UNCCD COP17 and India’s Open Natural Ecosystems
Introduction
On 17 August 2026, at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, India launched something it had never released before — a dedicated Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems. For UPSC aspirants, this story ties together environment, international conventions, and India’s evolving conservation philosophy.
About the Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems
- What it does: Recognises India’s grasslands, savannas, deserts and scrublands — collectively called Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) — as ecologically and socio-economically valuable landscapes that need their own science-based conservation approach, rather than being treated as “wasteland” fit only for afforestation.
- Launched by: Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM), the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), and the Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO.
- Coverage: Ecosystems ranging from Himalayan and Terai grasslands to the Thar desert, Banni grasslands, Deccan savannas, ravines and coastal ecosystems.
- Key focus areas: Documents the relationship between ONEs and pastoral, livestock-based and agricultural livelihoods; emphasises landscape-level planning, land-degradation assessment, restoration, fire ecology and carbon sequestration.
- Purpose: Meant to serve as a policy resource for policymakers, researchers, conservation practitioners and local communities.
What Are Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)?
ONEs are naturally open landscapes dominated by grasses, shrubs or sparse vegetation — rather than dense tree cover. This includes grasslands, savannas, deserts and scrublands. Their key features include:
- Biodiversity: They support specialised flora and fauna adapted to dry, semi-arid and open habitats.
- Livelihoods: Grasslands and rangelands sustain pastoralism, livestock rearing and agriculture-dependent communities across large parts of India.
- Carbon storage: These ecosystems store significant carbon, particularly in their soils, contributing meaningfully to climate resilience.
- Landscape processes: They shape soil formation, water cycles, nutrient flows and ecological fire regimes.
This matters because ONEs have historically been undervalued in Indian conservation policy — often misclassified as degraded wasteland and targeted for tree plantation drives that can actually disrupt their native ecology.
About UNCCD COP17
- What it is: The 17th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNCCD, focused on turning global land-restoration commitments into real finance and action.
- Venue: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — a fitting host, given that around 77% of Mongolia’s land is affected by desertification and land degradation.
- Theme: “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope” — emphasising accelerated land restoration and stronger resilience against drought and desertification.
- Focus areas: Scaling up degraded-land restoration and mobilising finance; strengthening sustainable rangeland management and support for pastoral communities; and building stronger international frameworks for drought preparedness and water security.
- Key outcome: Countries have collectively pledged to restore around 1 billion hectares of degraded land — against an estimated global total of 1.5–2 billion hectares degraded, leaving a substantial gap still to be closed.
About the UNCCD Itself
The UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement specifically addressing desertification, land degradation and drought through sustainable land management. It was adopted in 1994, following the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, and entered into force in 1996 with 197 Parties. India signed the convention in 1994, completed ratification in 1996, and hosted COP14 of the UNCCD in 2019.
Key initiatives under the UNCCD framework include:
- Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN): Aims to ensure the quantity and quality of land resources needed for ecosystems and livelihoods remain stable or improve.
- Great Green Wall: An African-led initiative to restore degraded land across the Sahel while supporting local livelihoods and climate resilience.
- G20 Global Land Initiative: Seeks international cooperation to substantially reduce land degradation and promote sustainable land management.
Conclusion
India’s new guide to grasslands marks an important shift in how the country thinks about conservation — recognising that “green” doesn’t always mean “forested,” and that protecting open, dry ecosystems is just as vital to biodiversity, livelihoods and climate resilience as protecting dense forests.
Prelims Quick Facts Box
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| COP17 Venue | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| COP17 Theme | “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope” |
| UNCCD Adopted | 1994 (post Rio Earth Summit 1992) |
| UNCCD Entered Into Force | 1996 |
| India Ratified UNCCD | 1996 |
| India Hosted | COP14 (2019) |
| Guide Launched By | ATREE, with IUCN, CoE-SLM, ICFRE, ISRO’s SAC |
| Global Restoration Pledge | ~1 billion hectares (against 1.5–2 billion hectares degraded) |
| Mongolia’s Land Affected by Desertification | ~77% |
FAQs
Q1. What is the Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems?
A. It is India’s first dedicated guide recognising grasslands, savannas, deserts and scrublands as ecologically valuable landscapes requiring science-based conservation, launched at UNCCD COP17 in 2026.
Q2. What are Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)?
A. ONEs are naturally open landscapes dominated by grasses, shrubs or sparse vegetation rather than dense tree cover, including grasslands, savannas, deserts and scrublands.
Q3. When was the UNCCD adopted and when did India join it?
A. The UNCCD was adopted in 1994 following the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and entered into force in 1996. India signed it in 1994 and completed ratification in 1996.
Q4. What is Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)?
A. LDN is a UNCCD initiative that seeks to ensure the quantity and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystems and livelihoods remain stable or improve over time.
Q5. Which GS paper does this topic fall under?
A. This is most relevant to GS Paper 3 (Environment) and can also connect to International Relations questions involving UN conventions.
