Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment
Why in News?
India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems of India at UNCCD COP17, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in August 2026.
- Pursues – To move beyond the conventional classification of grasslands, deserts, scrublands and ravines as “wastelands” and recognise them as distinct ecosystems.
- Developed by – MoEFCC in collaboration with institutions including:
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
- IUCN
- Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management
- Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education
- ISRO’s Space Applications Centre
- Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) are naturally open landscapes with low tree density that cover roughly 10% of India's total land area
- These include ecosystems such as:
- Grasslands
- Savannas
- Deserts
- Scrublands
- Ravines
- Rocky plateaus
- They have their own biodiversity, soils, hydrology, fire regimes and carbon-storage functions.
- Major Open Ecosystems in India – Himalayan & Terai grasslands, Thar Desert, Banni Grasslands – Gujarat, Deccan Savannas, Aravalli Scrublands,
- Yamuna–Chambal Ravines
- Western Ghats rocky plateaus
- Central Nicobar grasslands
- Theri Kaadu scrub landscapes – Tamil Nadu
- Importance – These provide habitat for species such as Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Bengal Florican, Indian Wolf, Blackbuck.
- Support pastoralism and livestock-based livelihoods.
- Store significant amounts of below-ground carbon in roots and soils.
- Fire, grazing and seasonal movement can form part of their natural ecological processes.
- Key concerns – “Tree-centric” Restoration does not always help restore degraded grassland ecosystem.
Grassland ≠ degraded forest.
- Planting trees in naturally open ecosystems can:
- Alter native habitats.
- Affect species dependent on open landscapes.
- Disturb soil-carbon stocks.
- Disrupt traditional pastoral systems.
More tree cover does not automatically mean better ecological restoration.
- Community-Based Management -
- Traditional systems such as Orans and Gauchars represent community-based management of common resources.
- Pastoral communities associated with these landscapes include – Raikas – Rajasthan
- Dhangars – Maharashtra
- Gujjars & Bakarwals – Himalayas
- Their practices include grazing, seasonal migration, fire and water management.
Significance
- The initiative is linked to India's Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) commitments under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
- It highlights the need for landscape-level planning, better mapping and ecological monitoring.
Reference
Down To Earth|1st National Guide to Grasslands And Other Open Natural Ecosystems
