Context
- Recently, India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Key Highlights of the Guide
- Collaborative Effort: The publication was organized by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in collaboration with:
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM)
- Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
- Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO
- Purpose: To mainstream the conservation and sustainable management of rangelands and grasslands, transitioning away from tree-centric conservation models.
- Key Themes: Covers mapping geographical distribution, pastoralism, fire ecology, and the role of ONEs in below-ground carbon sequestration.
- Strategic Goal: Proper management of ONEs is positioned as a vital component in achieving India’s Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.
What are Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)?
- Definition: ONEs are natural landscapes characterized by sparse or completely absent tree cover. They are dominated by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and native grasses finely tuned to climatic extremes.
- Coverage in India: They make up over 10% of India’s geographical area and include:
- Himalayan and Terai grasslands
- The Thar desert and Banni grasslands (Gujarat)
- Deccan savannas and scrublands
- Rocky plateaus, ravines, and coastal ecosystems
- The “Wasteland” Misclassification: Historically—and persisting from colonial land-use policies—these ecosystems have been erroneously categorized as “wastelands” because they lack timber-producing trees. This misclassification often leads to ecologically damaging interventions like forced afforestation or diversion for industrial use.
- Ecological & Socio-Economic Value:
- Shelter highly specialized, endemic biodiversity (e.g., Great Indian Bustard, Indian Wolf).
- Store substantial amounts of carbon in their soils.
- Serve as the backbone for pastoral communities and livestock economies.
- Traditional Conservation: The Guide highlights the importance of traditional community-protected landscapes like Orans (sacred groves/grazing lands in Rajasthan) and Gauchars (village pastures).
About UNCCD COP17 (2026)
- Host: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (August 17-28, 2026).
- Theme: “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope”.
- Key Context: COP17 coincides with the UN-declared International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026), making India’s ONEs Guide highly relevant to the global agenda.
- Focus Areas: Forging a global drought resilience framework and turning land restoration pledges into actionable finance.
Conclusion
India’s recognition of ONEs marks a shift towards inclusive, landscape-based conservation, integrating science and community participation to strengthen biodiversity, livelihoods, climate resilience and Land Degradation Neutrality.