Pune : MoU between NGOs and forest dept to regenerate Savannah grasslands

The wildlife division of the Pune Forest Department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the regeneration of the Savannah grasslands spread over three districts in Maharashtra with two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as part of its “Grassland Conservation Programme.” On February 14, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Tushar Chavhan, and 

The Grasslands Trust, located in Pune, and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, located in Bangalore, signed an agreement. The two non-governmental organizations will be supporting the forest department in their efforts to restore the Savannah grasslands in the Ahmednagar district, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Sanctuary in Solapur, and the Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Pune.

The ability of grasslands, including savannas, to support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being is seriously threatened worldwide by land use diversions for development, degradation, and fragmentation of the remaining land. However, sustainable development agendas tend to overlook these significant ecosystems, which historically have supported some of the most iconic herbivores and carnivores in the world and continue to support the majority of livestock globally, supporting millions of people who depend on them for their livelihood. Changes in policy are desperately needed to protect these ecosystems, as is focused action to rebuild them.

The development of best practices and the scientific and social restoration of these semi-arid Savannah grasslands require the cooperation of civil society organizations and local stakeholders, including both government and non-government organizations.

According to an official, they will pilot this project in a focal landscape of the Pune district in collaboration with partners from the NGO sector. This work will then serve as a model that can be extended throughout the peninsular region. They will strive to achieve a number of goals in the focal landscape, such as developing methods for restoring grasslands that are supported by science, stopping land degradation, evaluating markers of restoration success, and raising public awareness.

The British Ecological Society’s research paper from November 2023 in the Journal of Ecology made clear how rare the mixed woodland-grassland ecosystems known as savannahs are and how urgently they need to be protected globally.