Western Ghats: Native habitats reduced to one-third and hydrological regulation disrupted, says review article

The Western Ghats is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot, meaning it contains a high percentage of endemic species (species found nowhere else) and has lost at least 70% of its original primary vegetation. The article underscores a critical flaw in current conservation strategies: a disproportionate focus on charismatic megafauna (like tigers and elephants) at the expense of unique evolutionary lineages and data-deficient taxa (species with insufficient information for conservation assessment). UPSC often tests understanding of ecosystem functioning; the article notes that land-use change, particularly the transition from natural forests to cash crops (coffee, tea, rubber, arecanut, cashew), disrupts the region's role as a hydrological regulator. The Western Ghats acts as a massive sponge, capturing monsoon rains and feeding the rivers of peninsular India; its degradation directly threatens the water security of the entire region. Effective conservation must prioritize evolutionary refugia (areas where species survived past climate changes) and specialized habitats like lateritic plateaus and sky-islands (isolated mountain tops with distinct ecosystems).

The geography of the Western Ghats is central to understanding the threats it faces. The article highlights the extensive fragmentation caused by linear infrastructure (roads, railways, power lines). Fragmentation divides continuous habitats into smaller, isolated patches, disrupting ecological connectivity and preventing wildlife movement, leading to isolated populations vulnerable to local extinction. From a climatological perspective, the region is experiencing complex shifts. While overall annual rainfall totals may show declining trends since the 1950s, the intensity of rainfall is increasing. This manifestation of climate change results in more extreme rain events (exceeding 100mm/h or 900mm/day), significantly heightening the risk of landslides even in forested areas. The projections indicate warming anomalies and increased rainfall intensity will be most severe in the northern Western Ghats, necessitating region-specific disaster management strategies and climate-resilient planning.

The conservation of the Western Ghats has been a contentious governance issue for over a decade. The review highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the designation of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) recommended designating the entire region as ecologically sensitive with varying degrees of protection, a stance met with strong opposition from state governments citing developmental concerns. Subsequently, the Kasturirangan Committee diluted these recommendations, proposing only 37% of the area be declared an ESA. The persistent delay in finalizing the ESA notification leaves the region vulnerable to unchecked exploitation. The article argues for an inclusive governance model that balances conservation and livelihoods. It suggests a shift from purely land-sparing (setting aside strict protected areas) to a combination of land-sparing and land-sharing (integrating conservation practices into human-dominated landscapes, like agroforestry in plantations), emphasizing the need for community involvement in sustainable management.