Daily News Analysis ‘Grasslands and Climate Resilience’ : 8 December

Why in News?

• Recent studies from Maharashtra and Gujarat have highlighted that restoring India’s semi-arid grasslands can significantly increase soil carbon storage and strengthen climate resilience.

Distribution of Grasslands

• Grasslands are ecosystems dominated by grasses with very few trees, found in tropical, temperate and alpine regions.
• In India, major grasslands occur in the Deccan Plateau, semi-arid regions, Himalayan pastures, and floodplains.
• They support a large number of livestock, wild herbivores, and rural livelihoods.
• Grasslands occupy a significant portion of the Earth’s land surface and play a key ecological role.

Historical Neglect of Grasslands

• India’s grasslands were labelled as “wastelands” during the British colonial period because they had little timber value.
• Post-independence policies continued this approach by classifying grasslands as unproductive land.
• The National Wastelands Development Board (1985) further reinforced this perception.
• This led to decades of grassland conversion and ecological degradation.

Ecological and Economic Importance

• Grasslands are rich in biodiversity and support unique plant and animal species.
• They form the backbone of pastoral livelihoods across semi-arid regions.
• In Maharashtra alone, the livestock economy was valued at over ₹59,000 crore in 2018–19.
• These ecosystems provide grazing, water regulation and soil protection.

Role of Grasslands in Soil and Carbon Storage

• Grasslands store most of their biomass below ground through deep root systems.
• These roots improve soil structure, increase water infiltration and prevent erosion.
• Grassland soils are rich in stable soil organic carbon (SOC) that can persist for centuries.
• Unlike forests, this carbon remains protected underground even during fires.

CAMPA-Based Grassland Restoration in Maharashtra

• The Maharashtra forest department used CAMPA funds to restore degraded grasslands in Solapur.
• Native grass species such as Dichanthium, Chrysopogon and Cenchrus were replanted.
• The restoration was monitored over one, two and three years.
• This marked a policy shift from tree plantation to grassland restoration.

Role of Grasslands in Climate Change Mitigation

• By storing carbon in soils, grasslands help in slowing the pace of global warming.
• Grasslands reduce the need for carbon-intensive artificial fodder systems by supporting natural grazing.
• They limit land degradation and desertification, which are major sources of climate-related emissions.
• Restored grasslands contribute to nature-based solutions for climate mitigation.

Grasslands in Climate Adaptation and Drought Resilience

• Grasslands are highly resilient to drought due to their regenerative root systems.
• After dry periods, grasses can regrow quickly and restore vegetation cover.
• Grasslands provide fodder security during climate shocks such as droughts and heatwaves.
• This makes them extremely important for climate-resilient agriculture and pastoral systems.

Banni Grassland of Gujarat and Carbon Sequestration

• Banni in Kutch is India’s largest tropical grassland and was degraded by invasive Prosopis trees.
• Community-led restoration removed these invasive species and revived native grasses.
• Restored patches (wada) showed the highest soil organic carbon among all land-use types.
• Banni stores about 27 metric tonnes of carbon up to 30 cm soil depth.