News & Blog
Women leading the way in rebuilding mangroves
08, March, 2026
We celebrate International Women's Day by acknowledging to more than fifty women members of Maa Sitala SHG, Madar Teresa SHG, Ramadevi SHG, Maa Mangala SHG, and Dolagovinda SHG for their leadership in rebuilding mangroves in coastal areas of Jagatsinghpur district with our organisation.
These women members planted and managing more than hundred thousand of seedlings, which not only helped restore the natural habitat but also provided protection against storms and erosion and preserve biodiversity. Their efforts not only enhance environmental resilience but also support local livelihoods by sustaining fisheries and improving water quality, showcasing the critical role of women in environmental conservation. Their work demonstrates how grassroots initiatives led by women can address global challenges like climate change while fostering local empowerment. By integrating ecological restoration with community engagement, they set an example of how sustainable practices can simultaneously benefit the environment, economy, and social cohesion in vulnerable regions. These women exemplify the power of collective action in addressing environmental challenges. Teir success highlights the importance of empowering local communities, particularly women, to take active roles in environmental stewardship. Such initiatives not only mitigate climate risks but also foster resilience, self-reliance, and sustainable development, proving that small, organized groups can drive significant, lasting impact.
Human-Elephant Coexistence
23 February, 2026
Human-elephant coexistence in Odisha has become an increasingly severe, escalating crisis, with the state experiencing the highest human mortality rate in India. This is largely due to habitat loss, agricultural expansion, and increased human activity in elephant corridors. As a result, elephants frequently raid crops, damage property, and come into direct conflict with humans, leading to both human and elephant deaths. Our Human-Elephant Coexistence project supported by Humane World for Animals, in the most hotspot areas of Dhenkanal district, has been educating schoolchildren about coexistence, the ecological role of elephants, and strategies to minimize conflicts between elephants and humans. The teachers perceived HEC to be a multifaceted issue that goes beyond direct economic losses. The problem has indirect impacts on children's education, their participation in extracurricular activities, and their mental health. Additiona ly, the teachers noted that HEC affects the overall wellbeing of families, leading to increased stress and reduced quality of life. This, in turn, impacts children's ability to focus on their studies and engage meaningfully in school activities, creating a cycle of challenges that extend beyond the classroom. Despite fear, many students express empathy and curiosity toward elephants, demonstrating an emerging conservation mindset. In their opinion, children often experience fear and anxiety during times of heightened elephant activity, especially during evening hours, which hampers their mobility. The movement of elephants has also reduced school attendance. This has led to a decline in educational outcomes for children in affected areas. Our approach aimed to inspire young minds to actively participate in conservation efforts. This initiative not only enhanced their understanding of wildlife but also encouraged them to share these lessons with their families and communities. The engaging students early, we aim to build a generation that values biodiversity and takes proactive steps to protect ecosystems and promote harmonious human-elephant coexistence.
Return to Birth Beach
Olive Ridley turtles exhibit philopatric behaviour, returning to the same beach for nesting. This behaviour is believed to be guided by their ability to detect the unique magnetic signature of the beach where they were born. This magnetic navigation allows them to locate their natal beach with remarkable precision, even after migrating vast distances across oceans. Such behaviour ensures the continuation of their species by enabling hatchlings to imprint on the same location, perpetuating the cycle of returning generations to these specific nesting sites. Despite this remarkable adaptation, they face threats from habitat destruction, pollution, and unsuitable fishing activities, which endanger their survival. These threats disrupt their nesting habitats, reduce hatchling survival rates. Preserving their habitats ensures the ecological role of Olive Ridley turtles in maintaining marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.
So, our community led conservation efforts are crucial to protect their nesting sites and reduce human impact in non-protected beaches.
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Naliacraft – Life around Nature
09 February, 2026
The name of Odisha state has represented the rich art and culture of the state. Here we describing a lesser-known craft that is NALIACRAFT – revolves around the Coastal Wetland-Mangroves Forest areas. The scientific name of the grass is Myriostachya wighitiana, locally known as Nalia. The runner root is used for the craft making after processing like, softening in mud, drying and dye. The grass is a mangrove associated species and found along the sides of the creeks. The schedule caste community of the coastal districts have recognized the flexibility and durability of the root and used for different types baskets, containers, mats making for the household use. The baskets specially preparing for Goddess Laxmi worship in the month of Margasira. This craft have deep root in the culture of Odisha. The women members have major stake in the arts supported by other family members. Men are mainly involve collection and processing .The women members preparing the products. Selling the products at the doorstep of the consumers in different villages. It is time consuming and earning less .Due to less earning, the youths are not interested in the craft. The knowledge traditionally transferred from generation to generation in the family. Now the traditional knowledge is at risk, because Nalia grasses environment areas gradually shrinking due illegal aquaculture along the river and creek sides. Gradually the knowledge is going to vanish. It is time to save the Nalia grass environment, the craft knowledge and the sustainable earning of the poor women members.
Our organization up gradation of the traditional Naliacraft by skilled resource person recognized by Handicraft department Govt. India. Training. More than 12 new designs had developed. The dye process also demonstrated by the resources person. Now the women participants have expecting good return from the products compare to the traditional products. In this process the District Handicraft, Forest Department, Govt of Odisha linked to support.
This programme has been achieving the sustainable development and to contribute to socially inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in rural areas.
Wetland, Water & Women
05 February, 2026
In order to strengthen the power of community members against changing climate trends, it is important to learn from the past and develop nature-based solutions. It is a well-known practice among the Bhitarkanika area people that every household has at least one freshwater pond. Often, households have more than one pond. Having agriculture land around the homestead and managing it in a coastal saline water environment is a good way to establish a homestead. The availability of freshwater, which is the very basic requirement for sustaining life, is very negligible in this ecosystem, so maintaining livelihoods is challenging. Rainwater harvested throughout the year is used for agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, livestock and household needs. As a result of the freshwater pond in the backyard, the families are able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle. The pond has been engaging the families in various on-farm and off-farm activities throughout the year. The pond keeps families intact, and they get most of their food needs, like rice, fish, vegetables, spices, fruits, around the pond. To cope with climate change, the pond is a blue-line infrastructure at household level in coastal communities.
A number of challenges have occurred during the recent times including extreme weather conditions, unusual rainfall patterns, lengthy summer periods, shifting of rainy seasons, etc.
Through the supports for deepening, heightening the bunds, yearling stock, lime for water quality maintenance and equal number of labor and materials also shared by the beneficiaries. In this process project has re-ignited the traditional practice and knowledge, blending with scientific inputs coordinated by the project, give communities the realization that nature and human development will go together.
The backyard freshwater ponds and fresh water wetlands had supported paddy cultivation in the month of July and August besides the low rainfall rate against normal. In the month of June up to mid-July minimum 30-40 days have supported by ponds for raised seedlings & field preparation in paddy cultivation. Other than the beneficiaries the other pond owners had also followed the same process. In the process ponds have been making farmers resilient against the climate change challenges.
In addition to supporting agricultural activities, fishery, fresh water ponds help reduce women's drudgery as well. 80% of women collect water from distant water sources, and the burden falls on their shoulders. In fact, 90% of water-deprived households depend on women. Increasingly, women and girls have to travel further just to fulfil their basic needs due to the effects of climate change, including heat waves, droughts, and extreme weather events. While it might be true that men are the breadwinners of the household, women put food on the table.
The women have attached with the ponds solely in every minute for their activities of a day. Besides feeding the livestock, washing clothes, bathing, washing rice and vegetables, the women using pond water for every type of worship in their homesteads and villages. Without the pond, the amount of pressure placed on the women would be unimaginable. It is a woman-friendly or woman-positive activity to have freshwater ponds in households in project villages. With the help of the pond, households have been able to fulfill their needs without incurring any additional expenses during COVID-19. Freshwater ponds are the powerhouse of coastal communities.
The Asian Waterbird Census
28 January, 2026
The Asian Waterbird Census – 2026 was organized through the joint initiative of the OBB (Odisha Biodiversity Board) and APOWA (Action for Protection of Wild Animals) , WISA (Wetland International South Asia) in coastal areas. The census was conducted along the Govari River basin, situated in Kendrapara district and Alaka River Basin (Hawakhana) of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha with active participation from local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).
The involving the BMCs in the Asian Waterbird Census focused on their role in monitoring and conserving waterbird populations, facilitated community participation, and integrating local ecological knowledge into census activities. The successful conduct of census demonstrates the effectiveness of community-driven biodiversity monitoring supported by scientific institutions. The active participation of the Biodiversity Management Committees along with guidance from the scientist of Odisha Biodiversity Board, ensured accurate documentation and enhanced conservation awareness.
The observation of more than 3000 birds belonging to around 60 species, including migratory, resident, and terrestrial birds, confirms the above sites as an ecologically significant wetland landscape. The census has contributed not only to biodiversity documentation but also to preventing illegal hunting, safeguarding bird congregation sites and strengthening local stewardship for wetlands.