India has called for a community-led approach to restoring rangelands, stressing that pastoralists should be treated as custodians of these ecosystems rather than merely beneficiaries of restoration programmes.
Addressing the Ministerial Dialogue on “Restoration of Rangelands and the Well-being of Pastoralist Communities” at the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s experience of combining scientific planning with community participation for the restoration of grasslands and rangelands.
“Successful restoration begins with pastoralists as custodians, not merely beneficiaries,” Yadav said, emphasising the need to combine traditional knowledge with modern science to ensure that restoration is ecologically sound, economically viable and socially inclusive.
Yadav said rangelands play a crucial role in sustaining pastoralist communities, conserving biodiversity and regulating water and carbon cycles. India’s rangelands span diverse ecosystems, including Himalayan pastures, Central Indian savannas, the arid Thar and Kachchh regions and the southern sholas, supporting large livestock and human populations.
He highlighted the use of satellite-based Desertification and Land Degradation Atlases to map grasslands and support scientific restoration planning. According to him, recognising grazing rights and community forest resource rights also strengthens the role of local communities in sustainable ecosystem management.
The minister pointed to India’s traditional community conservation practices, particularly the Orans of Rajasthan. These sacred groves are protected by local communities because of their cultural and ecological significance.
Yadav said around 25,000 community-protected sacred groves covering approximately 0.6 million hectares exist across India. These areas demonstrate the role of community stewardship while also supporting pastoral land rights and protecting important habitats, including those of the Great Indian Bustard. Many of these sacred groves are protected under statutory provisions, he added.
He also highlighted India’s efforts to restore open forest and grassland ecosystems, including the reintroduction of the cheetah and the proposed expansion of its habitat into grasslands such as Banni in Gujarat.
Yadav said deep-rooted grasses play an important role in storing carbon in soil, improving water infiltration and supporting groundwater recharge. India has approximately 10 million hectares of permanent pastures and grazing lands.
The minister said India’s approach to rangeland restoration integrates landscape management, watershed development, sustainable grazing, fodder development and livelihood support, with community participation at its core.
As developing countries work towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality, Yadav called for greater access to finance, technology and knowledge for rangeland restoration.
“India welcomes dedicated, accessible financing for rangeland restoration, and stands ready to share its experience and solutions through South-South cooperation,” he said.
India’s intervention at the UNCCD CoP17 thus highlighted the need for restoration strategies that combine scientific knowledge with traditional practices, secure community rights and support the livelihoods of pastoralist communities while protecting biodiversity and strengthening ecological resilience.
