Environmental laws ‘given pass’ in Kashmir’s tourism drive

Secluded areas are being prepared for tourism growth despite environmental protections, prompting fears of unsustainable development
Nature

Is China ready for biodiversity COP16?

Before the COP16 conference kicks off, Dialogue Earth invited four experts to interpret China’s newest biodiversity targets
<p>Gas flares near the town of Dureno, in the north-eastern province of Sucumbíos, Ecuador. The site is one of the stops on a guided ‘toxitour’, in which visitors are taken to see the impacts of five decades of oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Image: <a href="https://www.behance.net/batrix721">Patricio Terán</a> / Dialogue Earth)</p>
Photo story

In Ecuador, ‘toxitours’ show the scars left by oil in the Amazon

Guided tours take visitors to abandoned flares and pools of oil, and share stories of wider health and environmental impacts – as well as grim warnings for the future

Highlights

three young people surrounding ground level solar panels Article

Solar power is booming in Brazil. Can it be a boom for all?

Solar is now Brazil’s second-largest source of electricity. Experts say its growth must also reach and respect communities cut off from the grid
A man, young girl and woman stood facing the camera holding yellow flowers and placards with writing on Article

How South Korea’s landmark climate hearings could shape regional action

The country’s constitutional court is examining whether government inaction on climate change violates citizens’ rights. Could it set a regional precedent?
walrus on beach Article

Thawing ice worsens Arctic plastic pollution

More fishing boats are coming to northern waters as sea ice retreats, bringing pollution with them
A forestry official stands on dry brush on a smouldering hillside Article

Bhutan explores controlled burning of mountainsides

Reviving the traditional practice could protect pastureland ecosystems in the Himalayas from destructive climate change-driven wildfires