Species Mentioned
| Species | Key Detail |
|---|---|
| Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) | State Bird of Rajasthan; 100-150 individuals; 90% range loss |
| Phog Bush (Calligonum polygonoides) | Native Thar desert plant; flowers mixed with curd traditionally |
| Sal Tree (Shorea robusta) | Mass felling for Delhi-Dehradun expressway; worshipped by Jharkhand adivasis |
| Stingless Bees | World’s oldest bee species; pollinate 80%+ Amazonian flora; first insects to gain legal rights (Satipo, Peru) |
| Common Cuckoo | Transcontinental migrant (E. Asia → Africa); Jhalana (Aravallis) as energy stopover |
Geographical Features
| Feature | Location | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Saranda Forest | West Singhbhum, Jharkhand | Asia’s largest sal forest; threatened by iron ore mining |
| Bhitarkanika NP | Odisha | Satabhaya villages swallowed by coastal erosion |
| Mudumalai Sanctuary | Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu | Elephants, bears, deer, bison |
| Rispana & Bindal Rivers | Dehradun valley | Seasonal rivers killed by concrete embankments; caused Sept 2025 Sahastradhara cloudburst floods |
| Changthang Region | Ladakh | High-altitude plateau; shrinking pasturelands |
Reports & Indices
| Report | Key Finding |
|---|---|
| UNEP “Navigating New Horizons” (2024) | Warned of “eco-anxiety” / “climate grief” among youth |
| DTE Opinion Survey (2025) | 88% youth feel climate changing; 94% worried about future |
| UNEP Young Champion of Earth | Indian Jinali Mody — Banofi Leather (banana-waste vegan leather) |
Art & Culture (Tribal Traditions)
- Ho Adivasi People: Austroasiatic Munda ethnic group in Kolhan State, Jharkhand; unique traditional governance
- A:bang (Adi Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh): Epic oral narrative chanted by a Miri (shaman/historian); documents birth of universe, plants, animals; promotes co-existence with nature
- Dujit: Adi tribe term meaning “squatted the river dry” — describes stream disappearance from human encroachment
- Mishrikand (Jicama): Root vegetable (Bihar, West Bengal, eastern UP); eaten raw as prasad during Saraswati Puja