Context:
A recent UN-backed report highlights that grasslands and rangelands are critically underrepresented in global and national climate strategies, despite their significant role in carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods, urging their inclusion in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Key Highlights:
- Global Recognition & Policy Signals
- The United Nations has declared 2026 as the ‘International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists’.
- COP30 (Brazil) largely focused on forests, sidelining grasslands in climate mitigation discussions.
- UNCCD COP16 explicitly recognised rangelands and called for policies ensuring tenure security and sustainable management.
- Threats to Grasslands
- Conversion for agriculture, spread of invasive species, mining activities, and suppression of indigenous land practices.
- Brazil’s Cerrado grasslands have experienced nearly double the range loss compared to the Amazon rainforest.
- Loss of grasslands directly impacts water systems, soil health, and rural livelihoods.
- Carbon & Climate Significance
- Grasslands and savannahs can function as efficient and resilient carbon sinks, often storing carbon below ground, making them less vulnerable to fires.
- Despite this, they remain overshadowed by forests in global climate negotiations dominated by above-ground carbon accounting.
- Indigenous & Social Justice Dimension
- Indigenous groups, such as the Indigenous Desert Alliance (Australia), protect grasslands through traditional burning, monitoring, and stewardship.
- Protecting ecosystems like the Cerrado is also a social justice issue, requiring recognition of indigenous and Quilombola land rights.
- India-Specific Context
- India possesses vast grassland and rangeland ecosystems that can strengthen climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Fragmented governance, with multiple ministries having competing mandates, weakens coherent grassland policy.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Rangelands – grasslands, savannas, shrublands used for grazing.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
- Grasslands as carbon sinks.
- Role of UNCCD vs UNFCCC.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Significance:
- Enhances climate mitigation, biodiversity, and pastoral livelihoods.
- Concerns:
- Policy neglect and tenure insecurity.
- Way Forward:
- Integrate grasslands into NDCs.
- Adopt integrated ecosystem management.
- Strengthen indigenous participation and inter-ministerial coordination.
UPSC Relevance:
GS 3 – Environment & Ecology | GS 2 – International Relations | Prelims & Mains