The National Biodiversity Authority has released a new set of rules to manage sharing of benefits generated through the use of biological resources. The Biological Diversity (Access to biological Resources and Knowledge Associated thereto and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulation 2025 was approved by the Central government and …
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is accelerating commitments to restoring ecosystem in Africa, said an official on Tuesday. "We are accelerating commitments for ecosystem restoration to improve resilience in the region," David Cooper, deputy executive secretary of CBD told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing fourth session …
A landmark UN report warned the world to drastically scale up environmental protections, or cities and regions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa could see millions of premature deaths by mid-century. The most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment completed in the last five years …
One fine morning in October, 2012, G. Sudhakar, a government teacher, was flipping through a newspaper at a tea stall in Chittoor when he came across news pertaining to the Hyderabad Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). One particular story on crows and their …
Close up of the the first discovered specimen of the newly described species (Atractaspis branchi or Branch's Stiletto Snake) in its natural habitat. Credit: Mark-Oliver Roedel Following a series of recent surveys in north-western Liberia and south-eastern Guinea, an international team of researchers found three stiletto snakes which were later …
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Dr. José Graziano da Silva, and Director General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, signed two landmark agreements today, expanding existing cooperation between the two institutions on plant genetic resources, biosaline agriculture …
Only 24 species of land snails were previously known from Belize, but a decade-long study that started in 2006 has uncovered 135 more, including 17 that are new to science. Researchers and Belizean biological field technicians dug through leaf litter, went deep inside caves and sinkholes, and explored some of …
Extraction industries are responsible for half of the world’s carbon emissions and more than 80% of biodiversity loss, according to the most comprehensive environmental tally undertaken of mining and farming. While this is crucial for food, fuel and minerals, the study by UN Environment warns the increasing material weight of …
Over 7,000 new microbial species in the oceans were discovered by researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), which made the results public on Monday. The new species found including acidobacteria, a natural medicinal phylum with the CRISPR gene editing system discovered at sea for the …
A new marine protected area (MPA) has been founded in the Philippines within what are considered some of the most biologically diverse waters on Earth. The new MPA, which has been given the name Pirasan, was declared by the municipality of Tingloy on Maricaban Island in the Philippines’ Batangas Province. …
From the innovations and ethical dilemmas of synthetic biology to the options for appropriate international adaptation to climate change: Frontiers 2018/19 explores the emerging environmental issues facing the planet. Will the cutting edge of genetic splicing techniques lead to a huge boon for human and environmental health, provided regulation can …
Sri Lanka hosts the latest CITES conference this May, where member states will consider proposals for protections for a wide range of species. The host country has proposed several endemic lizard species for inclusion in CITES Appendix I, including the Knuckles pygmy lizard (Cophotis dumbara), a critically endangered species. Organizers …
Plants are essential sources of food, medicine, shelter, fuel, feed, and forage, and provide a wide range of additional ecosystem and cultural services to humanity. In recognition of the tremendous value of useful plants and of the increasing threats to their persistence, international agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity, …
The news that over 7,500 kilograms of pangolin scales have been seized in the last five years in Cameroon has again brought to light the devastating reach of international poaching and trafficking in Africa. Even more shocking, this month, was the seizure in Vietnam of 2,500 kg of pangolin scales …
Biofuels are an essential renewable energy resource, with 40% (90 exajoules) of renewable energy resources projected to come from biofuel sources by 2050. In order to meet these projected energetic demands, biofuel production must be increased from the current annual biofuel yield of 50 exajoules. Sustainable intensification of pastureland, or …
TheVulnerable bumphead parrotfishBolbometopon muricatum, a highly prized fishery resource worldwide, has experienced population declines throughout its geographical range. There is limited knowledge of the distribution and abundance of, and threats to, this fish in Indian waters, particularly for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Original Source
Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila in December awarded an oil drilling licence that overlaps a wildlife-rich UNESCO world heritage site, according to official records, reviving concerns about environmental protections. Congo, Africa’s leading copper producer, has long aimed to boost oil output above 25,000 barrels per day but …
Up to 1,500 chimpanzees could be killed by a new Chinese dam that will swamp a crucial sanctuary for the endangered primate in Guinea, experts have warned. The 294MW Koukoutamba dam will be built by Sinohydro, the world’s biggest hydroelectric power plant construction company, in the middle of a newly …
The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on Member States to carry out a mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. As such, an EU-wide ecosystem assessment was launched to provide harmonised information on the condition of ecosystems and biodiversity, and their capacity to provide ecosystem services. The assessment …
The future of food supplies is under "severe threat" because of the number of animal and plant species disappearing warns this new global report on the state of biodiversity for food and agriculture The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture presents the first global assessment of biodiversity …
Continuous unabated dumping of construction and demolition waste along the lesser known 4.5 acres Lokhandwala lake is not only threatening this freshwater body but also the trees as well as important biodiversity around the lake. The local active residents from Lokhandwala who have been working for years to safeguarded the …
