{
  "id": 11284330,
  "title": "India’s isolated island tribes need autonomy to survive rising threats, says scholar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/indias-isolated-island-tribes-need-autonomy-to-survive-rising-threats",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T20:55:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/indias-isolated-island-tribes-need-autonomy-to-survive-rising-threats-says-scholar/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "India's isolated island tribes, particularly those in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, are facing a range of threats that jeopardize their survival and the preservation of their unique biodiversity. According to Manish Chandi, a former research scholar who has dedicated his career to working with tribal communities in the region, illegal fishing, large-scale development projects, and government welfare policies that undermine self-sufficiency pose significant challenges. Chandi emphasizes that protecting the autonomy of these Indigenous groups is crucial not only for their cultural preservation but also for environmental conservation, as the tribal reserves are home to some of the region's richest biodiversity. The archipelago's tribal areas, which are largely untouched by commercial activities, serve as vital habitats for a diverse array of species, outperforming the numerous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the islands. However, escalating pressures such as the infiltration of commercial trawlers, poachers, and a proposed development project that overlaps with ancestral foraging grounds on Great Nicobar Island, put these communities and their ecosystems at risk.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}