India’s 1st Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems:
India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- The guide documents India’s grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands, ravines, rocky plateaus and other open natural ecosystems, covering their geographical settings, ecological features, biodiversity and associated communities.
- It includes landscapes such as the Himalayan and Terai grasslands, Thar and Banni landscapes, Deccan savannas, Aravalli scrublands, Yamuna-Chambal ravines,
- Western Ghats rocky plateaus, central Nicobar grasslands and Tamil Nadu’s Theri Kaadu .
- Correcting the ‘Wasteland’ Perception: The guide stresses that grasslands, scrublands and ravines should not be judged merely by their lack of tree cover, as they are distinct, naturally occurring ecosystems with high ecological and socio-economic value.
- It calls for stronger scientific knowledge, improved land-degradation assessment and landscape-level planning to conserve and restore ONEs and support India’s Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.
- The guide was developed under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with major partners including the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), among others.
- Ecological Importance: ONEs support rich biodiversity, contribute to soil and water processes, carbon sequestration and climate resilience, and provide habitats for species such as the Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Bengal Florican, Indian wolf and blackbuck.
- These ecosystems sustain pastoral, livestock-based and agricultural communities, including traditional landscapes such as Orans and gauchars, which reflect long-standing community-based management of grazing lands.
- Launching the Guide at UNCCD COP17 provides India with a platform to showcase its open ecosystems and strengthen their representation in the global discourse on land restoration, rangelands and Land Degradation Neutrality.
