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ECOSYSTEM DEGRADATION
Need to safeguard fragile ecosystem of Himalayas, Nepal devastation is a warning for all: Mirwaiz Umar FarooqNepal's devastating flash floods highlight a critical warning for the vulnerable ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir. Recent glacier collapses e...
In 2008, Minnesota listed Fish Lake as impaired for nutrients after severe algae blooms. 16 years later, the lake improved enough to be delisted after treatments and restorationThe 2008 impairment designation was an important step because it formally recognized that the lake was not meeting the desired water-qualit...
Reforestation with Drones? How aerial seeding technology is bringing new life to Gran Chaco's threatened ecosystemDrones are emerging as a game-changer for tree planting in Argentina’s Gran Chaco, with conservationists deploying biodegradable seed capsu...
Rock-ice avalanches: The silent Himalayan killer behind Nepal's deadly floodRecent floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district highlight rock-ice avalanches. These events, which can trigger destructive downstream floods, are ...
In 2016, researchers restored 452 meters of Maryland's Muddy Creek with woodchips, sand and gravel. 2 years later, monitoring found suspended sediment fell 73.8%, improving stream functionMuddy Creek is a tributary of the Rhode River and flows through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, an important site for ecolog...
Glare on construction activity across China-Nepal highwayRecent GLOF floods in Nepal highlight construction impacts on fragile Himalayan regions. Hectic building along China-Nepal highways has inc...
In 2012, Ray Milewski and students set research plots at Pennsylvania's Tannersville Cranberry Bog. 10 years later, researchers cleared shrubs to help rare native plants return to the bogIn 2012, Ray Milewski and students established research plots at Pennsylvania’s Tannersville Cranberry Bog. A decade later, researchers cle...
How leftover wheat straw stopped China’s shifting desert sands and helped bring vegetation backA simple straw checkerboard system developed at Shapotou in China’s Tengger Desert helped protect the Baotou-Lanzhou railway from shifting ...
Claude down today: Users report issues as Downdetector shows big spike. Here's latest updateClaude AI users reported widespread service issues on Sunday night, with Downdetector showing a sharp rise in complaints involving Claude C...
In 1997, couple started with 11 farms; decades later, their 67,000-acre reserve is home to more than 60 mammal speciesA South African couple’s nearly three-decade conservation effort has transformed 11 former livestock farms into a 67,000-acre wildlife rese...
On August 3, 2026, Ethiopia planted 805.3 million seedlings in 12 hours with 26.2 million participants; years later, survival data will reveal whether that extraordinary national effort actually transformed degraded landscapesEthiopia also says that more than 48 billion seedlings have been planted since the Green Legacy Initiative began. These figures demonstrate...
In 2001, protected tropical forests entered a global wildfire study spanning 24 years. 23 years later, more than 4 million hectares had been destroyed by fire, twice the size of Wales, with annual losses roughly 9 times higher after 2016Millions of hectares of protected tropical forests were lost to wildfires between 2001 and 2024. Wildfire destruction inside protected area...
In the 1980s, the richest closed-canopy mangroves covered 77,643 sq km globally. 43 years later, they had grown to 88,772 sq km, helping turn decades of mangrove loss into a net global gainMangroves are far more than trees growing along tropical and subtropical shorelines. They form complex coastal ecosystems that provide habi...
In 1998, over 1,000 truckloads of orange peels were dumped in a barren Costa Rica pasture, 15 years later it turned into a dense forestIn a groundbreaking initiative in Costa Rica, researchers turned orange waste into a remarkable tool for land restoration. This organic byp...
After someone planted golden bamboo beside an Oʻahu road, the single ornamental planting escaped and grew into a 1-acre patch, crowding out native plantsGolden bamboo, once a beloved addition to gardens, is now recognized as an invasive menace. Its rapid growth through underground rhizomes t...
In 2015, Indonesia's devastating El Niño fires burned 2.6 million hectares and sent toxic haze across Southeast Asia. 11 years later, restoration efforts had helped cut burned peatland area by 70% in 2023 compared with 2019, showing the value of rewettingIndonesia is facing renewed wildfire concerns as a strong El Niño brings the prospect of reduced rainfall in 2026. The country’s devastatin...
NEDFi study finds microplastic pollution threatens BrahmaputraA NEDFi report identified microplastic pollution as a critical environmental challenge in freshwater systems. The study focused on the Brah...
In 2001, a scientist began rebuilding a rainforest on about 5,000 acres of burned Borneo grassland; the restored habitat became a refuge for orangutansA Dutch researcher regrew a rainforest on 5,000 acres of scorched land in Borneo. Willie Smits began restoring degraded land near Samboja i...
Iran calls for environmental safeguards for Strait of Hormuz amid oil pollution along Qeshm Island coastIran's foreign ministry spokesperson highlighted environmental concerns regarding oil pollution. Recent pollution along Qeshm Island shores...
In 1981, China began planting billions of trees to restore degraded land. Decades later, the 78-billion-tree effort produced a surprising outcome: it altered the water cycle, sending more rain to some regions while drying out othersChina’s decades-long reforestation campaign has dramatically expanded vegetation across the country, including through the Three-North Shel...