest-climate strategies; jurisdictional REDD+ is poised to provide such a bridge, argue Bjørn Rask Thomsen, Europe Director at Earth Innovation Institute and former food industry CEO and Daniel Nepstad, Executive Director and President at Earth Innovation Institute in this op-ed.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
José Albino Cañas Ramírez, a defender of Indigenous territories, aged 44 (February 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/jose-albino-canas-ramirez-a-defender-of-indigenous-territories-44/
- José Albino Cañas Ramírez, a prominent Indigenous leader and member of the governing council for the Resguardo Cañamomo Lomaprieta, was shot and killed at his home in Caldas, Colombia.
- His death highlights the “double victimization” faced by the Emberá Chamí people, who navigate pressure from both illegal armed groups and extractive development projects.
- As a dedicated community figure, Cañas Ramírez spent his life strengthening local institutions and managing essential services in a region where state support is often absent.
- The killing is part of a broader, persistent pattern of violence against territorial defenders in Colombia, with at least 21 social leaders killed already this year.
Giant tortoises return to Galápagos island 180 years after relatives went extinct (February 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/giant-tortoises-return-to-galapagos-island-180-years-after-relatives-went-extinct/
For the first time in nearly two centuries, giant tortoises are once again roaming Floreana Island in the Galápagos, a conservation milestone more than a decade in the making. Early settlers on Floreana Island altered the landscape and hunted the Floreana giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger) into extinction about 180 years ago. But while working […]
Torrential rains unleash landslides that kill 7 in southern Philippines (February 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/torrential-rains-unleash-landslides-that-kill-7-in-southern-philippines/
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Torrential rains set off two landslides that killed seven people and floods that displaced more than 3,000 villagers in the southeastern Philippines, officials said Friday. A boulder-laden landslide buried a house and killed a couple and their two daughters Friday in the coastal city of Mati in Davao Oriental province, disaster-response […]
In Thailand, a coral cryobank tries to buy time for dying reefs (February 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-thailand-a-coral-cryobank-tries-to-buy-time-for-dying-reefs/
- Scientists in Phuket are freezing coral larvae and their symbiotic algae, aiming to create a “living seed bank” to preserve Thailand’s reef genetic diversity amid accelerating climate stress.
- Thailand’s reefs, home to more than 300 coral species, have experienced repeated mass bleaching events since 2022, with damage compounded by tourism pressure, wastewater runoff, sedimentation and overfishing.
- Researchers describe coral cryobanks as a form of “genetic insurance” and ex-situ conservation, but stress they can’t replace in-water protection and must be integrated into broader restoration and marine management strategies.
- Conservation experts say improving water quality, regulating tourism impacts and strengthening community-led marine protection are essential if preserved coral material is to be successfully restored to the wild.