BENGALURU: A high-level panel convened by WestBridge-supported Centre for Policy Design (CPD) at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) has called for reclassification of India’s wastelands.
A classification and management of grasslands, wetlands, pastures and commons, including Orans and Gochar land, may help unlock their ecological and economic values, the panel said.
Kunal Satyarthi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Manish Parmar from ISRO-Space Applications Centre, Aniruddh Sheth from Centre for Pastoralism, Subrat Singh from Foundation for Ecological Security, Archana Chatterjee from IUCN/Forest Landscape Restoration, and Dr Purnendu Kavoori from Centre for Social Ecology, participated in it.
Its aim was to understand how grasslands, pastures, wetlands, grazing lands and village commons, open natural ecosystems that sustain livelihoods and biodiversity can be mapped, reclassified and re-evaluated under India’s land administration framework.
Dr Abi T Vanak, Director, Centre for Policy Design, ATREE, said, “The term wastelands is a misnomer. It implies that land is unutilised, and hence meant to be developed or turned into plantations. Many such land parcels, including grasslands, savannahs, semi-arid lands, deserts and wetlands are biodiversity hotspots that sequester carbon dioxide, and are critical to rural economies. Village commons that provide services worth Rs 5-7 lakh crore per year need to be properly recorded and managed.”
Less than 5% of Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) fall under protected area network, and about 70% of ONEs fall under wasteland classification.
Satyarthi stressed the need for better management of open natural ecosystems and village commons. Since commons fall between departments, categories and data systems, they are often overlooked in policy matters.