India Launches First Guide to Grasslands and Open Natural Ecosystems

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Key takeaways

India unveiled its first national Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The guide, created by MoEFCC, ATREE, and IUCN, covers key landscapes like Thar, Banni, Chambal ravines, and alpine meadows like Bugyals.
It strongly opposes classifying treeless grasslands as unproductive wastelands and highlights that forced afforestation in open biomes harms endemic ecosystems.
This initiative aligns with India's targets for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and SDG 15.3, safeguarding habitats for species like the Great Indian Bustard.

India launched its first comprehensive Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs).
The official release occurred at a side event during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) led the development of this guide.
Key institutional partners included the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Grasslands are non-forest biomes dominated by continuous grasses, sedges, and forbs with minimal tree canopy cover.
Climate factors, wild and domestic grazing, and natural fire cycles maintain these grassland biomes.
Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) serve as a broader umbrella category for naturally open non-forest landscapes with low tree density.
These biomes include cold and hot deserts like Thar, Spiti, and Ladakh, along with tropical savannas and scrublands.
ONEs also cover saline wetlands like Banni and the Rann of Kutch, badlands like the Yamuna-Chambal ravines, and high-altitude alpine meadows known as Bugyals and Margas.
Other key regions mapped include the Deccan savannas, Aravalli scrublands, Western Ghats rocky plateaus, Nicobar grasslands, and Tamil Nadu's Theri Kaadu.

The guide creates a national reference framework that maps and classifies non-forest open biomes across India.
It actively counters the flawed perception that treats treeless grasslands and scrublands merely as unproductive wastelands.
The document includes thematic scientific sections detailing pastoral mobility, rangeland dynamics, fire ecology, and soil organic carbon storage.
It cautions against misguided afforestation, noting that planting trees in naturally treeless biomes harms endemic species and alters groundwater tables.
The guide provides standardized metrics to support Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) commitments under UNCCD and SDG 15.3.

These ecosystems protect endangered species like the Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Bengal Florican, Indian wolf, and blackbuck.
They regulate essential soil and water cycles, store below-ground carbon, and enhance local climate resilience.
The guide documents traditional community land management systems, including Orans (sacred groves) and Gauchars (village commons).
These open lands sustain pastoralist, livestock-dependent, and agricultural communities, including nomadic tribes.
Presenting this guide at UNCCD COP17 elevates India's role in global discussions on rangeland conservation and land restoration.