UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 March 2025

Home UPSC Current Affairs Nurturing Grasslands to Save the Indian Bustard

Nurturing Grasslands to Save the Indian Bustard

The editorial highlights the critical need to conserve grasslands to protect the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), one of India’s most endangered bird species.
The GIB, often referred to as the “flagship species” of grasslands, is on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, human activities, and infrastructure development.

The Great Indian Bustard is in the news due to its rapidly declining population, with fewer than 150 individuals left in the wild.
The editorial emphasizes the importance of grassland conservation as a key strategy to save the species, making it relevant for environment and ecology, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.

Ecosystem Services:
- Grasslands support biodiversity, provide grazing grounds for livestock, and play a role in carbon sequestration.
- They are also crucial for soil conservation and water regulation.
Habitat for GIB:
- The Great Indian Bustard depends on arid and semi-arid grasslands for nesting, feeding, and breeding.
- These habitats are shrinking due to agricultural expansion, industrialization, and urbanization.

Habitat Destruction:
- Conversion of grasslands into farmland, wind energy projects, and solar parks has severely impacted the GIB’s habitat.
Power Lines:
- Collisions with power lines are a major cause of mortality for the GIB, as they have poor frontal vision and cannot detect the lines in time.
Overgrazing and Land Degradation:
- Unsustainable grazing practices and land degradation have reduced the quality of grassland ecosystems.
Climate Change:
- Changing weather patterns and desertification further threaten grassland habitats.

Habitat Restoration:
- Restoring degraded grasslands and creating protected areas for the GIB.
Mitigation of Power Lines:
- Underground cabling and marking power lines to prevent collisions.
Community Involvement:
- Engaging local communities in conservation efforts and promoting sustainable land-use practices.
Policy Interventions:
- Strengthening legal frameworks to protect grasslands and endangered species like the GIB.

The government has launched initiatives like the Species Recovery Programme for the GIB under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) scheme.
NGOs and conservation organizations are working on awareness campaigns, habitat restoration, and research to save the species.

The survival of the Great Indian Bustard is closely linked to the health of India’s grasslands.
Conserving these ecosystems is not only essential for protecting the GIB but also for maintaining biodiversity, ecological balance, and livelihoods of local communities.