Kashmir's breathtaking landscapes have long made it one of India's most sought-after tourist destinations. But rapid tourism-driven construction is now raising serious environmental concerns. According to official figures, more than 5,000 hotels have been built across the Kashmir Valley since 2021, with authorities stating that around 90% allegedly lack the required approvals. Popular destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gurez, and Doodhpathri are witnessing a surge in hotels, homestays, and commercial buildings.

Kashmir's Tourism Boom Sparks Environmental Alarm | 90% of New Hotels Allegedly Illegal

The Irish government is planning to consider a request to alter the constitution in order to provide nature with a protected status. This could make Ireland the very first country in the European Union to bestow constitutional rights on nature for its protection.

The proposal, recommended by the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, has recommended the government advance a referendum on safeguarding biodiversity.

This would grant nature rights similar to that of humans.

It came in response to a report by the Irish Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.

In recent years, the Rights of Nature movement has become widely popular.

The movement seeks to recognise elements of nature such as trees, mountains, and rivers as entities with rights so that they can exist, flourish, be respected and be regenerated.

It also recognises the right of any person or organisation to safeguard and enforce the rights on behalf of nature.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-destroyer-shots-down-suspected-attack-drone-targeting-red-sea-shipping-670312">UK destroyer shoots down suspected attack drone 'targeting Red Sea shipping'</a>

Earlier, similar declarations were made in countries of South America.

New Zealand has also granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River.

Earlier in October this year, the Centre for Democratic and Environmental Rights&nbsp;appeared before the Joint Committee and testified about the reason why rights of nature needed to be recognised.

The team was backed by Dr Peter Doran of the Queen's University Belfast School of Law.

Executive director Mari Margil embraced the recommendation by the committee.

"We congratulate chairperson Brian Leddin and the Joint Committee for its work and taking this important step forward toward enshrining the rights of nature within Ireland's constitution," BBC quoted her as saying.

"Further, we look forward to the government and parliament's next steps to protect the rights of nature, and offer whatever assistance we can in this process," she added.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Irish government is planning to consider a request to alter the constitution in order to provide nature with a protected status. This could make Ireland the very first country in the European Union to bestow constitutional rights on nature for its protection.

The Irish government is planning to consider a request to alter the constitution in order to provide nature with a protected status. This could make Ireland the very first country in the European Union to bestow constitutional rights on nature for its protection. The proposal, recommended by the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, has recommended the government advance a referendum on safeguarding biodiversity. This would grant nature rights similar to that of humans. It came in response to a report by the Irish Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. In recent years, the Rights of Nature movement has become widely popular. The movement seeks to recognise elements of nature such as trees, mountains, and rivers as entities with rights so that they can exist, flourish, be respected and be regenerated. It also recognises the right of any person or organisation to safeguard and enforce the rights on behalf of nature. Also read: UK destroyer shoots down suspected attack drone 'targeting Red Sea shipping' Earlier, similar declarations were made in countries of South America. New Zealand has also granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River. Earlier in October this year, the Centre for Democratic and Environmental Rights appeared before the Joint Committee and testified about the reason why rights of nature needed to be recognised. The team was backed by Dr Peter Doran of the Queen's University Belfast School of Law. Executive director Mari Margil embraced the recommendation by the committee. "We congratulate chairperson Brian Leddin and the Joint Committee for its work and taking this important step forward toward enshrining the rights of nature within Ireland's constitution," BBC quoted her as saying. "Further, we look forward to the government and parliament's next steps to protect the rights of nature, and offer whatever assistance we can in this process," she added. (With inputs from agencies)

Ireland could become first country in EU to give ‘nature’ constitutional rights for protection

Some 300 wild mammal species in Asia, Africa and Latin America are being driven to extinction by humanity&#39;s voracious appetite for bushmeat, according to a world-first assessment released Wednesday.

The species at risk range from rats to rhinoceros, and include docile, ant-eating pangolins as well as flesh-ripping big cats.

The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, are evidence of a &quot;global crisis&quot; for warm-blooded land animals, 15 top conservation scientists concluded.

&quot;Terrestrial mammals are experiencing a massive collapse in their population sizes and geographical ranges around the world,&quot; the study warned.

This decline, it said, was part of a larger trend known as a &quot;mass extinction event,&quot; only the sixth time in half a billion years that Earth&#39;s species are dying out at more than 1,000 times the usual rate.

Besides eating them, humans are robbing mammals of their natural habitats through agriculture and urbanisation, and decimating them through pollution, disease and climate change.&nbsp;

According to the Union for the Conservation of Nature&#39;s (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, a quarter of 4,556 land mammals assessed are on the road to annihilation.&nbsp;

For 301 of these threatened species, &quot;hunting by humans&quot; -- mainly for food, but also as purported health and virility boosters, and trophies such as horns or pelts -- is the main threat, according to the comprehensive review of scientific literature.

The likelihood of extinction, the team found, depends on body size: the bigger the animals, the greater the danger.

More than 100 primates, including gorillas and snub-nosed monkeys, and dozens of hooved animals from oxen to antelope, are at dire risk from hunting.

&quot;These species will continue to decline unless there is major global action to save them,&quot; Bill Ripple, a professor at Oregon State University and lead author of the study, told AFP.

Cascading effects

&nbsp;All 301 species identified are found exclusively in developing countries, with the highest concentration in southeast Asia (113), followed by Africa (91), the rest of Asia (61) and Latin America (38).&nbsp;

The countries with the most native species under siege from hunting were Madagascar (46), Indonesia (37), the Philippines (14) and Brazil (10).

The scale of the problem is daunting: some 89,000 tons of wild meat -- with a market value of about $200 million (180 million euros) -- is butchered every year from the Brazilian Amazon alone, the study found.

On current trends, the prospects for these and other mammals is not bright, the authors said.

&quot;Forty of these species were already classed as critically endangered by 1996, indicating that there has been little or no conservation progress in reversing their fate,&quot; they note.

This, despite dozens of major conservation conferences and summits, and the expansion of protected areas.

The impact of extinction may be felt well beyond the loss of individual species, the scientists cautioned.

&quot;Through cascading effects, the loss of these mammals is altering the structure and function of the environments in which they occur,&quot; the study notes.

The result could be a loss of food security for humans.

The research echoed a recent study which showed that more than two-thirds of 9,000 threatened species -- including plants, birds, and insects -- faced over-exploitation from commerce, recreation or subsistence.

Ripple and colleagues call for increased legal protection of threatened mammals, better education and family planning, and the provision of alternative foods to local populations.

Giving local communities stronger land rights -- so that they have a more direct interest in conservation -- is also key, they said.

The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, are evidence of a 'global crisis' for warm-blooded land animals

Some 300 wild mammal species in Asia, Africa and Latin America are being driven to extinction by humanity's voracious appetite for bushmeat, according to a world-first assessment released Wednesday. The species at risk range from rats to rhinoceros, and include docile, ant-eating pangolins as well as flesh-ripping big cats. The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, are evidence of a "global crisis" for warm-blooded land animals, 15 top conservation scientists concluded. "Terrestrial mammals are experiencing a massive collapse in their population sizes and geographical ranges around the world," the study warned. This decline, it said, was part of a larger trend known as a "mass extinction event," only the sixth time in half a billion years that Earth's species are dying out at more than 1,000 times the usual rate. Besides eating them, humans are robbing mammals of their natural habitats through agriculture and urbanisation, and decimating them through pollution, disease and climate change. According to the Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, a quarter of 4,556 land mammals assessed are on the road to annihilation. For 301 of these threatened species, "hunting by humans" -- mainly for food, but also as purported health and virility boosters, and trophies such as horns or pelts -- is the main threat, according to the comprehensive review of scientific literature. The likelihood of extinction, the team found, depends on body size: the bigger the animals, the greater the danger. More than 100 primates, including gorillas and snub-nosed monkeys, and dozens of hooved animals from oxen to antelope, are at dire risk from hunting. "These species will continue to decline unless there is major global action to save them," Bill Ripple, a professor at Oregon State University and lead author of the study, told AFP. Cascading effects All 301 species identified are found exclusively in developing countries, with the highest concentration in southeast Asia (113), followed by Africa (91), the rest of Asia (61) and Latin America (38). The countries with the most native species under siege from hunting were Madagascar (46), Indonesia (37), the Philippines (14) and Brazil (10). The scale of the problem is daunting: some 89,000 tons of wild meat -- with a market value of about $200 million (180 million euros) -- is butchered every year from the Brazilian Amazon alone, the study found. On current trends, the prospects for these and other mammals is not bright, the authors said. "Forty of these species were already classed as critically endangered by 1996, indicating that there has been little or no conservation progress in reversing their fate," they note. This, despite dozens of major conservation conferences and summits, and the expansion of protected areas. The impact of extinction may be felt well beyond the loss of individual species, the scientists cautioned. "Through cascading effects, the loss of these mammals is altering the structure and function of the environments in which they occur," the study notes. The result could be a loss of food security for humans. The research echoed a recent study which showed that more than two-thirds of 9,000 threatened species -- including plants, birds, and insects -- faced over-exploitation from commerce, recreation or subsistence. Ripple and colleagues call for increased legal protection of threatened mammals, better education and family planning, and the provision of alternative foods to local populations. Giving local communities stronger land rights -- so that they have a more direct interest in conservation -- is also key, they said.

Humans eating wild animals into extinction: Study