Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS)

Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), founded in 1991, is a conservation NGO based in Kolkata, India. It works to conserve ecology and the environment, wildlife, and natural resources, while also supporting sustainable livelihoods for the communities living closest to these ecosystems. NEWS operates across multiple landscapes in India, including the Sundarbans, Assam's wetlands, and coastal Tamil Nadu, and has ongoing international collaborations in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Major Areas of Work

• Ecology & Environment: Protecting interconnected ecosystems such as mangroves and wetlands that sustain both wildlife and local communities.
• Wildlife Conservation: Protecting vulnerable wildlife from extinction by restoring threatened habitats and addressing human-animal conflict, including human-elephant conflict mitigation.
• Natural Resource Management: Empowering vulnerable coastal communities to become stewards of their own environment through sustainable resource use.
• SAIME (Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystem): A dedicated programme promoting sustainable aquaculture practices that protect mangrove ecosystems while supporting local livelihoods.

Major Initiatives & Programmes

• Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project (IKI): An international climate initiative focused on wetland and lake conservation, including work at Deepor Beel, Assam.
• Mangrove Restoration Projects: Large-scale mangrove afforestation and restoration work in the Sundarbans and along the Tamil Nadu coast (Karaikal), including carbon-finance-linked afforestation.
• Eco Clubs: Community and youth-based clubs across the Sundarbans (Sagar, Kumirmari, Hingalganj) and other regions, running biodiversity awareness and clean-up drives.
• Community-led Ecotourism: Setting up community-owned ecotourism centres, such as in Kumirmari, to create sustainable livelihoods tied to conservation.
• Livelihood & Skill-building Programmes: Training on backyard poultry farming, fish feed production, handloom weaving, and food processing/preservation for local women's groups and communities.
• Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation: Ongoing field programmes and training sessions to reduce conflict between elephants and farming communities.

Impact

• 34+ years of continuous conservation work since founding in 1991
• Active across multiple states: West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and beyond
• International recognition, including FAO global recognition for SAIME
• Long-running community-based programmes reaching fisherfolk, women's groups, and eco-club youth across the Sundarbans and other landscapes
• Deep institutional partnerships with the Forest Department (Govt. of West Bengal), Axis Bank, WWF India, and international bodies like the Living Lakes Network

NEWS offers hands-on, field-based conservation work rather than a desk-only role, since much of what it does happens directly in ecosystems like the Sundarbans mangroves and Assam's wetlands. People are drawn to its long track record (over three decades) and its blend of hard science (species research, ecology) with grassroots community work (livelihoods, eco-clubs, ecotourism). It also gives people exposure to international collaboration through projects like the Living Lakes Network.

NEWS suits people drawn to on-ground conservation and wildlife work who want a mix of ecological fieldwork and community engagement, ideally with some comfort working in remote or ecologically sensitive landscapes.