India launches first grassland guide at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia

India has launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at the 17th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The document covers ecosystems ranging from Himalayan and Terai grasslands to the Thar and Banni landscapes, Deccan savannas, rocky plateaus, ravines, scrublands, coastal ecosystems and deserts.

In a video message, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said grasslands, scrublands and ravines have long been undervalued because they lack trees, even though they host unique species and support pastoral communities. Telangana Today reports that Yadav called for science-based conservation alongside forests. The guide includes sections on pastoralism, fire ecology and carbon sequestration.

The government said the launch at COP17 helps India showcase its open ecosystems in the global conversation on land restoration and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets. The guide is intended as a resource for policymakers, researchers, conservation practitioners, development agencies and communities working on the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of India’s grasslands and other open natural ecosystems.