Landscapes for Conservation of Biological Diversity with Focus onthe Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra (NWGM)

Abstract

National wellbeing is dependent on the productivity of its lands. Productivity is central to the interestof natural ecosystems and the systems of farming. Water is essential for sustaining life, for ensuring foodsecurity as well as for effectively driving all development projects. Security of water is ensured by securenatural ecosystems centered on biological diversity. The terms productivity and biological diversity aresynonymous therefore it is essential for all processes and projects of development to internalize the securityof biological diversity/natural ecosystems. The principle at present however is almost non-existent in alldevelopment programmes because had it been so the forest and environmental clearances would not beconsidered loud and clear as hurdles to development. Western Ghats are one of the ecological hotspots of theworld. The northern Western Ghats have diverse forests, protected areas, ecologically sensitive areasdeclared under law, ecologically sensitive tehsils and villages and sacred groves managed and maintained bylocal communities. There are significant catchments and watersheds, origins of important rivers, manysprings and lateritic plateaus with unique species assemblages that are characteristic only of the northernWestern Ghats. These units together constitute the foci of conservation of natural ecosystems. The tract hasseveral dams and the largest hydroelectric facility. It supports diverse economies including the most rapidlygrowing tourism industry with many visitor destinations and famous hill stations dotted across thesemountains. In order to ensure ecological security of these fragile mountain ecosystems it is necessary toaddress land use at the largest spatial scale recognized as the landscape. Landscape allows using thedisparities within its constituents—the mosaic of interacting land uses by creating opportunities forreducing their inter se contradictions. The paper discusses such opportunities and strategies at variousspatial scales.National wellbeing is dependent on the productivity of its lands. Productivity is central to the interestof natural ecosystems and the systems of farming. Water is essential for sustaining life, for ensuring foodsecurity as well as for effectively driving all development projects. Security of water is ensured by securenatural ecosystems centered on biological diversity. The terms productivity and biological diversity aresynonymous therefore it is essential for all processes and projects of development to internalize the securityof biological diversity/natural ecosystems. The principle at present however is almost non-existent in alldevelopment programmes because had it been so the forest and environmental clearances would not beconsidered loud and clear as hurdles to development. Western Ghats are one of the ecological hotspots of theworld. The northern Western Ghats have diverse forests, protected areas, ecologically sensitive areasdeclared under law, ecologically sensitive tehsils and villages and sacred groves managed and maintained bylocal communities. There are significant catchments and watersheds, origins of important rivers, manysprings and lateritic plateaus with unique species assemblages that are characteristic only of the northernWestern Ghats. These units together constitute the foci of conservation of natural ecosystems. The tract hasseveral dams and the largest hydroelectric facility. It supports diverse economies including the most rapidlygrowing tourism industry with many visitor destinations and famous hill stations dotted across thesemountains. In order to ensure ecological security of these fragile mountain ecosystems it is necessary toaddress land use at the largest spatial scale recognized as the landscape. Landscape allows using thedisparities within its constituents—the mosaic of interacting land uses by creating opportunities forreducing their inter se contradictions. The paper discusses such opportunities and strategies at variousspatial scales.