Fighting new oil blocks in the Congo Basin: Interview with activist Pascal Mirindi (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fighting-new-oil-blocks-in-the-congo-basin-interview-with-activist-pascal-mirindi-2/
- Pascal Mirindi is a Congolese environmental activist fighting oil exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- In 2022, as the Congolese government promoted new oil blocks in eastern DRC, Mirindi and his friends created a movement to raise community awareness of the dangers of fossil fuel exploitation.
- In late 2024, the Congolese government initiated a green corridor expanding from the eastern to the western side of the country, aiming to establish the “largest protected tropical forest in the world,” yet a few months later, the country launched new oil blocks covering 60% of the entire country’s surface.
- Mirindi spoke with Mongabay in June about his activism and the future of the DRC.
From rivers to mangroves, microplastics are contaminating the Amazon (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/from-rivers-to-mangroves-microplastics-are-contaminating-the-amazon/
- Recent studies show that microplastics are already present in a variety of Amazonian environments: Major rivers such as the Amazon, urban streams, floodplain areas and mangroves in the Amazon’s Mouth.
- In a single lake in eastern Manaus, researchers found microplastics in the intestines of half the jaraquis — the most consumed fish in Amazonas state
- The contamination is related to irregular waste disposal and lack of sewage collection and treatment, which allow household residues to flow directly into water bodies.
- This is the first story in a three-part special series on microplastics in the Amazon region; upcoming pieces will look into the effects of these particles on aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Peru’s only penguin species at risk from upcoming El Niño and bird flu, experts warn (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/perus-only-penguin-species-at-risk-from-upcoming-el-nino-and-bird-flu-experts-warn/
- The Humboldt penguin is the only penguin species to breed in Peru, inhabiting the country’s coastal deserts. But since 2022, the species’ has been under pressure from the spread of avian influenza, followed by El Niño.
- Between 2022 and 2025, the population of Humboldt penguins has dropped by two-thirds across 34 islands and peninsulas on the Peruvian coast.
- Experts monitoring the species say penguins are abandoning their nests as they already feel the impacts of the upcoming El Niño episode, which changes temperatures in coastal waters and diminishes the amount of prey fish available.
- Scientists are asking both the national government and the IUCN to revise the species’ status to reflect the increasing threats and boost conservation efforts.
White-rumped vulture returns to a Cambodian sanctuary after a decade’s absence (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/white-rumped-vulture-returns-to-a-cambodian-sanctuary-after-a-decades-absence/
For the first time in 10 years, a critically endangered white-rumped vulture has been spotted in Cambodia’s Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary. However, this conservation milestone is unfolding just as the sanctuary stares down new threats from mining operations and hydropower dams. During a June 2026 census, surveyors recorded the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) at a supplementary […]
America’s retreat from wildlife protection will be felt far beyond its borders (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/americas-retreat-from-wildlife-protection-will-be-felt-far-beyond-its-borders/
- The Trump administration has removed habitat destruction from the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.
- The change could make it easier for farming, drilling, mining, logging, and development to proceed in places where endangered species live.
- Because habitat loss is one of the main drivers of extinction, protecting animals while allowing the destruction of the places they need offers limited protection in practice.
- The decision also weakens the United States’ standing when it asks other countries to conserve forests, wetlands, rivers, and other important habitats.
Conservationists urge caution over Bangladesh’s plan to plant 250 million trees (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/conservationists-urge-caution-over-bangladeshs-plan-to-plant-250-million-trees/
- Bangladesh plans to plant 250 million trees across the country over the next five years, including in mangrove forests, in hill forests, along roadsides and riverbanks, and in campuses of educational and government institutions.
- The initiative follows the current government’s election manifesto trees, aiming to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide in the region by creating a nationwide green belt.
- Conservationists have reacted to the initiative with mixed observations since many say they believe it may be wasting resources rather than successfully creating greenery in the country.
- They suggest caution during the planning and implementation stages in order to achieve the best output.
Félix Guillermo Moncada Gavilán helped move Cuba from sea turtle fishing to protection (July 20, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/felix-guillermo-moncada-gavilan-helped-move-cuba-from-sea-turtle-fishing-to-protection/
For much of the 20th century, Cuba’s sea turtles were treated as a fishery. Green turtles were taken for meat, and hawksbills for the patterned shell used in jewelry and ornaments. In the 1980s, legal fisheries landed an average of 836 metric tons a year. Research focused in part on how the catch might be […]
Something strange is happening in Liberia (July 19, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/something-strange-is-happening-in-liberia/
Liberia is losing its rainforest at an alarming rate. Satellite data reveals rapid deforestation across one of West Africa’s last remaining intact rainforests, driven largely by illegal cocoa plantations supplying the global demand for chocolate. To find out more, we travel deep into Liberia’s forests to speak with migrant cocoa workers, forest rangers, and community […]
Why are forests vanishing in southeastern Liberia? (July 18, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/07/why-are-forests-vanishing-in-southeastern-liberia/
GRAND GEDEH, Liberia – In the past century, most of West Africa’s Upper Guinean rainforest has been lost to commercial agriculture, infrastructure development and logging. More than half of what’s left is in Liberia, and the remaining rainforest now faces a threat that’s already driven much of the region’s deforestation: cacao production. In the past […]
Can ‘fog harvesting’ help solve water scarcity in Chile’s Atacama Desert? (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-fog-harvesting-help-solve-water-scarcity-in-chiles-atacama-desert/
- Communities living in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, look for creative ways to fight water scarcity, including “harvesting” water droplets from the foggy climate.
- Local groups erect large mesh structures that can intercept thousands of liters of water droplets per day from fog being carried by the wind. The water is used for drinking and cultivating fruits and vegetables.
- Researchers have studied the factors that increase harvesting results, including sea level, temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed.
- With more research and support for pilot programs, they say local governments could one day adopt the strategy into their water management plans.
US government announces plans to lease deep-sea mining rights in American Samoa (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/us-government-announces-plans-to-lease-deep-sea-mining-rights-in-american-samoa/
The U.S. government has taken another definitive step toward launching a deep-sea mining industry, starting in the waters of American Samoa, despite public opposition. On July 17, the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), a new U.S. agency formed by merging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, announced intentions […]
Beavers flourish in tidal habitats in the Pacific Northwest, study finds (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/beavers-flourish-in-tidal-habitats-in-the-pacific-northwest-study-finds/
Beavers are well-known residents of rivers, lakes and streams across North America. New research finds they are also far more common in estuaries and tidal wetlands than was previously understood. The study suggests the rodents are critical ecosystem engineers in a habitat where twice-daily tides raise and lower water levels, bringing saltwater inland from the […]
How Costa Rica’s extreme climate changes the social behaviors of white-faced capuchin (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/how-costa-ricas-extreme-climate-changes-the-social-behaviors-of-white-faced-capuchin/
- For 33 years, a research team has studied white-faced capuchin monkeys in the tropical dry forests of Costa Rica, gathering data on their complex social lives.
- A new study from the team shows that during extreme climate events, large groups of capuchins may go hungry, while smaller groups may fare better.
- Climate extremes alter the physical landscape, causing animals to change their societal behaviors. For capuchins, this means greater competition for food, heightened territorial sensitivity and fluctuating group sizes.
- While capuchins can adapt to environmental changes over time, there are limits to their resilience, as seen during the severe droughts caused by the El Niño in 2014-2016, when dwindling food sources caused capuchins to abandon societal norms in search of food.
Can harpy eagles attack humans? Amazon case rekindles scientific debate (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-harpy-eagles-attack-humans-amazon-case-rekindles-scientific-debate/
- An attack by a harpy against a tourist in French Guiana has sparked a debate about interactions between humans and the world’s largest eagle.
- Field reports indicate that these episodes are uncommon and usually associated with defending prey, but they can result in serious injuries.
- Although rare, these cases expose a conservation dilemma: They may reinforce stigma against the species but also reveal real conflicts about which there is little public debate.
India launches first hydrogen-powered train built in the country to expand clean energy on railways (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/india-launches-first-hydrogen-powered-train-built-in-the-country-to-expand-clean-energy-on-railways/
NEW DELHI (AP) — India rolled out its first domestically built, hydrogen-powered train on Friday, a move aimed at expanding the use of clean energy in its vast rail network. The train made up of two hydrogen-powered driving cars and eight passenger coaches will operate in the northern state of Haryana. It can run at […]
How a community is helping sea turtles hatch in the Philippines (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/how-a-community-is-helping-sea-turtles-hatch-in-the-philippines/
- The municipality of San Vicente in the Philippines’ Palawan is a vital nesting ground for Olive Ridley sea turtles.
- Nesting turtles and their eggs face an array of challenges. Predation by dogs is the most immediate threat, but rising sea levels, more severe storms and tourism development plans also loom large.
- To try to protect the turtles, Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, a Philippine-based NGO, runs a research project and works with paid patrollers to monitor and protect turtles and their nests.
- Community involvement is key to the group’s conservation efforts.
Melanesian nations announce intention to create massive ocean reserve corridor (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/melanesian-nations-announce-intention-to-create-massive-ocean-reserve-corridor/
- Solomon Islands is the latest Pacific island nation to sign on to a new network of marine protected areas (MPAs) known as the Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves, or MOCOR, which was announced by Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji at the first Melanesian Ocean Summit in May.
- Located in the southwestern Pacific, Melanesia is a hotspot for marine biodiversity and the discovery of new species.
- While large marine corridors can be more effective than isolated MPAs, researchers caution that robust management and enforcement are necessary to prevent them from becoming so-called “paper parks.”
- Details about MOCOR’s size, configuration, precise location, governance, enforcement mechanisms and community consultation processes are scarce.
Fighting new oil blocks in the Congo Basin: Interview with activist Pascal Mirindi (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fighting-new-oil-blocks-in-the-congo-basin-interview-with-activist-pascal-mirindi/
- Pascal Mirindi is a Congolese environmental activist fighting oil exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- In 2022, as the Congolese government promoted new oil blocks in eastern DRC, Mirindi and his friends created a movement to raise community awareness of the dangers of fossil fuel exploitation.
- In late 2024, the Congolese government initiated a green corridor extending from the eastern to the western side of the country, aiming to establish the “largest protected tropical forest in the world,” yet a few months later, the country launched new oil blocks covering 60% of the country’s surface.
- Mirindi spoke with Mongabay in June about his activism and the future of the DRC.
Rivers are not just water bodies: Interview with the Waterman Of Odisha (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/rivers-are-not-just-water-bodies-interview-with-the-waterman-of-odisha/
- Ranjan Panda — social ecologist, journalist and researcher — is popularly known as the Waterman of Odisha.
- Panda highlights the invisible and noneconomic losses that communities living in coastal areas deal with due to climate change.
- In this interview, he highlights how rivers should be seen beyond their two boundaries of flow; how there is a stark difference in the ways rural and urban India see rivers.
Ancient rock structures help restore biodiversity on the US-Mexico border (July 17, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/ancient-rock-structures-help-restore-biodiversity-on-the-us-mexico-border/
- On the border between the United States and Mexico, ranchers are struggling under shifting climatic conditions, including extreme drought and intense flooding.
- Small rock structures known as trincheras are an ancient method of slowing water flow, reducing erosion and improving subsoil quality, allowing life to rebound in degraded rangelands.
- A growing body of research indicates that rock detention structures like trincheras help improve drought resilience, increase biodiversity and water yields.
- In Sonora, a state dominated by private rangelands, momentum is growing to build these structures and adopt a wider range of “regenerative ranching” practices, as conservationists and ranchers work together.