NOAA’s satellites capture extreme cold in striking detail (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/noaas-satellites-capture-extreme-cold-in-striking-detail/
When an Arctic blast pushed deep into the southeastern United States last weekend, it left behind more than freeze warnings and broken records. Over the Atlantic, the cold air reorganized the lower atmosphere into long, parallel cloud bands—patterns that meteorologists recognize as a signature of intense cold moving over warmer water—captured in striking detail by […]
Local communities join global push to protect European, Arctic & US peatlands (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/local-communities-join-global-push-to-protect-european-arctic-us-peatlands/
- A conservation effort across Finland, Canada’s Arctic and the U.S. is trying to establish one of the first coordinated efforts to protect and restore peatlands in Europe and North America.
- At the same time, communities and organizations are leading research activities, preserving Indigenous knowledge and creating artistic spaces to raise awareness about peatland conservation.
- Although peatlands cover only about 3-4% of the Earth’s surface, studies show they contain up to one-third of the world’s soil carbon.
- Given that peatlands are overlooked and face growing risks, sources say a cross-regional approach is timely for advancing peatland conservation while helping communities become better prepared and more resilient to climate change and mining impacts.
Successful campaign proves Ghana’s forests are worth more than gold (commentary) (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/successful-campaign-proves-ghanas-forests-are-worth-more-than-gold-commentary/
- An unprecedented campaign recently pushed Ghana’s government to repeal legislation allowing mining in forest reserves.
- Originally passed in 2022, the regulations had opened up nearly 90% of Ghana’s forest reserves to mining, but the campaign spurred nationwide protests, petitions, a strike and a prayer walk on the streets of Accra.
- “Together, we rallied behind the idea that our forests are more important to us than gold. But as momentous as repealing the legislation is, it’s only a staging post in a longer journey to end the devastation that mining is inflicting in Ghana,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Global moratorium on whaling, a ‘defining moment,’ turns 40 (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/global-moratorium-on-whaling-a-defining-moment-turns-40/
The global moratorium on commercial whaling reached its 40-year mark in January, during which time it’s been credited with helping Earth’s largest creatures recover from centuries of hunting pressure. The moratorium went into effect in January 1986 following a 1982 vote by member countries of the International Whaling Commission. Though a few countries have continued […]
Malaysia bans e-waste imports, vows to end illegal dumping (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/malaysia-bans-e-waste-imports-vows-to-end-illegal-dumping/
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia has announced an immediate and full ban on the importation of electronic waste, as the government vowed the country would not be a “dumping ground” for the world’s waste. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement late Wednesday that all electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, would be reclassified under the […]
Malaysia lost 20% of its coral reefs in three years (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/malaysia-lost-20-of-its-coral-reefs-in-three-years/
Malaysia’s coral reefs are shrinking at a pace that is hard to ignore. According to the latest national survey by Reef Check Malaysia, about one-fifth of the country’s coral cover has been lost since 2022, a decline compressed into just three years. What had been gradual erosion now looks more like a slide. The 2025 […]
Thailand’s Hat Yai picks up the pieces in wake of devastating floods (analysis) (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/thailands-hat-yai-picks-up-the-pieces-in-wake-of-devastating-floods-analysis/
- Despite a history of flooding and forecasts of heavy La Niña rains, the Thai city of Hat Yai received little effective warning before floodwaters surged last November to devastating levels.
- Power, communications and access were cut, and rescue services struggled to reach flooded areas, leaving residents to survive by sheltering with neighbors under extreme conditions.
- Many lost everything, and government compensation is limited, while decades of poor urban planning raise doubts about Hat Yai’s ability to withstand future extreme weather events under a changing climate.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
A last refuge for turtles on the brink (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/a-last-refuge-for-turtles-on-the-brink/
The Turtle Survival Center, run by the Turtle Survival Alliance, exists to buy time for species that no longer have much of it. Founded in 2013 in South Carolina, the center functions as a high-security refuge and breeding facility for some of the world’s rarest freshwater turtles and tortoises. It houses hundreds of animals representing […]
Light pollution could worsen allergy seasons, new study suggests (February 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/light-pollution-could-worsen-allergy-seasons-new-study-suggests/
Nighttime light is a well-known hazard for migrating birds and sea turtles. New research suggests it may also pose risks for human health. The study finds that plants exposed to artificial light at night (ALAN) produce pollen for an extended period of time, which is “a major public health issue,” Andrew Richardson, an ecologist with […]
A dam threatens Nepal’s Indigenous community; they want it on the ballot (February 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-dam-threatens-nepals-indigenous-community-they-want-it-on-the-ballot/
- Residents of Mulkharka, largely from the Indigenous Tamang community, learned only in 2023 about plans for the Nagmati Dam near their settlement on the northern edge of Kathmandu and now strongly oppose it, saying officials highlighted benefits but hid social, environmental and safety risks.
- Locals fear displacement as well as loss of forests, rituals, grazing land and medicinal plants, with estimates of up to 80,000 trees cut, increased human-wildlife conflict and erosion of ancestral ties to the land.
- Critics and engineers warn the $190 million dam is unnecessary and systemically risky, citing weak environmental assessments, seismic vulnerability and catastrophic flood potential for downstream Kathmandu if the dam fails.
- As Nepal heads into parliamentary elections, Mulkharka residents want the dam debated at the ballot box calling for development models that prioritize community consent, ecological safety and accountability.
Agave or bust! Mexican long-nosed bats head farther north in search of sweet nectar (February 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/agave-or-bust-mexican-long-nosed-bats-head-farther-north-in-search-of-sweet-nectar/
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Mexican long-nosed bats have a taste for agave, their tongues designed to lap up the famous desert plant’s nectar during nightly flights. It’s not just a means of satisfying taste buds. It’s a matter of fueling up for an arduous journey. The endangered species migrates each summer from Mexico into the […]
Whale sharks released from nets along India’s coast as fishers turn rescuers (February 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/whale-sharks-released-from-nets-along-indias-coast-as-fishers-turn-rescuers/
- Once hunted and butchered for oil and meat, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are now being rescued by fishers along India’s western Arabian Sea coast.
- Since 2001, the nonprofit Wildlife Trust of India has been educating fishing communities about whale sharks, training fishers in safe disentanglement techniques and offering compensation for destroyed nets.
- During that time, more than a thousand whale sharks have been released from accidental entanglement in fishing nets along India’s west coast.
- However, experts say the compensation for rescues remains insufficient and that social security, insurance, training and livelihood-linked incentives should be offered to protect the fishers who engage in whale shark rescues.
Seagrass restoration in Malaysia finds multi-species approach boosts recovery (February 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/seagrass-restoration-in-malaysia-finds-multi-species-approach-boosts-recovery/
- Seagrass restoration is increasingly recognized as crucial for addressing the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
- However, much remains unknown about the most effective techniques, especially in tropical ecosystems where long-term projects struggle for funding.
- A decade-long seagrass recovery program in Peninsular Malaysia has achieved high survival rates at a site heavily impacted by coastal development, raising hopes that degraded meadows can be revitalized.
- The study also identified several factors that can increase success, including: knowledge of the biology of local seagrass species, adapting methods to suit local environmental and physical conditions, and properly addressing the original drivers of decline.
New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/new-global-map-shows-where-sharks-and-rays-most-need-protection/
- A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help shark and ray populations recover following decades of overfishing.
- The areas, each of which hosts key activities such as reproduction for at least one threatened shark or ray species, are visible on an online atlas open to the public.
- The ISRAs don’t take up all that much of the ocean’s surface: less than 3% for the nine regions where research has been completed, which shows how achievable conservation of sharks and rays is, the lead author said.
- The report was released ahead of a major meeting of the parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations treaty, in Brazil in March, where area-based management decisions for marine species are on the agenda.
What’s happening with the global treaty to trace critical minerals? (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/whats-happening-with-the-global-treaty-to-trace-critical-minerals/
- Colombia has been pushing for a binding global minerals treaty at several key U.N. meetings, including at the seventh U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) last December.
- It hopes to address the socioenvironmental problems caused by minerals and metals mining through the creation of international traceability and due diligence mechanisms across mineral supply chains.
- At UNEA-7, a joint proposal put forward by Colombia and Oman encountered resistance from several member states for traceability, political and economic reasons, ending with a nonbinding resolution that was stripped of its original ambition. Traceability, which experts warn is essential to address mining risks, did not make it into the final resolution.
- NGOs and certain states say they will continue pushing for a global treaty on traceability at upcoming conferences, while other mineral frameworks emerge — including those seeking to accelerate investment in critical mineral mining.
Why is a Philippine island now the Asia Pacific center for agroecology? Interview with Ramon ‘Chin-Chin’ Uy Jr. (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/why-is-a-philippine-island-now-the-asia-pacific-center-for-agroecology-interview-with-ramon-chin-chin-uy-jr/
- Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr., is a sustainable food entrepreneur based on Negros Island in the Philippines, which recently hosted the global “good food” movement Slow Food’s first-ever regional conference in Asia and the Pacific.
- The gathering last November brought together farmers, chefs, food artisans and policymakers from across the region to discuss agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food systems.
- Mongabay reporter Keith Anthony Fabro sat down with Uy during the event to discuss agroecology in the region and what it means that Negros Island is being heralded as its “capital.”
Writer Megan Mayhew Bergman on science, emotion, and the lasting power of ‘Silent Spring’ (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/02/writer-megan-mayhew-bergman-on-science-emotion-and-the-lasting-power-of-silent-spring/
It’s been more than half a century since the publication of Silent Spring by the scientist and creative writer Rachel Carson. The seminal volume caught the attention of U.S. presidents, artists and musicians, spurring the environmental movement and leading to the eventual ban of the toxic pesticide DDT. Joining the Mongabay Newscast is environmental writer […]
Lower levels of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in North Atlantic whales show regulations work: Study (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/lower-levels-of-pfas-forever-chemicals-in-north-atlantic-whales-show-regulations-work-study/
- North Atlantic pilot whales now have 60% lower concentrations of some legacy PFAS (forever chemicals) than they did a decade ago, according to a Harvard University-led study.
- This represents roughly a decade-long lag after major manufacturers began phasing out production of the most problematic legacy PFAS in the early 2000s due to toxicity concerns.
- The study also reveals a troubling pattern known as “regrettable substitution,” where banned harmful substances are replaced by similar chemicals that cause comparable harm.
- The findings contrast with trends in human blood samples, where total organofluorine levels have remained stable or even increased despite declining concentrations of legacy PFAS, suggesting newer replacement PFAS may be accumulating primarily on land.
From above: Aerial Borneo (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/02/from-above-aerial-borneo/
Aerial photography invites a level of uncertainty. The ground offers clues but rarely the full picture. Once the view lifts, certain patterns begin to register: peat-dark water cutting through forest, the abrupt change from canopy to cleared land, the geometry of river bends, or mountains rising in the distance. At times, the colors can be […]
Conservation programs must embrace causal evidence when evaluating impact (commentary) (February 3, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/conservation-programs-must-embrace-causal-evidence-when-evaluating-impact-commentary/
- A couple of seminal studies published almost 20 years ago found that conservationists needed to start examining whether their actions were actually causing the desired effects.
- Assessing conservation projects through a causal lens takes more effort but can ultimately be a big piece of the puzzle that helps practitioners identify cause-and-effect relationships between various factors.
- “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception. With biodiversity in crisis, we can’t afford to keep guessing whether our actions work,” a new op-ed argues.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.