state of biodiversity in maharashtra - osgeo...
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STATE OF BIODIVERSITY IN
MAHARASHTRA
Erach Bharucha
Director
Bharati Vidyapeeth
Institute of Environment Education and Research, Pune
Email: [email protected] Phone No. 020-24375684
State of Biodiversity in Maharashtra
Sites
• Natural landscapes
• Cultural landscapes
Species
• Flora
– Wild
– Cultivar
• Fauna
– Wild
– Domestic
Strategies
• PA network – WL Protection Act
• BMCs Biodiversity Act
Sensitivity / Robustness of ecosystems and landscape elements
The Natural Landscapes• Protected Areas
• Islands of small size
• Lack of corridors
• Increasing threats
• Lack of strong public
support
Source: MoEF
The traditional cultural
landscapes• Farmland
– Paddy – Flood plains / Terraced slopes
– Shifting cultivation ‘rab’ on steep slopes
– Semiarid Deccan Plateau – Bajra Jawar Rainfed
– Irrigated land – Sugarcane horticulture
• Pasture lord : Grazing Browing
– Forest browsing by wild and domestic cattles by Agropastoralists
– Grassland and scrubland – Settled farmers / Migrant Dhangar –
sheep goats
– Coastal areas: Plantation orchards
– Fisherfolk
• Aquatic freshwater and Marine ecosystems
• Urban Sector
Species
• Abundance / Rarity
• Flora – Endemism
• Fauna – Threatened species
Strategies for wildlife
conservation
• Conventional – NP, WLS, CCA’s
• People’s participation
–Ecodevelopment committees
–BMC’s
–Social forestry
Strategies for sustainable use
Sensitivity / Robustness
• Western Ghats
• Wetlands
• Coastal areas
• Mangroves
• “Hot specks”
Conservation Concepts
• “Biodiversity conservation and its
sustainable use”, must bring about
economic support for local people;
• It includes rational and scientific ecosystem
management.
• Equitable use of resources.
• Conservation of local ecosystem goods and
services.
• This includes genetic, species and
ecosystem diversity….
The needs…..
What does the Convention on Biodiversity require?
• Nations are custodians of their own biodiversity as
a contribution to global sustainability of Earth
Resources.
What does India’s Biodiversity Act of 2002 require?
• Conservation of Biological resources with
equitable and sustainable use of its products.
Executive Functions
The strategy enshrined in the Biodiversity Act
2002 requires…….
• BMCs – Primary function.
• PBRs – Database with validation.
• Equitable Access and Benefit sharing
mechanism.
• Notifying Biodiversity Heritage Sites.
Maharashtra – A unique State
• Maharashtra’s diverse ecosystems require
different approaches:
• Northern forests – Central Highlands of India –
Tribal communities.
• Deccan plateau grassland – Semiarid agriculture
and pasture land – Migrant shephards
• Western Ghats – ESAs; High biodiversity and
high fragility – Hotspecks, Corridors
• Coastal region – Ecosystem services and
marine resources – CRZ.
• Freshwater aquatic ecosystems
Strategies
What does Maharashtra require…..
• Preservation of all its ecosystems.
• Preservation of all wild species.
• Preservation of all genetic variations of both:
– Wild flora and fauna
– Wild relatives of potentially useful species, all indigenous cultivars, livestock breeds.
• Enhance insitu conservation.
• Initiate exsitu conservation.
• Increase public awareness and support
Tools
• Rapid collection of area specific data
• Convincing people of the benefits of
biodiversity conservation and ensuring that
local people can see economic
incentives…
• Linkage to potential benefit sharing with
Industry, Pharma, Cosmetics, etc.
• Ecotourism...
The Traditional Knowledge and
Culture’s of Maharashtra
TKS preservation….
• Northern forests – Korku, Bhil, Gondh, Pardhi.
The Traditional Knowledge and
Culture’s of Maharashtra
TKS preservation….
• Deccan plateau – Semiarid farmers and their cultivars, Dhangar and their pastures.
The Traditional Knowledge and
Culture’s of Maharashtra
TKS preservation….
• Western Ghats
– Paddy farmers and shifting cultivation
– Warli, Kokana, Kathkari, Mahadeo Koli.
– Sacred Groves, Water sources, Hill slopes
The Traditional Knowledge and
Culture’s of Maharashtra
TKS preservation….
• Coastal region – Koli fisher folk, Paddy, ‘rab’ with indigenous knowledge of farmers on local cultivars.
Region specific strategies
• Establishing Conservation Priorities.
• Identifying existing and potential threats.
Biodiversity and Cultural preservation
• Linkage between Natural Science / Social Science
• Economics and Law
Biodiversity Conservation
Technology
HotspecksCorridors
Law: Biodiversity Act
ABS
Societal Economics, equity.
ABSSocial Science
(Citizen science approach)
BMCs PBRs
Biodiversity Conservation
Technology
HotspecksCorridors
Law: Biodiversity Act
ABS
Societal Economics, equity.
ABS
Social Science
(Citizen science approach)
BMCs PBRs
Resources and Cultures…..
Livelihoods:Agropastoralist
• Cultivar diversity.
• Traditional farmers and forest tribal folk have used forest
biomass as a wood ash fertilizer, along with cattle dung which
was sustainable when human population was limited.
Resources and Cultures…..
Livelihoods:
Pastoralist / Animal husbandry
• Livestock breeds
• Traditional pastoralists have used grasslands
and migrated in response to seasonal variations.
Forager – Hunter – Gatherer
• Once sustainable, now unsustainable… Illegal
• Current sustainable use through BMCs –
• Ex situ Conservation Breeding Centers
• Increasing habitat loss and poaching will
lead to local extinction
Resources and Cultures…..
Livelihoods
Resources and Cultures…..
LivelihoodsFisherfolk
• Fisher folk traditionally reduce their fishing activities
during the fish breeding seasons.
• Wetlands and coastal ecosystems provided a wealth of
seasonal aquatic resources.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS / NATURAL LANDSCAPES
TRIBAL REGIONS
High diversity of distinctive ecological entities.
Dividing line of Sal and Teak forests.
High tribal cultural diversity.
Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, forest avifauna, other taxa.
Carrying capacity for wildlife tourism has been exceeded in Tiger Reserves.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF INDIA
Traditional Cultural Landscapes
People
TKS of Korku, Bhil, Baiga, Gond.
Medicines, dance, tattoos, jewelry, pottery, artifacts (metal work).
DECCAN PLATEAU
Natural Landscape
Ecosystem: Scrubland and Grasslands / Rivers / Riverine areas / Manmade wetlands in dams.
Flora- Teak forest / Semiarid grassland.
Fauna: Wolf, chinkara, blackbuck, bustards, raptors, reptiles
DECCAN PLATEAU
Fauna
People- Semiarid – farmers, migrant Dhangars – The linkage…..
Landuse- Bajra, Jawar – Traditional rainfed farming – Central Plateau.
DECCAN PLATEAU
Traditional Cultural Landscape
Conflict
• Change to sugarcane due to rapid irrigation development.
• Industrialization.
• Urbanization.
DECCAN PLATEAU
Intensive Agriculture and Urbanisation
WESTERN GHATS
Natural Landscape
• Globally important hotspot of Biodiversity.
• High endemism.
• Supplies river water to Deccan Plateau.
WESTERN GHATS
Natural Landscape
Ecosystem
• Evergreen, Semi evergreen, Deciduous
forests
• Basalt and Lateritic Plateau tops
• Coastal vegetation, marine ecosystem.
WESTERN GHATS
Traditional Cultural Landscape
People
Maratha farmers of hill slopes.
Tribal groups- Mahadeo kolis, Katkaris, Warlis
Paddy in flood plains
Hill slope mixed cultivation - ‘rab’ cultivation.
WESTERN GHATS
Traditional Cultural Landscape
• Ancient tradition of
Sacred groves
• Hot specks of
diversity.
• Tiger goddess.
• The ‘kaul’ ceremony.
WESTERN GHATS/ COASTAL BELT
Traditional Cultural Landscape
The landuse – Paddy / farmers.
The Warli art and its tradition: – Jivya Soma Mahshe and the Warli paintings.
The folktales.
Landscape approach to management
of the Western Ghats
• Natural landscape values
– Forest
– Water sources
– Plateau’s of endemic plants
• Cultural landscape values
– Sacred Groves
– Forts and surrounds
– Agriculture – Indigenous crop varieties
– Pastoralism - Livestock varieties
Natural
Landscape
• Corridors between
PA’s – Crestline
forest plateaus and
escarpments.
• ESA extent and
coverage
WESTERN GHATS
Cultural Landscape
• Biological diversity in paddy lands, grazing
areas, forest use.
• People’s participation through: – BMC’s/PBR’s/ABS/BHS
– Through education-Schools / Colleges
– For tourists and adjacent urban and city dwellers
– IC’s and Ecotourism, homestays.
Hotspecks
Management• ‘Super hot specks’ – Jump
sites.
• Permeable matrix
management
• Corridoring possibilities
• ESA surrounds – PA Buffers
Impacts
• Mining, Neo-townships,
Roads – Irreversible
• Agriculture, grazing, fire –
Reversible by eco-
development
COASTAL REGION
Natural Landscapes
Ecosystems- Terrestrial: Coastal forests, coastal plains, mangroves - Mumbai
Marine: Angria Bank Coral reef, Malwan sanctuary
Coastal grasses
Fauna: Estuarine birds, Turtle nesting sites- Velas. Fish and crustacea.
People : Paddy/ Coconut farming/ Fisher folk.
Impacts:
• Overfishing.
• Conversion of coastal plains to Urbanization.
• Ports
• Thermal power plants
• Tourism
• Climate change
COASTAL REGION
Traditional Cultural Landscape
Wetland / Lakes/ Rivers
Natural → Seminatural → Human dominated waterscapes
• Fishing
• Farming
• Resource use areas
• Ecotourism