Overview of Grasslands and Climate Change
The United Nations has designated 2026 as the ‘International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists’. Despite their potential as carbon sinks, grasslands and savannahs have been overlooked in global climate negotiations, which have predominantly focused on forests.
UNFCCC COP30 and Its Shortcomings
- The COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, emphasized forests, particularly the Amazon, with initiatives like the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF).
- However, there was a lack of a concrete roadmap to protect the climate, highlighting the disparity in addressing diverse biomes.
Challenges Facing Grasslands
Grasslands are threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture, conversion to forests, invasive species, and fossil fuel extraction. Indigenous land management practices are often suppressed, exacerbating the problem.
Case Study: Australian Grasslands
- Australia’s desert grasslands suffer from climate change-induced dry spells and flash floods.
- The Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) works to protect these areas using cultural burning methods and invasive species management.
Case Study: Brazil's Cerrado
- The Cerrado savannahs face threats from agricultural expansion, mining, and toxic waste disposal.
- Efforts are being made to integrate grassland protection into public policies and recognize territorial rights of indigenous and Quilombola communities.
Integrating Grasslands Into Climate Policy
- Efforts to integrate grasslands into climate negotiations are gaining traction, as seen at COP30 with various side events and demonstrations.
- The UNCCD COP has recognized rangelands' importance for land degradation neutrality.
- Reports from organizations like the WWF emphasize the need to include grasslands in country-specific nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
India's Grassland Policy
- India's grasslands fall under 18 ministries, each with conflicting interests.
- Recognition of grasslands as carbon sinks could enhance India's climate mitigation efforts as per the NDCs.
Conclusion
Protecting grasslands requires unified policies across national and international levels, recognizing their ecosystem services, and involving local communities in management. Upholding multilateralism and prioritizing scientific and societal interests over industrial lobbies is essential for these efforts.
