Key Outcomes
/regions/western-hills
/regions/western-hills
Guest post: Amita Bhaduri
The movement with the active involvement of local community works towards the protection of flora and fauna of Western Ghats, in Shimoga and Sirsi regions of Karnataka.
This report by International Union for Conservation of Nature presents the outcomes of the Western Ghats Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment project, which was developed with the intention of compiling and making freely available information on the conservation status and distribution of key group
Guest post by: Parineeta Dandekar
Author: Mohanasundar Radhakrishnan
A large part of the state of Maharashtra continues to face acute scarcity of water due to scanty rainfall, which has had a serious impact on the livelihoods of people who live in these areas. This article "Ajuni Kordech Aad" meaning "The wells are still dry" published in the magazine Anubhav highlights the extreme hardships, lack of employment opportunities, forced migration due to negative impact on agriculture and livestock, and poverty and deprivation that people living in these areas have to face due to this water scarcity.
This article in Marathi from the magazine Anubhav titled 'Thembe thembe samruddhi' meaning 'Prosperity with every drop' highlights the situation of acute scarcity of water in the state of Maharashtra and argues that this has been a barrier to the progress of the state leading to dire poverty and deprivation.
More information on the project can be seen on IUCN's website.
Key Outcomes
The initiative on hill wetlands in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is supported through this. The area is located at the junction of the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats, or Sahyadris, the two prominent mountain ranges that run almost parallel to the coastlines of Peninsular India and is home to indigenous forest people and is a rare repository of mountain biodiversity.
The Nilgiris is home to unique wetlands that are the source of sustenance of numerous animals and human communities. Wetlands are among the more important reservoirs of biodiversity that nature has painstakingly crafted over millions of years.