Nothing goes to waste

There's a quiet urgency to 'From the Marginlands', a podcast that sets itself apart from the usual climate-change chatter. Hosted by Prem Panicker and Arati Kumar-Rao, it invites you to listen, reflect and rethink how we tell environmental stories. And why these matter.

The episode The Truth about Wastelands features conservation scientist Abi Tamim Vanak. He takes aim at the deeply damaging classification of large swathes as 'wastelands' - a bureaucratic label that erases ecological value of grasslands, scrublands and open natural ecosystems (ONEs). These are not empty spaces but living systems that sustain biodiversity, livelihoods and climate resilience.

Vanak foregrounds the role of pastoralists, not as relics of the past but as active managers of these ecosystems. His linking human, animal and environmental health is timely.


Equally compelling is the conversation around governance. Frustration of seeing solid science fail to translate into policy is palpable. Yet, the tone remains constructive, pushing for adaptive, evidence-led decision-making rather than top-down fixes.

Thoughtful, layered and refreshingly free of doom-mongering, this episode exemplifies what the podcast does best: making margins visible.