A recent study emphasizes the urgent need for holistic restoration of the Aravalli mountain range, which is facing severe degradation due to deforestation, encroachment, and illegal mining. The study advocates for an integrated approach that considers the ecosystem and its inhabitants as a single unit, requiring targeted interventions and community collaboration for effective landscape restoration.
The Aravalli range, one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, serves as a crucial natural barrier for the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Indo-Gangetic Plains. However, this fragile ecosystem, spanning over four states and 29 districts, is under severe threat due to unsustainable land use, rapid urbanization, and widespread land degradation and desertification.
The study, titled "Report on Eco-restoration of Aravalli Landscape," was conducted by the Sankala Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit organization focused on sustainability, with support from the Embassy of Denmark and the Haryana State Forest Department. The study assessed four villages in Haryana – Gairatpur Bas, Naurangpur, Sakatpur, and Shikohpur – and revealed rapid land-use transitions, declining vegetation cover, depletion in soil moisture, and expanding urban heat-island effects. Habitat fragmentation, resulting from human pressures and ecological decline, has also diminished the quality of fauna habitat.
The study's findings highlight substantial land-use conversion over the past decade, with agricultural land decreasing by approximately 429 hectares and forest area shrinking by 114 hectares. This indicates sustained pressure on natural vegetation, with barren land showing a modest increase and built-up areas expanding significantly, reflecting rapid urbanization in the Gurugram area.
Water stress is also a considerable concern, with the area suffering a 20% loss of water bodies between 2014 and 2024. Encroachments and construction on natural drainage systems have altered runoff patterns, impacting groundwater availability and increasing water scarcity. The study also found that forest patches in the project area are highly degraded and fragmented, with widespread invasion by species such as Prosopis juliflora, Lantana camara, and Parthenium hysterophorus.
To address these challenges, the study proposes a strategy focused on five main landscape components: forests, agricultural lands, scrubs and common land, water bodies, and habitation areas. The proposed eco-restoration model offers a framework for rehabilitating degraded forest patches in urbanizing regions of the Aravalli range. The approach relies on collaboration and integrated problem-solving to deliver cost-effective and sustainable land-use practices for large-scale restoration. Ecosystem-based adaptation measures, such as afforestation and water retention, are considered essential for climate resilience.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, formally launched the report and emphasized the central government's focus on implementing the Aravalli Green Wall project. This project aims to restore degraded landscapes across 29 districts in the Aravallis, spanning from Gujarat to Haryana and Delhi. The findings of the study will be used to implement local, landscape-specific eco-restoration works, including afforestation with native species, removal of invasive species, soil and moisture conservation, wildlife corridor management, and biodiversity monitoring over the next seven years.
The study emphasizes that a substantial proportion of households rely on forests for firewood, medicinal plants, and fodder, with women playing a key role in resource management. Therefore, any restoration efforts must consider alternative livelihoods and community participation to ensure long-term sustainability. Achieving the objectives of the restoration plan requires the continued involvement of all stakeholders, working together towards the eco-restoration of the Aravalli range and fulfilling India's national and international commitments toward Land Degradation Neutrality.
