From forests and food to life and livelihood, the range of natural ecosystems in India is unique, but our relentless pursuit of resources and unidimensional growth models are destroying the ecological balance
India is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. From dry deserts and arid landscapes to majestic mountains and gigantic glaciers, India has every terrain imaginable.
In addition to these, the gushing river valleys and placid lakes as well as dense rainforests and the rich coastal ecosystems offer the complete range of life on earth.
India has plenty of wetlands that support a vast variety of life. From the icy Wular and Dal lakes in the Himalayas to the warm waters of Vembanad Lake down south, the wetland ecosystem holds great significance for fish, migratory birds as well as other wildlife. The lakes are also a major source of livelihood for people living around these water bodies. However, increased human activities, unsustainable development projects around the ecologically sensitive water bodies as well as continuous draining of waste is proving to be disastrous for most of India’s wetlands.
FOREST
Led by the immensely rich Western Ghats, India has over 8 lakh square kilometres of forest cover, which amounts to around 24 per cent of the country’s geographical area.
A UNESCO world heritage site, the Western Ghats is one of the world’s 10 “hottest biodiversity hotspots” hosting hundreds of species that are not found anywhere else in the world.
The Western Ghats also act as the lungs of India, influencing the monsoon and impacting the country’s weather patterns significantly.
Besides being home to a range of wildlife and supporting our existence, forests are also home to hundreds of tribal communities who not only survive through their balanced relationship with the woods but also help protect the forests through their eco-friendly traditional practices. Increasingly, tribal people are seen as our first line of defence against ecological disasters.
However, with growing encroachment and commercial exploitation of the forest resources, both flora and fauna as well as the existence of tribals in the forests are under increasing threat in India.
COAST
The story of the coastline is not much different. The coasts of India are also as diverse as the country itself. With 7,516kms of coastline, India is blessed with a great diversity of marine life.
Nearly a quarter of India’s population depend on these waters for their livelihood, either directly or indirectly.
However, level of pollution in the Indian territorial waters is one of the highest in the world, affecting the marine life adversely, which in turn impacts not just the livelihood of the people depending on these waters for a living, but also all life that these waters support.
FOOD DIVERSITY
The river valleys such as the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains help produce most of the diverse food grains, vegetables and sugar that feed India. Due to their high fertility levels, these plains have been home to the great Indian civilisations that have supported various mighty empires throughout history.
Diversity is not just restricted to the creation in the wild but it can also be seen in every type of fruits, vegetables and grains that we grow.
However, unsustainable farming practices are not only destroying the diversity in food, but they are also causing damage to the earth through increasing use of chemicals and artificial interventions.
An example of this can be seen in the loss of variety and richness in the rice that we eat.
Just five decades back, India had more than 100,000 varieties of rice, but currently only 7,000 varieties are surviving, out of which only a few dozen are popularly known and consumed.
India is primarily a rice eating nation and has been so for thousands of years. Indians were among the earliest cultivators of rice in the world, with more than 10,000 years of continuous history of growing rice.
Traditionally, every region, sub region and local communities had their own indigenous varieties that were suitable to the local weather conditions, soil types and other natural elements.
TRIBAL HERITAGE
Tribals in many parts of India continue to grow and consume some of these unique varieties, making valiant efforts to preserve their agricultural heritage, against the onslaught of industrial agriculture.
Among the great qualities of traditional varieties is that they have greater ability to withstand changes in weather conditions as well as pest attacks.
These local varieties have higher nutritional values and medicinal properties that have sustained for centuries, helping the natives build their immunity and are specifically conducive to their health. But now farmers are struggling to hold on to these elusive grains.
The shift happened during the so-called ‘green revolution’ and the decades that followed.
The ‘green revolution’ came into effect in the 1960s and 70s, replacing diversity with monoculture and hybrid seeds that supposedly gave higher yield, however, this resulted in the destruction of India’s rich rice heritage.
Though the ‘green revolution’ has made sure that India is now the world’s second largest producer of rice and the largest exporter, it could hardly address the problem it sought to solve – the welfare and happiness of the farmers.
India’s more than 150 million farmers continue to suffer, with new problems adding to their woes daily.
EXPLOITATION
As with everything else, human exploitation of nature for endless greed is obliterating the rich diversity in life, livelihood and food.
This is the result of a skewed understanding of growth and progress, where development is only measured in quantity with no regard to quality, diversity and wellbeing.
For any real and sustainable progress, the natural balance has to be retained, which can only happen if man re-evaluates his position on earth and goes back to being a nurturing caretaker rather than an exploitative owner.