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- Mongabay
Another mining-linked pollution incident raises alarm over Zambia’s Kafue River
Zambia’s government directed Konkola Copper Mines to inspect its facilities and remediate downstream contamination following a late-September industrial discharge. The incident altered the color, taste, and odor of the Kafue River. This latest pollution event highlights ongoing environmental risks to vital water sources from the nation's mining sector.
- Mongabay
Water, carbon & the ‘tree of life’: Interview with Venezuela’s guardian of morichales
A Venezuelan palm species crucial for regional freshwater regulation and Indigenous heritage is quietly disappearing across the nation's savannas and floodplains. Often overlooked in global climate discussions, these disappearing wetland habitats threaten vital hydrological systems and local cultural traditions.
- Mongabay
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado savanna at lowest rate ever recorded
New data from Brazil’s space research agency indicates that forest loss in the Amazon and Cerrado reached historic lows under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This milestone highlights significant progress in domestic conservation efforts, impacting regional climate stability and international biodiversity goals ahead of the national runoff elections.
- Inter Press Service
International Day of Climate Action 2026
Marking the International Day of Climate Action, meteorologists report that global temperatures from 2015 to 2025 reached record highs. This ongoing warming trend drives severe environmental shocks worldwide. Consequently, extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heatwaves increasingly threaten vulnerable populations and global livelihoods.
- Inter Press Service
Bangladesh’s Hidden Climate Bill: How Much Are We Losing Without Counting It?
While Bangladesh is internationally recognized for minimizing cyclone and flood fatalities through robust early warning systems and shelters, the severe economic toll of climate change on households and public finances remains largely overlooked. Addressing these hidden financial losses is critical for sustaining national resilience and protecting vulnerable populations from compounding climate shocks.
- Mongabay
Nature has a new Noah’s Ark moment at the biodiversity summit (commentary)
Government delegates have gathered in Yerevan, Armenia, for the Convention on Biological Diversity summit. The meeting focuses on halting species extinction and advancing equitable land management. This international gathering is crucial for shaping global environmental policies and protecting vulnerable ecosystems.
- Mongabay
IUCN’s Madhu Rao on the world’s protected areas: Progress, pressures and the race to 2030
Recent Mongabay reporting details severe threats faced by conservation areas globally, including violent ambushes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, infrastructure pressures in Cambodia, and illicit mining in the Amazon. These widespread challenges undermine global efforts to secure protected territories and achieve international conservation targets by 2030.
- Mongabay
Wildlife photography’s dirty little secret
Wildlife photographers increasingly utilize captive facilities known as "photography game farms" to stage images of wild animals for commercial sale and competitions. Conservation advocates argue this deceptive practice misleads the public and exploits captive wildlife. Industry critics are calling for greater transparency and stricter ethical standards across photography and media platforms.
- Inter Press Service
From Small Islands to Antalya: COP31 Must Move Climate Promises from Paper to People
Ahead of the COP31 climate summit, advocates emphasize that negotiations must transition from theoretical commitments to tangible community support. Representatives from vulnerable island nations stress that rising sea levels pose immediate threats to local livelihoods, requiring urgent international financing and adaptation measures to protect frontline populations.
- Mongabay
Delegates at biodiversity COP17 should follow the lead of Global South women (commentary)
At the U.N. biodiversity summit in Armenia, commentators argue that addressing environmental degradation requires centering women from the Global South. Despite years of commitments, biodiversity funding remains insufficient and deforestation persists. Integrating gender equity into conservation strategies is vital for halting ecological destruction and improving funding outcomes.
- Mongabay
Mozambique’s Maputo National Park showcases biodiversity and shelters migratory birds
Amid global concerns over declining migratory bird populations, Mozambique’s Maputo National Park highlights the critical role of regional conservation. The protected area demonstrates how safeguarding vital habitats supports diverse species and strengthens international efforts to meet global biodiversity targets.
- Mongabay
Nigeria’s parks chief stresses conservation gains amid struggle to protect wildlife
Nigerian authorities have shut down a large illegal gold mine near Gashaka-Gumti National Park, displacing thousands of miners from the protected area. The enforcement operation highlights ongoing efforts by the National Park Service to curb illicit activities and safeguard critical wildlife habitats within the country's largest reserve.
- Mongabay
Bank credit remains scarce in Bangladesh where climate risks are highest
Residents in Bangladesh's climate-vulnerable coastal regions struggle to access institutional bank credit. Financial scarcity in high-risk areas like Satkhira impedes local recovery and adaptation efforts following extreme weather events such as cyclones.
- Mongabay
Large animals are living carbon stores. Does that make saving them a climate solution?
Historical declines in large African wildlife populations have significantly disrupted regional ecosystem structures and carbon storage capacities. Recent scientific research suggests that restoring these vital megafauna species could offer meaningful climate mitigation benefits by improving natural carbon sequestration processes across the continent's landscapes.
- Mongabay
Navigating crisis and opportunity in conservation funding (commentary)
Recent reductions in international aid, including major budget cuts across European development agencies and the closure of USAID, have severely impacted global conservation funding. This drop in financial support creates significant challenges for environmental programs worldwide, forcing the sector to seek alternative revenue models to sustain ongoing protection efforts.
- Mongabay
‘Exceptionally severe’ oil well eruption in Niger raises fears for threatened desert wildlife
An uncontrolled oil and gas well blowout has been active in southern Niger since late September. The ongoing leak has damaged local facilities and threatens vulnerable desert wildlife populations. Authorities report that containment efforts remain unsuccessful after four weeks.
- Mongabay
Finance and Indigenous rights top Africans’ agenda as biodiversity summit opens in Yerevan
As the U.N. biodiversity summit opened in Yerevan, Armenian delegates and civil society groups prioritized climate financing and the protection of Indigenous land rights. Attendees are assessing progress toward the 2022 Kunming-Montreal framework targets, emphasizing that adequate resources and local leadership are vital for halting species extinction and ecosystem loss across the continent.
- Mongabay
Conservation is bringing species back. Governments must help those gains last
Conservation initiatives are successfully reviving various wildlife populations globally, but these ecological gains remain vulnerable. To ensure long-term survival, governments must implement sustained support and policy measures that protect these recovering species from ongoing environmental threats.
- UN News
Protecting Earth’s fragile biodiversity takes spotlight at Armenia talks
At the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, officials urged immediate international cooperation to halt environmental degradation. The discussions focus on reversing habitat loss that threatens global livelihoods and long-term economic stability, emphasizing that coordinated government intervention is essential to safeguard natural ecosystems worldwide.
- Inter Press Service
Afro-Brazilian Religious Communities Face Mounting Discrimination Amid the Climate Crisis
Amid severe flooding in southern Brazil, Afro-Brazilian religious communities are experiencing escalating discrimination. This marginalization during climate-driven disasters highlights systemic vulnerabilities within emergency response efforts, compromising humanitarian access and recovery support for affected marginalized populations in the region.
- Mongabay
Nearly 90% of countries adopt biodiversity targets, but most remain off track
Delegates at the United Nations COP17 biodiversity summit in Yerevan are reviewing progress on global conservation goals. While nearly ninety percent of nations have submitted updated national plans following the Montreal framework, implementation lags behind schedule, threatening broader efforts to halt ecological degradation worldwide.
- Mongabay
Amazon deforestation falls 42% to a record low
Data from Brazil’s national space research institute shows that forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 42% over the year ending July 2026. Total clearing fell to 3,335 square kilometers, marking the lowest recorded annual rate for the region. This reduction significantly impacts global climate mitigation efforts by preserving the world's largest rainforest.
- UN News
As disasters mount, next UN climate summit faces a test of trust
Representatives from three consecutive climate summit presidencies met in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of COP31 to address eroding global trust in international environmental commitments. This high-level gathering comes as escalating climate-related disasters intensify pressure on world leaders to deliver measurable and effective cooperative responses.
- UN News
Guterres urges faster action and financing to stop biodiversity loss
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments, businesses, and communities to urgently increase funding and accelerate conservation measures. The appeal aims to halt global nature loss and secure ecosystems for future generations.
- Mongabay
Vulture conservation project to target illegal killing and poisoning in Chad
Sahara Conservation has initiated a project in Chad to safeguard declining vulture populations, particularly the endangered Egyptian vulture. Supported by European Union funding, the initiative aims to combat illegal killing and poisoning. This effort addresses a broader regional crisis affecting the species across Central Africa.
- Mongabay
Climate change could send more toxic mining waste into coastal waters, study warns
A recent study warns that climate change may wash toxic mining waste into coastal ecosystems. As global demand for extracted metals surges, intensifying environmental pressures threaten vulnerable marine habitats and coastal communities near disposal sites.
- Inter Press Service
Finding Silver Linings Amid Haze of Climatic Uncertainty
At the Global Tipping Points Conference in Malaysia, experts emphasized the critical need to respect planetary boundaries amid worsening environmental conditions. The four-day gathering underscored the rising urgency of addressing global climate threats to prevent irreversible ecological collapse.
- Inter Press Service
If the UN COP17 Is Serious About Biodiversity, It Needs to Follow the Money
Government delegates are convening in Armenia for the United Nations COP17 biodiversity summit to evaluate international progress in halting ecological decline. The gathering carries high significance for the planet's future, as participants must address critical funding mechanisms required to achieve global environmental conservation targets.
- UN News
The world is waging a ‘war on nature’ as progress on biodiversity targets lags
Ahead of the COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia, a United Nations report reveals that less than half of global conservation goals are currently on track. The findings underscore severe implementation gaps in safeguarding international ecosystems, habitats, and wildlife populations from ongoing environmental degradation.
- Mongabay
From paper parks to lasting protection, here’s what works in marine conservation
Recent global commitments have significantly expanded marine protected areas, aiming to safeguard ocean biodiversity. However, humanitarian and development specialists note that transforming these geographic pledges into effective, long-term safeguards requires moving beyond nominal designations to implement active management strategies that ensure measurable ecological and community benefits.
- Mongabay
Chinese social media used to promote illegal wildlife trade in Laos
Chinese social media platforms are increasingly used to market illegal wildlife products in Laos to buyers from China. Vlogs and online posts advertise endangered species and bushmeat available in Lao markets, undermining conservation efforts and exacerbating illicit cross-border wildlife trafficking.
- Mongabay
“Stunningly short-sighted” NOAA grant cuts threaten US climate resilience
Following the 2025 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, federal administrations reduced funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This reduction jeopardizes community-based climate adaptation grants nationwide. To track these funding losses, the nonprofit organization Grant Witness established a comprehensive awards database.
- Mongabay
Researchers uncover hidden routes and patterns of Amazon wildlife trade
Researchers in the Amazon basin have mapped undocumented trafficking networks that supply international markets with rare aquatic species. The findings reveal how local subsistence harvesting feeds lucrative global trades, threatening regional biodiversity and prompting calls for enhanced enforcement across vulnerable ecosystems.
- UN News
World News in Brief: Gaza braces for winter amid attacks, joint patrols in CAR, 90 cities commit to sustainable development
The United Nations is increasing winterization preparations in Gaza amid ongoing military operations. Humanitarian agencies are rushing to secure shelter and supplies for vulnerable civilians ahead of the upcoming rainy season.
- Mongabay
Protected areas are not for mining: Interview with WWF’s Nadège Nzoyem
- Mongabay
In a first for the DRC, a homegrown NGO will co-manage a wildlife reserve
- Mongabay
Photos: Taiwan’s tea revival blends ancient terraces with new climate adaptations
- Mongabay
Researcher who listens to forests wins 2026 Pritzker Environmental Genius Award
- Mongabay
Oil pollution is drifting into marine protected areas, report finds
- Mongabay
For Indian communities, fishmeal factories bring pollution, danger and protests
- Mongabay
Dhaka’s waste-to-energy plant face backlash over air pollution
- Mongabay
Deadly wildfires leave Borneo wildlife scrambling for fresh water
- Mongabay
Crackdown reveals ‘industrial-scale’ wildlife and timber trafficking across Latin America
- Mongabay
Australia’s new eco police flexes muscles with major wildlife trafficking bust
- Mongabay
Invasive species have more severe environmental impacts in Global South, study finds
- UN News
‘Overshoot is not a reason to surrender’: UN calls for accelerated climate action ahead of COP31 summit
- Mongabay
Despite legacy court case, Zambian Vedanta mine pollution continues
- Mongabay
Africa’s monitored wildlife populations declined 80% since 1970, new report says
- Mongabay
100 conservation projects are looking for funding after USAID’s closure
- Global Voices
Young people are bridging the climate divide for Oceania and the Caribbean
- Mongabay
Brazil far-right presidential candidate wins most votes in deforestation hotspots
- UN News
Security, sacrifice or opportunity: Visions differ over effective climate action
- UN News
Extreme heat making pregnancy a ‘new fault line’ in climate crisis
- Mongabay
More Latin American species are surfacing at a Bangkok wildlife market
- Inter Press Service
Climate Change Is Becoming a Pregnancy Hazard Worldwide, Survey Finds
A global survey reveals that rising temperatures increasingly endanger maternal and infant health worldwide. Nearly all surveyed healthcare professionals across five continents report treating patients affected by extreme heat. This evidence underscores the growing health risks of climate change for vulnerable populations ahead of upcoming international climate negotiations.
- Devpolicy Blog
Fast-tracking Pacific survival: the push for an ex-post climate fund window
Kiribati's minister for women and youth proposes an alternative funding mechanism to accelerate climate resilience projects across the Pacific. By allowing governments to build coastal defenses immediately and receive international financial reimbursement afterward, this approach could bypass bureaucratic delays threatening vulnerable atoll nations.
- UN News
Uganda’s UN-supported wildlife forensics lab turns ivory seizures into convictions
- Mongabay
Satellite data reveal massive scale of routine oil pollution in oceans. See the map
A report by U.S. nonprofit Skytruth reveals that maritime vessels and offshore platforms generate nearly 1.6 million square kilometers of ocean oil slicks annually. Utilizing satellite imagery and machine learning, the findings quantify widespread marine pollution, highlighting ongoing environmental risks in global waters.
- Mongabay
Permafrost, wetland, wildfire and freshwater emissions could amplify climate change by up to 30%, study finds
A recent study indicates that emissions from thawing permafrost, wetlands, wildfires, and freshwater systems could increase global climate warming by up to 30 percent. This amplifying feedback loop occurs as rising temperatures accelerate the decay of ancient organic matter in polar soils, releasing large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- Mongabay
How to grow $25K into community-led conservation: Interview with Tanzania’s Mwambao
In Zanzibar, Tanzania, co-founders Ali Thani and Lorna Slade established the Mwambao marine conservation organization. Emerging from academic tourism research, the initiative strengthens local fishing communities' resource rights and management capacities. This model demonstrates how small initial investments can effectively scale grassroots environmental stewardship in East Africa.
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