Syrian military deploys in coastal cities following violent clashes by former regime loyalists

Yenişafak 

 28/12/2025, Sunday


AAFile photo
The Syrian army moved into the centers of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday after armed groups linked to the ousted Assad regime targeted civilians and security forces. The Defense Ministry stated the operation aims to restore order amid escalating violence that has left several dead and dozens wounded during recent protests.

The Syrian Defense Ministry announced that army units, supported by armored vehicles, have been deployed to the central areas of the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus. This security operation was launched to restore stability following attacks by armed groups affiliated with the former regime of Bashar al-Assad against civilians and state security personnel.

Escalation of Violence During Protests

The decision for a military deployment came after a sharp increase in violence on Sunday. Official Syrian media reported that three people were killed and at least 60 others were wounded in Latakia when remnants of the fallen regime attacked security forces and civilians during demonstrations. Similar protests, calling for federalism and opposing the Damascus government, were also reported in Tartus, Hama, and Homs.

Calls for Federalism and Regional Tensions

The protests were reportedly sparked by a call from Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Alawite Supreme Council, following a deadly mosque attack in Homs on Friday. Ghazal, known for his ties to the former Baathist government, urged supporters to demand "political federalism and international protection." Despite heavy security measures at the gatherings, some protesters in Latakia and Jableh assaulted security forces and damaged their vehicles.

New Administration Pursues Security Crackdown

This unrest presents a direct challenge to the new transitional administration under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, which was formed in January after Assad fled to Russia. The administration has pledged to tighten security nationwide and pursue elements of the former regime accused of stirring instability. The current military intervention in these key coastal cities underscores the ongoing struggle to establish control and secure the country after the end of the decades-long Baath Party rule.

Clashes erupt in Syria as Alawite minority protests deadly Homs mosque bombing


Clashes broke out on Sunday during rallies held by members of Syria’s Alawite minority in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, as well as in other areas, following Friday's deadly bombing at an Alawite mosque in Homs. According to a war monitor, at least two people were killed when security forces tried to disperse the demonstrators.


Issued on: 28/12/2025 
By: FRANCE 24

Protesters from the Alawite religious minority in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, on December 28, 2025. © Omar Albam, AP

Clashes broke out on Syria’s coast between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counter-demonstrators on Sunday, two days after a bombing at an Alawite mosque in the city of Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 others during prayers.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, and elsewhere. Officials have said that preliminary investigations indicate that explosive devices were planted inside the mosque in Homs, but authorities haven’t publicly identified a suspect yet in Friday’s bombing. Funerals for the dead were held on Saturday.

A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its Telegram channel, in which it indicated that the attack intended to target members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam whom hard-line Islamists consider to be apostates.

Sunday’s demonstrations were called for by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite sheikh living outside of Syria who heads a group called the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora.

Monitor claims two dead

An Associated Press photographer in Latakia saw pro-government counterprotesters throw rocks at the Alawite demonstrators, while a group of protesters beat a counterdemonstrator who crossed to their side.

According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least two people were killed as security forces tried to disperse the protests – and a medical source said two bodies had been taken to a local hospital.

Syrian authorities did not confirm they had opened fire but said they had “contained the situation”. They accused what they called “remnants” of former ruler Bashar al-Assad’s government of attacking security forces.

Syria’s state-run television also reported that two members of the security forces had been wounded in the area of Tartous after someone threw a hand grenade at a police station. Cars belonging to security forces were also set on fire in Latakia.

Waves of sectarian violence since Assad’s downfall

The country has experienced several waves of sectarian clashes since the fall of former president Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 that brought to an end nearly 14 years of civil war. Assad, an Alawite, fled the country to Russia.

In March, an ambush carried out by Assad’s supporters against security forces triggered days of violence that left hundreds of people dead, most of them Alawites. Since then, although the situation has calmed, Alawites have been targeted sporadically in sectarian attacks. They have also complained of discrimination against them in public employment since Assad’s fall and of young Alawite men detained without charges.

During the rein of the Assad dynasty, Alawites were over-represented in government jobs and in the army and security forces.

Government officials condemned Friday’s attack and promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but have not yet announced any arrests.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)

Three killed in clashes in Syria after deadly Alawite mosque bombing

Thousands gathered in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, and elsewhere, on Sunday.

Counter-protesters chant pro-government slogans at Alawite demonstrators (Omar Albam/AP) (Omar Albam/AP)

By Omar Albam,

 Associated Press

December 28, 2025 

At least three people have been killed in clashes on Syria’s coast between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counter-demonstrators.

The violence came two days after a bombing at an Alawite mosque in the city of Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 others during prayers.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, and elsewhere, on Sunday.

Officials have said preliminary investigations indicate explosive devices were planted inside the mosque in Homs, but authorities have not publicly identified a suspect.

Protesters from the Alawite religious minority demonstrate in Latakia (Omar Albam/AP) (Omar Albam/AP)

Funerals for the victims were held on Saturday.

A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its Telegram channel, in which it indicated the attack intended to target members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam whom hard-line Islamists consider to be apostates.

Sunday’s demonstrations were called for by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite sheikh living outside of Syria who heads a group called the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora.

An Associated Press photographer in Latakia saw pro-government counter-protesters throw rocks at the Alawite demonstrators, while a group of protesters beat a counter-demonstrator who crossed to their side.

Security forces tried to break up the two sides and fired into the air in an attempt to disperse them.

Syria has experienced several waves of sectarian clashes since the fall of former president Bashar Assad (Omar Albam/AP) (Omar Albam/AP)

Syria’s state-run television reported two members of the security forces were wounded in the area of Tartous after someone threw a hand grenade at a police station, and cars belonging to security forces were set on fire in Latakia.

Later, state-run news agency Sana reported a member of the security forces was killed by gunfire. Local health officials said three people were killed and 60 others wounded.

The country has experienced several waves of sectarian clashes since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 that brought to an end nearly 14 years of civil war.

Assad, an Alawite, fled the country to Russia.

In March, an ambush carried out Assad supporters against security forces triggered days of violence that left hundreds of people dead, most of them Alawites.

Protesters from the Alawite religious minority demonstrate in Latakia (Omar Albam/AP) (Omar Albam/AP)

Since then, although the situation has calmed, Alawites have been targeted sporadically in sectarian attacks.


They have also complained of discrimination against them in public employment since Mr Assad’s fall and of young Alawite men detained without charges.

During the rein of the Assad dynasty, Alawites were overrepresented in government jobs and in the army and security forces.

Government officials condemned Friday’s attack and promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but have not yet announced any arrests.

Security member killed during protests calling for ‘federalism’ on Syria’s coast

Security source says gunmen attacked forces guarding demonstrations in coastal and central cities

Anadolu Staff |28.12.2025



LATAKIA, Syria / ISTANBUL

A Syrian security member was killed and others were wounded after gunmen attacked security forces assigned to protect demonstrations calling for “federalism” in coastal and central parts of the country, local media said.

Demonstrations took place in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, as well as in the central provinces of Hama and Homs, according to an Anadolu correspondent. The protests followed a call by Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Alawite Supreme Council in Syria and abroad.

The state-run Alikhbariyah TV reported that “outlaw elements” opened fire on civilian vehicles in the village of al-Mahrousa in western rural Hama as security forces deployed to protect civilians.

Citing an unnamed security source, the channel said one member of the Internal Security Forces was killed and others were wounded while securing protests in Latakia after attacks carried out by remnants of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Crowds gathered at several locations, including Azziraa and al-Azhari roundabouts in Latakia; Amara Roundabout and Hospital District Roundabout in the city of Jableh; al-Marija Roundabout in Qardaha; and al-Qusour Roundabout in Baniyas.

Protests were also reported at al-Saadi Roundabout in Tartus, as well as in Masyaf, Wadi al-Dhahab, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque Square and the Zahraa neighborhood in Homs, and the Wadi al-Uyun area in Hama province.

During the demonstrations, which were held under tight security measures, protesters chanted slogans calling for “federalism” and voiced opposition to the government in Damascus.

Some protesters in Latakia and Jableh attacked security personnel and their vehicles despite heightened security.

Clashes involving sticks and stones erupted between demonstrators and opposing groups in the centers of Latakia and Homs, while security forces fired shots into the air at some locations to disperse crowds.

Ghazal issued his call for protests after a deadly attack on a mosque in a predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Homs on Friday that killed eight people. In statements following the attack, he urged supporters to demand “political federalism and international protection.”

The new Syrian administration is working to tighten security conditions nationwide and to pursue remnants of the former regime accused of stirring security unrest.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration headed by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.

Israeli Occupation Forces intrude into Syrian territory, detaining 6 people

QNA/Damascus

 December 29, 2025 

The Israeli occupation forces renewed their incursion into Syrian territory on Sunday, detaining six people.The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that the Israeli forces detained these young men from the Daraa governorate as they were searching for wild mushrooms in farmlands near the town of Qudna, in the southern Quneitra countryside.SANA added that the occupation forces transferred the detainees to the Tal Al Ahmar Al Gharbi military base, with no information available regarding their fate or the reason behind their detention.The Israeli forces, driving four military vehicles, also carried out an incursion into Saida Al Hanout village in southern Quneitra countryside, where it detained a local young man.

Beetles block mining of Europe’s biggest rare earths deposit


By AFP

December 20, 2025

The Fensfeltet treasure has an estimated 8.8 million tonnes of rare earths - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File Drew Angerer

Pierre-Henry DESHAYES

As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent’s biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.

A two-hour drive southwest of Oslo, in the former mining community of Ulefoss home to 2,000 people, lies the Fensfeltet treasure: an estimated 8.8 million tonnes of rare earths.

These elements, used to make magnets crucial to the auto, electronics and defence industries, have been defined by the European Union as critical raw materials.

“You have rare earths in your pocket when you carry a smartphone,” said Tor Espen Simonsen, a local official at Rare Earths Norway, the company that owns the extraction rights.

“You’re driving with rare earths when you’re at the wheel of an electric car, and you need rare earths to make defence materiel like F-35 jets,” he added.

“Today, European industry imports almost all of the rare earths it needs — 98 percent — from one single country: China,” he added.

“We are therefore in a situation where Europe must procure more of these raw materials on its own,” he said.

In its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) aimed at securing Europe’s supply, the EU has set as an objective that at least 10 percent of its needs should be extracted within the bloc by 2030.

No rare earth deposits are currently being mined in Europe.



– ‘Rush slowly’ –



Due to environmental concerns, Rare Earths Norway has already been forced to push back its schedule. Now it aims to begin mining in the first half of the 2030s.

Its so-called “invisible mine” project is intended to limit the mine’s environmental footprint. It plans to use underground extraction and crushing — as opposed to an open-pit mine — and re-inject a large part of the mining residue.

But the location of the mineral processing park, where ore extracted underground would be handled and pre-processed, has posed a problem.

The company had planned to transport the minerals on an underground conveyor belt emerging above ground behind a hill, in an area out of sight from the town and largely covered by ancient natural forests, rich in biodiversity.

But experts who examined that site found 78 fauna and flora species on Norway’s “red list” — species at risk of extinction to varying degrees. They included saproxylic beetles (which depend on deadwood), wych elms, common ash trees, 40 types of mushrooms, and various mosses.

As a result, the county governor formally opposed the location during a recent consultation process.

Adding to concerns was the fact that disposing of waste rock would take place within a protected water system.

“We need to start mining as quickly as possible so we can bypass polluting value chains originating in China,” said Martin Molvaer, an adviser at Bellona, a Norwegian tech-focused environmental NGO.

“But things should not move so quickly that we destroy a large part of nature in the process: we must therefore rush slowly,” he said.



– ‘Lesser of two evils’ –



Faced with such objections, the municipality has been forced to review the plans and take a closer look at alternate locations for the above-ground part of the mine.

While there is another less environmentally sensitive zone, neither the mining developers nor the local population favour it.

“We accept that we will have to sacrifice a significant part of our nature,” local mayor Linda Thorstensen said.

“It comes down to choosing the lesser of two evils.”

Thorstensen supports the mine project, given the small town has seen jobs and young people move elsewhere for decades. It is “a new adventure”, she said.

“A lot of people live outside the job market, many receive social welfare assistance or disability pensions. So we need jobs and opportunities,” she said.

In the almost-empty streets of Ulefoss, locals were cautiously optimistic.

“We want a dynamic that makes it possible for us to become wealthy, so that the community benefits. We need money and more residents,” Inger Norendal, a 70-year-old retired teacher, told AFP.

“But mining obviously has its downsides too.”

China’s rare earths El Dorado gives strategic edge


By AFP

December 20, 2025


The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China's rare earth mines - Copyright AFP Hector RETAMAL

Peter CATTERALL

Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of crucial rare earths is mined around the clock by a secretive and heavily guarded industry.

The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China’s rare earth mines, with the materials used in a wide range of products including smartphones and missile guidance technology.

The flourishing industry is closely protected by Chinese authorities and media access is seldom granted.

In a rare visit to the region last month, AFP journalists were trailed and monitored by minders who declined to identify themselves. Companies did not accept requests for interviews.

Business has been booming: the number of rare earth processing points in China observed by the US Geological Survey jumped from 117 in 2010 to 2,057 by 2017. Most of the 3,085 nationwide recorded by the USGS today are clustered in the hills of Jiangxi.

Locals there told AFP that one rare earths mine was maintaining near-constant operations.

“It’s busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” a resident in the town of Banshi said.

Nearby, construction work was getting started for the day on a vast new industrial park housing facilities including rare earth processing sites.

The bustling mining region is the result of a decades-long push by Beijing to build up its might in the strategic sector.

Those efforts paid off this year, with a tentative truce in a trade war with the United States reached when China relaxed stringent export controls on rare earths.

Washington is now racing to establish alternative supply chains, but experts warn such efforts will take years.

In a sign of deepening concern among other Western governments, the European Union announced new measures this month to reduce the bloc’s dependence on China for securing the critical minerals.

The bloc said it would earmark nearly three billion euros ($3.5 billion) to support projects in mining, refining and recycling vital materials, and proposed the creation of an EU supply hub — the European Centre for Critical Raw Materials.



– Heavy metal –



“The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths,” former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said in a 1992 speech.

Since then, China has taken advantage of its natural reserves — the largest of any country — to dominate processing and innovation in the field.

The country’s rare earths industry is concentrated in two main hubs.

One is the Inner Mongolia region’s Bayan Obo mining district on the edge of the Gobi Desert, which is rich in “light” rare earths used for magnets in everyday items.

The other hub, around the city of Ganzhou in Jiangxi, specialises in “heavy” rare earths — harder to extract but more valuable because of their use in heat-resistant magnets, fighter jet engines, missile guidance systems and lasers.

The rugged hills surrounding Ganzhou are home to the world’s largest mining and processing operations of the strategic “heavy” elements, including dysprosium, yttrium and terbium.

And in the county-level district of Longnan alone, USGS counted 886 such locations, accounting for 31.5 percent of Jiangxi’s total.

An AFP team in Longnan saw rows of large rare earths processing plants in an industrial district adjacent to that dense smattering of extraction sites.



– ‘Moving mountains’ –



Heavy rare earths are formed over millions of years, as rainfall weathers igneous rocks, breaking them down and leaving elements concentrated near the surface.

Jiangxi’s gentle slopes, high rainfall and natural stone make it a prime location for such elements.

Mining methods in the region have evolved throughout the decades.

Authorities have criticised highly destructive approaches and cracked down on what they call “chaotic extraction” since the early 2010s.

One method — termed “moving mountains” — was described in 2015 by China’s top industry and technology regulator as “first cutting down trees, then clearing weeds and finally stripping away the topsoil, causing irreparable damage”.

Unlicensed mining has been drastically reduced over time.

Large signs in rural areas now warn against illegal extraction of rare earth resources. Others offer cash rewards for reporting such actions.

The industry has been largely consolidated into two huge state-owned companies.

On a Ganzhou street dubbed “Rare Earth Avenue”, construction workers bustled to complete a sprawling new headquarters for one of those giants, China Rare Earth Group.

But the province’s hills still bear the scars of bygone mining practices, with bare patches of red soil visible where vegetation has struggled to regrow.

 

UBCO study finds microdosing can temporarily improve mood, creativity

Microdosing effects do not “hangover” to the next day

University of British Columbia Okanagan campus

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A new UBC Okanagan study found that people who microdose psychedelics feel better on the days they take them—but those boosts don’t seem to last.

This suggests, says Dr. Michelle St. Pierre, that perceived benefits may be acute rather than long lasting.

Dr. St. Pierre is a post-doctoral psychology researcher with UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She recently published a study in Psychopharmacology that tracks the daily experiences of people who microdose with psychedelics.

Microdosing involves ingesting small amounts of a psychedelic substance, commonly psilocybin mushrooms or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

“Most doses vary from one-tenth to one-twentieth of a recreational dose,” Dr. St. Pierre says. “Typical practices alternate varying proportions of non-dosing days to limit the rapid tolerance that can develop with so-called classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD. Anecdotal reports suggest that this may also be intended to leverage residual effects that could carry over to non-dosing days.”

While interest in microdosing has grown rapidly, she notes that scientific research has only emerged over the past 15 years. This means popular use has outpaced the scientific support to back it up.

Using data from the Microdose.me project, the world’s largest international daily diary study of real-world microdosing, Dr. St. Pierre says the findings show people tend to feel more connected, creative, focused and productive on days they microdose, as well as increased wellbeing and contemplation. However, these effects didn’t appear to persist on non-dosing days.

“Microdosing appears to lift mood and mental functioning on the days it’s practiced, but not necessarily beyond that,” she adds. “These findings help clarify when and how microdosing effects are felt.”

More than 1,435 microdosers from 49 countries participated in the study. Each morning, participants were asked if they had microdosed and rated how they felt across variables such as connectedness, contemplation, creativity, focus, productiveness and wellbeing.

The research team also examined whether these day-level effects varied across factors such as gender, mental-health history, the substance being microdosed, and whether participants had previously taken larger doses of psychedelics.

Dr. St. Pierre explains that the results were consistent across nearly all groups.

“The only meaningful difference we observed was among people with a history of taking larger psychedelic doses, who showed slightly higher microdosing-day increases in creativity,” she says.

This pattern aligns with emerging evidence that full-dose psychedelic experiences may enhance creativity. One interpretation, Dr. St. Pierre notes, is that microdosing could “reactivate” or build upon these prior effects, though this idea remains speculative.

“We need future research designed specifically to test whether microdosing can amplify or extend the impacts of larger-dose psychedelic experiences,” she adds.

Overall, the study adds daily-level precision to a growing body of research suggesting microdosing may enhance wellbeing and cognitive performance—although in a short-term, day-specific way. While the results are an extension of earlier work, Dr. St. Pierre says this remains an observational study and further research is needed to separate expectation effects from genuine pharmacological changes.

---

Journal

Psychopharmacology

DOI

10.1007/s00213-025-06913-9 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Daily self-assessment within a regimen of microdosing indicates enhanced psychological functioning on microdosing days relative to non-microdosing days

The Bright side: French Christmas ad starring vegetarian wolf goes viral

French supermarket Intermarché went viral after posting a charming Christmas cartoon ad about a vegetarian wolf. The clip has been watched tens of millions of times worldwide.


Issued on: 11/12/2025 - 
By: FRANCE 24

This Intermarché supermarket "Christmas story" features a wolf who begins cooking vegetables to be accepted by the other animals in the forest. © Screenshot taken from Intermarché Youtube channel


A French supermarket has made a strong entry into the competitive field of Christmas advertising with a viral animated clip about a vegetarian wolf that has wracked up tens of millions of views internationally.

The Intermarché production has been praised for its tear-jerking take on friendship and stereotypes, but also for its use of human actors and an animation studio – instead of artificial intelligence.

Set to the song "Mal-Aimé" ("Unloved") by French crooner Claude Francois, it recounts the journey of a wolf from feared forest predator to a beloved vegetarian chef who forages mushrooms and berries for an all-creature Christmas dinner.

"I'm genuinely in love with this ad a french one? for a SUPERMARKET?? like woah," wrote X user @pawcord who posted the full video which has been viewed there more than 26 million times.

Thierry Cotillard, the chairman of Intermarche, celebrated that "our 'unloved' wolf is now loved by the entire world" in a post on the LinkedIn social network.

He said it was made over the last year by around 100 people, led by Montpellier-based animation company Illogic Studios, whose short animated film "Garden Party" was nominated for an Oscar in 2018.

Non-AI generated cartoon

Cotillard and the studio confirmed that the Intermarche ad had been produced without artificial intelligence, which is blamed for flooding the internet with quick and cheap "slop" cartoons.

The technology is threatening jobs across the advertising and animation industries.

Many Western retail brands spend a considerable part of their annual marketing budget on Christmas advertisements, seeking to boost sales and their image at a time of peak consumer spending.

But while a brand such as Coca-Cola was long seen as expert in the domain, the exercise can be fraught with danger.

Coca-Cola's recent efforts have been panned as cheap low-quality animations, while the Dutch branch of McDonald's withdrew an AI-generated advert from YouTube earlier this month after it was dubbed "creepy" and "depressing" by critics.

Supermarkets have come under fire in the past over their offerings.

In 2012, British retailer Morrisons was accused of encouraging children to feed Christmas desserts to dogs, while Sainsbury's faced complaints of exploiting emotions over World War I for its 2014 effort.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

 

Urban blue spaces: Quietly supporting food, income and community

Research team led by Göttingen University studies benefits of foraging in UBS in Indian cities

University of Göttingen

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image: 

Women collect small fish, snails and other aquatic foods from a drying wetland in eastern India. A glimpse into the everyday lives of urban household workers from a wetland in Kolkata on their way home.

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Credit: Sukanya Basu

The rivers, lakes and ponds in cities – urban blue spaces also known as UBS – are increasingly recognised for their ecological and social roles. However, their contributions to sustainable food systems remains understudied. For this reason, an international research team led by Göttingen and Kassel Universities examined the extent and benefits of foraging for food in blue spaces across four major Indian cities. The items collected included fish, crabs, clams and plants as well as berries, mushrooms and flowers. The researchers found that bodies of water in cities played a critical role in food security and social inclusion. The results were published in the journal Nature Cities.

 

The researchers carried out face-to-face surveys with 1,200 foragers in urban blue spaces across four major Indian cities: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kolkata. They categorised the foragers into three groups – “rare”, “occasional” and “frequent” – and investigated the extent, practices and benefits of foraging. They found that women, the elderly, and marginalized communities most frequently collected, shared, cooked, and sold food products. Access to home or community gardens strongly motivated “occasional” foragers. “Frequent” foragers emphasized benefits relating to nutrition, income, culture, and community. “Occasional” foragers appreciated benefits related to nature and culture. Many foragers, despite being engaged in paid work, used their harvests to feed their families and share or sell surplus food.

 

“Our findings challenge the conventional perspectives on urban food foraging,” explains Dr Sukanya Basu who carried out this research at Göttingen University and is now Assistant Professor at Azim Premji University, India. She adds: “Urban waterbodies – lakes, wetlands, rivers – are not just ecological assets, they are often overlooked, vital spaces that support nutrition, livelihoods, and wellbeing, especially for vulnerable communities. Despite pollution and long-term degradation, waterbodies in Indian cities continue to sustain livelihoods, food practices and community life. The future urban planning must move beyond restoring water quality alone and consider how blue spaces can also support sustainable food systems and social inclusion.”

 

In conclusion, the research adds the issue of food security to a growing body of evidence that links the quality of urban blue spaces to biodiversity, attractiveness, safety and infrastructure – all with positive health outcomes. Integrating blue spaces into urban planning would foster a transformation to sustainable landscapes, as well as support traditional practices and marginalized communities. “Since the 1950s, rapid urban development, pollution and industrialization has led to the deterioration of many rivers, lakes and channels in cities,” says Tobias Plieninger, Professor of Social-Ecological Interactions in Agricultural Systems at the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel. “Our findings show that urban blue spaces need to be recognized as precious assets in towns and cities”.

 

The study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

 

Original publication: Basu S et al “Widespread practices and sustainability benefits of foraging in urban blue spaces of India,” Nature Cities (2025). DoI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00337-4

Webpage: https://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/people/sukanya-basu

 

A woman selling freshly foraged greens on a Bengaluru street, connecting urban consumers with wild local foods.

Credit

Sukanya Basu

---

Journal

Nature Cities

DOI

10.1038/s44284-025-00337-4 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Widespread practices and sustainability benefits of foraging in urban blue spaces of India

Article Publication Date

2-Dec-2025