{"id":54799,"date":"2025-07-14T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T05:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=54799"},"modified":"2025-07-14T11:52:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T06:22:59","slug":"recognising-indias-open-ecosystems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/recognising-indias-open-ecosystems\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognising India\u2019s Open Ecosystems &#8211; A Call for Conservation and Policy Reform"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Ecosystems Latest News<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts and environmentalists have raised concerns over India\u2019s continued misclassification of deserts, grasslands, and savannas as \u201cwastelands,\u201d urging policymakers to recognise the ecological and socio-cultural value of these open ecosystems to ensure their protection and sustainable management.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s deserts, grasslands, and savannas, collectively known as open <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ecosystem\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ecosystems<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, are rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, these landscapes continue to be misunderstood and misclassified as \u201c<\/span><b>wastelands<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d often targeted for tree plantations or industrial use.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent expert commentary emphasises the ecological importance of these open ecosystems and the urgent need to re-evaluate national land-use policies that ignore or erase them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding Open Ecosystems and Their Importance<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open ecosystems such as <\/span><b>arid deserts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>grasslands<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>scrublands<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>savannas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are characterised by sparse tree cover and vast stretches of herbaceous or shrubby vegetation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to the common perception of being barren, these landscapes are finely tuned to their environmental extremes and support rich biodiversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notably, <\/span><b>deserts occupy nearly one-third of Earth\u2019s terrestrial surface and host uniquely adapted flora and fauna<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historical evidence also reveals that several ancient civilisations, including those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley, emerged in desert climates, underscoring the capacity of these ecosystems to support complex societies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misclassification and the Legacy of &#8216;Wastelands&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s policy and administrative frameworks have long inherited colonial land-use classifications, wherein vast tracts of open natural ecosystems are marked as &#8220;wastelands.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This term erroneously implies that such lands are unproductive and in need of transformation, typically through afforestation, agricultural conversion, or urban development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Official government records have classified millions of hectares of grasslands, savannas, and scrublands as wastelands.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This mischaracterisation has led to extensive ecological damage and a weakening of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, soil fertility, and water retention.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ecological and Social Value of Open Landscapes<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s open ecosystems are home to several endangered and endemic species such as the Great Indian Bustard, caracal, Indian wolf, and the chinkara.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These species rely on the unique structure and rhythm of open habitats to thrive.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, while tree-based carbon storage receives most attention, grasslands and savannas store substantial carbon deep in the soil, making them important in combating climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond biodiversity, these ecosystems are also vital to human livelihoods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Millions of pastoralist communities, including the <\/span><b>Dhangars of Maharashtra<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Rabaris of Gujarat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>Kurubas of Karnataka<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, depend on these landscapes for grazing. These groups have historically functioned as custodians of ecosystem health through practices like rotational grazing and water conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, policies that promote fencing, tree planting, or repurposing of grasslands often result in displacement, loss of income, and erosion of traditional ecological knowledge among these communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rethinking Land Restoration and Greening Goals<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tendency to \u201cgreen\u201d deserts or grasslands through tree plantations often stems from the flawed belief that tree cover alone equates to ecological health.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such approaches may lead to monoculture plantations that degrade local biodiversity and disrupt seasonal ecological cycles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts advocate for a restoration model that is low-tech, community-driven, and grounded in ecological principles. Strategies include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protecting native vegetation and enabling natural regeneration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promoting soil and moisture conservation through water harvesting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drawing from indigenous land management knowledge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising carbon stored in soil as a climate mitigation metric.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importantly, policies must move away from one-size-fits-all afforestation efforts and instead embrace the diversity of India\u2019s ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Policy Recommendations and the Road Ahead<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure a sustainable future, India needs a paradigm shift in how it understands and manages open ecosystems. Policy recommendations include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revising land classification systems to eliminate the \u201cwasteland\u201d tag.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Formulating ecosystem-specific conservation plans.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising the rights and stewardship roles of pastoralist communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrating open ecosystems into national climate and biodiversity strategies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incentivising the conservation of soil carbon alongside forest carbon.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts also call for symbolic shifts, such as renaming the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to \u201c<\/span><b>World Day to Combat Land Degradation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, to acknowledge the ecological legitimacy of deserts and grasslands.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/why-must-india-recognise-its-open-ecosystems-explained\/article69808268.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TH<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s deserts, grasslands, and savannas face threats from misclassification and neglect. Valuing these open ecosystems is vital for biodiversity and climate resilience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":54807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,1520,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-54799","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-open-ecosystems","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}