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Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
India needs to embed biodiversity as a key consideration in every decision
Written by Asmita Sengupta and Vinod B Mathur The unprecedented loss of nature over the past few decades has induced a call for transformative change towards socially-just biodiversity conservation across the world. Transforming biodiversity safeguarding is not just about conservation, though — it is a systemic shift that integrates biodiversity and social justice into every facet of human life, ensuring ecological balance, economic stability, and long-term sustainability for all living beings. The recently adopted Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Transformative Change Assessment (TCA) undertaken by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) defines 'transformative change' as 'fundamental, system-wide shifts in views, structures and practices' that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and nature's decline. Transformative change is crucial as past and existing attempts at addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss have failed to make a difference. And India has a critical role in bringing it about, not only as the most populous country but also as one of the fastest-growing global economies. So, how does one bring about transformative change? Acknowledging the linkage between equity and sustainability at the very outset, the IPBES assessment identifies three key causes underlying the drivers of biodiversity loss: Disconnection from and domination over nature and (marginalised) people, concentration of wealth and power, and prioritisation of short-term, individual and material gains. Shifting worldviews, practices, and institutional and/or governance structures are essential for addressing these causes. Further, the assessment recognises four key principles that can bring about this shift: Equity and justice, pluralism and inclusion, respectful and reciprocal human-nature relationships, and adaptive learning and action. The assessment, however, warns that transformative change can be impeded by five overarching challenges that are systemic, pervasive, and persistent. Relations of domination over nature and people, especially those that emerged in colonial eras and have persisted since; economic and political inequalities; inadequate policies and unfit institutions; unsustainable consumption and production patterns; and limited access to clean technologies alongside uncoordinated knowledge and innovation systems. The assessment finally provides five strategies in this regard: Conserving and regenerating places of value to nature and people, driving systemic change in sectors most responsible for biodiversity decline, transforming economic systems for nature and equity, transforming governance systems, and shifting societal views and values to recognise and prioritise fundamental interconnections between humans and nature. India has seen transformative change in the realm of biodiversity, safeguarding several times over the past 50 years. A compelling story of communities taking stewardship of natural resources from the country is the Chipko Movement, when villagers, including many women, hugged forest trees in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, to prevent them from being felled by logging companies – one of many such movements that eventually led to the enactment of the Forest Conservation Act (1980). India continues to accord high importance to conserving places of value to nature and people, and has strong governance frameworks in this regard, including laws and regulations for forest management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, environment protection, and recognising indigenous rights. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act (FRA) 2006 that legally recognises the land rights of communities and authorises them to utilise, manage, and safeguard forests and forest resources through the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights legitimises community ownership of forest lands for residing and cultivation, apart from giving decision-making authority to the Gram Sabha regarding land parcel management. Nevertheless, not all is rosy in India. Just as the tiger population has seen a boost thanks to Project Tiger, the Great Indian Bustard has experienced a massive population decline. Wildlife conservation success stories have often compromised the well-being of forest-dwelling communities. Many protected areas have been degraded, downsized and degazetted for activities at loggerheads with biodiversity safeguarding. And infrastructure developments, particularly in the form of roads, railways and canals, continue to occur in and around biodiversity-rich landscapes. The aspiration for being 'developed' comes at a very high cost, and India needs to embed biodiversity, one of its greatest assets, as a key consideration in every decision. The IPBES TCA SPM is a tool that India could make use of to this end. And the same holds for the other assessments that the IPBES has produced since its establishment in 2012 and the ones that are being undertaken as we speak. The IPBES brings together experts with a vast variety of disciplinary backgrounds who synthesise existing knowledge over two-three years and yet effective uptake of these assessments remains a pipe-dream. It is paramount that this wealth of resources is tapped into for informed decision-making as India moves ahead on the trajectory of Viksit Bharat. Sengupta is Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, India; Fellow, TCA, IPBES. Mathur is Former Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority of India and Regional Vice Chair (Asia-Pacific) IPBES Bureau
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Ecology is the world's permanent economy
The phrase, 'Ecology is the permanent economy', made popular by environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, is much more than a slogan. It is a profound reminder of the foundational truth that human prosperity is inextricably linked to ecological health. It is true that economic development without exploiting natural resources and economic stability without conserving them are impossible. As we face serious challenges such as climate change and the rapid loss of biodiversity, we must ask ourselves whether we have truly understood and embraced this idea. Striking the right balance Understanding nature's complexity is at the heart of science. In this pursuit, humans have made tremendous efforts through observation, experimentation, and modelling, as this understanding is crucial for addressing environmental challenges such as climate change and for informing sustainable practices. While these scientific discussions are valuable, there is an even more urgent and fundamental truth we need to focus on: ecology is the real economy — our survival, security and progress depend on it. In simple terms, this might be the clearest way to define sustainability — finding the right balance between protecting the environment and supporting economic development. Without this balance, neither the environment nor the economy can thrive in the long run. Despite being part of the animal kingdom, human evolution, through the course of civilisation, has led to a growing disconnection from nature. This disconnection with nature has been identified as a reason for the ongoing biodiversity loss (the recent Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services or IPBES Transformative Change report). In the early stages of human history, a nomadic lifestyle compelled individuals to rely on and exploit natural resources solely for their basic, day-to-day survival needs. Over time, this individual-centric resource use evolved into collective consumption aimed at meeting the needs of growing communities. As human societies expanded and organised themselves into nations, this demand scaled further to cater to the needs of entire countries. Eventually, this progression gave rise to global competition, where nations began to exploit nature not only to satisfy present demands but also to secure resources for future development. Unlike humans, no other species in the animal kingdom exhibits this pattern of large-scale, anticipatory exploitation of natural resources. Other animals live in harmony with their environments, taking only what they need for immediate survival, without disturbing the long-term balance of the ecosystems they inhabit. New complications The ever-intensifying cycle of human consumption and global competition has placed an unprecedented strain on the planet's ecosystems and significantly accelerated the pace of climate change — a natural phenomenon now dangerously amplified by human activities. In response to these growing environmental challenges, nature-based solutions have been widely advocated in global conservation efforts. These approaches aim to leverage the inherent resilience of ecosystems to mitigate climate impacts, restore biodiversity, and support sustainable development. However, a paradox emerges: we continue to exploit nature to satisfy our needs and greed, while simultaneously relying on the same natural systems to act as a buffer against the consequences of such exploitation. This dual dependence risks creating deeper ecological imbalances and may further complicate the ability to address the climate crisis effectively. In this context, rather than merely attempting to understand the intricate complexity of ecological systems from a scientific standpoint, it is far more critical to recognise a fundamental truth — that ecology is the permanent economy. Acknowledging this principle shifts our perspective from short-term exploitation to long-term stewardship, positioning ecological health not as a constraint, but as the very foundation of human survival, economic stability, and climate resilience. This realisation is not just timely — it is essential to confronting the ongoing environmental crisis and shaping a sustainable future. It is only through this reframing that humanity can move from reactive conservation to proactive planetary sustainability. The climate crisis is not just a scientific challenge. It is a moral and existential reckoning with the ecological foundations of our existence. The need to reconnect with nature Climate change and change in distribution patterns of biological diversity are not new for planet earth. However, the rate at which it is now occurring is detrimental to the planet's biological diversity, including people, due to past unsustainable developmental activities by humans. Therefore, the change we need must come from within. Since all developmental activities across the globe are aimed at fulfilling human needs, adopting a sustainable lifestyle is every individual's responsibility in order to ensure the success of global sustainability initiatives. To achieve this, we must realise that humans are an integral part of nature. Though technological advancements have distanced modern lifestyles from nature, one unique natural trait that humans possess is the power to reconnect with nature using emotion (which still lives within us). Thus, future conservation efforts should be designed to strengthen our emotional bond with nature. To ignite this, a realisation that 'ecology is the permanent economy', is more imperative than merely understanding the ecological complexity that exists in nature. P. Ragavan is a scientist with an interest in taxonomy, ecology and the biogeochemistry of mangroves and seagrasses. He is working on the conservation and management of mangroves and carbon dynamics in the blue carbon habitats of India. The views expressed are personal
