Experts have called for urgent protection of Rajasthan's grasslands, deserts, and shrublands, which cover nearly 34 per cent of the state but remain largely invisible in land-use and policy frameworks. They stated that this is crucial to securing biodiversity, livelihoods, and climate resilience in the region.
The call came during a state-level consultation on the sustainable management of open natural ecosystems (ONEs), convened in Jodhpur by the Centre for Policy Design at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
A policy brief released by the ATREE at the meeting highlighted the ecological, economic and cultural significance of Rajasthan's open ecosystems, which sustain the state's vast livestock sector, make it the country's second-largest milk producer and a leading wool producer and provide habitats for endangered species, such as the Great Indian Bustard, Indian Wolf, Blackbuck and Chinkara.
The experts warned that continued neglect of these semi-arid landscapes could worsen land degradation and erode fodder security, undermining industries like dairy, meat, wool, renewable energy and tourism.
They called for the inclusion of the ONEs in official records, cross-sectoral coordination and science- and community-led governance to frame a roadmap for their conservation.
Suman Vyas, Director of the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, described the Thar desert as a "progressive ecosystem" and stressed that the damage caused by economic activities could only be mitigated by conserving livestock, pastures, and traditional Oran-Gauchar areas. Similarly, Abi Tamin Vanak, Director of the Centre for Policy Design, said that integrated efforts for biodiversity and livelihood conservation, along with capacity building, could help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The consultation brought together representatives from ICFRE, ICAR-CAZRI, the Rajasthan forest department, the Botanical Survey of India, and grassroots groups, including Camel Charisma, Desert Resource Centre, BNHS, and the Foundation for Ecological Security, along with members of the "Oran Bachao" movement.
The organisers stated that the recommendations from the meeting would help shape a roadmap for sustainable land use in Rajasthan and would bolster India's climate and biodiversity commitments under the Viksit Bharat initiative.
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