Conservation of Grasslands

Open terrestrial ecosystems dominated by grasses with sparse or no tree cover.
Include savannas, rangelands, and pasture commons.
UNESCO definition: <10% tree/shrub cover (wooded grasslands 10‑40%).
Cover ≈40.5% of Earth’s terrestrial area (excluding Greenland & Antarctica).
Store nearly 15% of global terrestrial carbon in tropical & sub‑tropical zones.
Support livelihoods of ≈20% of the world’s population (pastoral & agro‑pastoral communities).

Occupy about 24% of India’s geographical area.
Major regions: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Terai‑Duar belt (U.P., Uttarakhand), Assam, West Bengal, alpine zones of Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh.
Banni Grassland (Kutch, Gujarat) – largest grassland in Asia.
<1% of Indian grasslands are under formal protection.

Climate Regulation: Major carbon sinks, especially tropical grasslands.
Livelihood Support: Provide grazing land, fodder, fuel, and food.
Biodiversity Conservation: Habitat for diverse flora, birds, and grassland‑dependent fauna.
Water & Soil Regulation: Aid groundwater recharge, reduce soil erosion, regulate local hydrology.
Ecosystem Stability: Depend on natural fire and grazing regimes.

UN General Assembly (2026) declared the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), led by FAO.
Rangelands (grasslands, savannahs, deserts, shrublands) cover >50% of Earth’s land surface and support >500 million pastoralists.
IYRP aims to raise awareness, secure land‑mobility rights, promote inclusive governance, and align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At UNFCCC COP30, discussions continued to prioritise forests, sidelining grasslands.

Misclassification: Often labelled as degraded forests or wastelands, leading to afforestation or infrastructure diversion.
Policy Fragmentation: Governed by ~18 ministries with conflicting mandates (Environment Ministry vs Rural Development Ministry).
Lack of Dedicated Legal Framework: No specific act for grasslands; existing laws like the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 are applied inconsistently.
Forestry‑Centric Climate Policies: REDD+ and afforestation drives favour tree cover, ignoring grassland carbon potential.
Neglect of Disturbance Ecology: Suppression of natural fire and grazing regimes.
Data Deficit: No comprehensive national inventory or standardised indicators.
Marginalisation of Pastoral Communities: Traditional management systems are sidelined.

Correct Ecological Classification: Recognise grasslands as a distinct land‑use category.
Include Grasslands in India’s NDCs as carbon sinks focusing on soil carbon and ecosystem resilience.
Enact a National Grassland Conservation and Grazing Policy and extend safeguards of the Forest Conservation Act & Wildlife Protection Act.
Adopt Ecosystem‑Based Management (DPSIR framework) for land‑use decisions.
Empower Pastoral & Indigenous Communities – secure tenure rights, revive customary grazing and fire management.
Science‑Driven Restoration: Prioritise native grass species, control invasives, avoid inappropriate afforestation.
Strengthen Data & Monitoring: Create a national grassland inventory with indicators for biodiversity, carbon storage, fodder capacity, and hydrological services.
Mandatory EIA & Gram Sabha Consent for any diversion of grassland land.

Prelims: Facts on extent, carbon storage, IYRP, and misclassification.
Mains: Analytical questions on forest‑centric bias, institutional gaps, and policy reforms.
Essay/Optional: Role of grasslands in climate mitigation and sustainable livelihoods.

In the grasslands, trees do not replace the grasses as a part of an ecological succession because of – (c) Water limits and fire (2013).
The vegetation of savannah consists of grassland with scattered small trees… Which conditions keep forest development in check? – (c) Fire, Grazing herbivores, Seasonal rainfall (2021).