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The Hindu
14-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Why must India recognise its open ecosystems?
The story so far: Deserts are often imagined as failures of nature, and barren wastelands in need of redemption. This worldview fuels grand ambitions to 'green' the desert, through afforestation, irrigation schemes, or even climate engineering. This gives way to the idea that deserts are broken ecosystems. So pervasive is this vilification, that land degradation is also known as 'desertification', and June 17 every year is celebrated as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Are deserts important? In truth, deserts are ancient, diverse, and resilient biomes, finely tuned to extremes. They occupy nearly one-third of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and are home to uniquely adapted plants, animals, and human cultures. It is ironic that humans disregard deserts, when several early civilisations were set in desert climates, whether in early Mesopotamia, Egypt, or the Indus valley. Indeed, some historians argue that it is these very harsh desert conditions that prompted humans to develop complex societies and technologies that could invent ingenious ways of irrigation to survive in otherwise inhospitable conditions. What about other open spaces? India's relationship with open spaces is full of contradictions. On the one hand, we fetishise them. Real estate ads routinely promise sweeping lawns with names like Savana or Utopia. But when it comes to the country's own vast open natural ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas, scrublands and open woodlands, we have done the opposite. These landscapes have been systematically ignored in policy or worse, actively erased. On official maps, millions of hectares of these ecosystems are classified as wastelands, a term inherited from colonial land-use categories. In policy terms, a wasteland is land waiting to be fixed, often by planting trees, converting it for agriculture or paving it over for industry. What should be protected and stewarded has instead become a target for transformation. India's deserts, grasslands and savannas are home to species found nowhere else: the Great Indian Bustard, the caracal, the Indian wolf etc. These ecosystems also store carbon, not in big trees above ground but rather, deep in the soil. Equally important are the communities dependent on them. Millions of pastoral groups such as the Dhangar, Rabari, Kuruba etc. depend on these ecosystems for grazing. When we fence off grasslands or plant 'forests' on them, it's not just ecology we damage but also livelihoods, mobility, and local knowledge systems. In many cases, pastoralist groups are also stewards of biodiversity and ecosystem health. However, Indian grasslands and pastoralist systems have not received the desired protection and management. What should be the road ahead? Rather than trying to turn deserts into forests, we should study how life thrives without abundance. This is not to say that land degradation should not be addressed. Reversing degradation in drylands requires careful restoration that respects native vegetation, focuses on soil and moisture conservation, and draws from indigenous knowledge of land management. Low-tech solutions like water harvesting, rotational grazing, and protecting natural regrowth often outperform greenwashing projects that aim to plant millions of trees to 'green' the desert. We need policies that recognise ecosystem diversity, reward soil carbon storage, and support pastoralist land use. A functioning desert or savanna, with its intricate food webs, seasonal rhythms, and cultural continuities, is far more alive than a failed monoculture plantation. Perhaps it is time to rename World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to World Day to Combat Land Degradation, and give deserts their respectable name back. The authors are with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Heatwave affects urban wildlife in new delhi causing rise in rescues and dehydration cases
New Delhi: The severe heat and high humidity has also affected birds and animals, not merely humans. Veterinary hospitals and animal welfare organisations reported numerous instances of dehydrated birds and urban wildlife from hornbills to fruit bats. "The past few days saw a heatwave that affected wild animals in the city. Our dedicated team rescued birds, snakes, and mammals, with birds being more gravely affected by the heat," said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of animal rescue organisation Wildlife SOS. "Some of the species we rescued were barbet, black kite, pigeon, sparrow, myna, Indian grey hornbill, rhesus macaque, spectacled cobra, Indian wolf snake, even a bat. Black kites were most severely impacted as they tend to fly at higher altitudes in search of prey. This causes many of them to suffer heat stroke and dehydration." According to Muhammad Saud of animal service Wildlife Rescue, at least 150 birds were brought to the centre at Wazirabad by people who found them on the road gasping for air and clearly thirsty. Most of these were fledglings and nestlings, he said. The species rescued included crescent serpent eagles, barn owls, pond herons, buzzards, black kites, etc. "Throughout May, the weather was pleasant, unlike other years, and in June, within a week, everything flipped," said Saud. "In the past week, we tended to at least 150 birds. The cases spiked in the last four days, most being cases dehydration. This is breeding time and such cases occur a lot. People even reported that they saw birds crashing on the ground. We received around eight eagles and one Honey Buzzard. Among barn owls, most of the cases pertained to young chicks who had fallen off the nest. We rescue them, raise them and release them in the jungles at Kamla Nehru Ridge or Gandhi Mandu forest." Forest officials claimed the department was maintaining additional water sources at Asola for wildlife to cope with the extreme temperatures. "We clean the waterholes because during summer water needs to be replaced quickly. Two additional historic ponds were also refurbished. There are over 200 watering holes in Asola," said a forest official. In April and May, when the city saw sporadic episodes of extreme heat, nilgai were regularly spotted venturing from the Ridge in search of water. This prompted lieutenant governor VK Saxena to order DDA to create watering holes in the Ridge and city forests to provide animal relief. Several volunteers also reported that street dogs had become victims of the heat, some even succumbing to heatstroke. Several dog feeding points across the city are regularly resupplied with water by the volunteers. Besides, thunderstorms also impact wildlife. A strong storm on May 2 killed 200 birds in northwest Delhi alone. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi zoo revises norms to allow 1-day adoptions
The Delhi zoo authorities are working to revise their animal adoption policy to get more residents' involvement in wildlife conservation and to allow for cheaper and shorter adoptions, officials said, adding that the new policy is likely to be rolled out this year. The idea, they said, is to make the process affordable even for visitors who wish to take animals home for a single day — to celebrate birthdays or other occasions. 'The number of people adopting animals at present is fairly low. We are looking to change that. The idea is to make the process of adoption simpler, with people being able to adopt animals for much shorter periods — of one month, three months, six months and even a single day. Earlier, they could only do it for one or two years. Visitors may adopt an animal on their birthday. Similarly, we will encourage people to adopt animals when it is the birthday of an animal at our zoo,' Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, said. The animal adoption programme, launched in 2022, was initially aimed at helping fund the upkeep of animals through contributions by individuals, companies and institutions. Adopters were allowed to support an animal for a minimum of one year, with incentives such as membership cards, a certificate, monthly visits, and signages featuring their name near the animal enclosure. Despite the benefits, zoo officials admit the uptake has been limited, with only a handful of animals — including a white tiger, an elephant, rhinos, and a few exotic birds — having been adopted under the scheme so far. Kumar said the reason for lack of participation could be the high adoption fee and that a revamped fee structure is in the works. 'We will divide the animals and birds into four to five categories and define a standardised fee for adoption. The one-day adoption fees will start at ₹100 or ₹500 — based on the category of the animal. At present, ₹600 is the lowest fee for adoption and it goes up to ₹6 lakh,' he said. Further, the zoo is also exploring possibilities of making adoption contributions eligible for income tax exemption, which could be part of the revised policy rollout expected later this year. Spread across 176 acres, the Delhi zoo was inaugurated in 1959 and is home to over 1,100 animals representing nearly 95 species, including endangered ones like the Asiatic Lion, one-horned rhinoceros, and Indian wolf. HT had recently reported how the zoo is also preparing for a larger revamp, with officials finalising plans for a multi-crore upgradation focused on improved animal habitats and visitor facilities, which includes glass walls and natural enclosures.
