BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT
BY
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari
(Scientist in IIT Delhi, Mc Graw Hill Author)
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
Biodiversity hotspots are biogeographic regions, the
powerhouses of biodiversity which are at significant threat
mainly from human activities.
This concept was given by the British biologist Norman
Myers.
At these hotsopts exceptional concentrations of endemic
species are undergoing exceptional loss of habitat.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region should
qualify the following two criteria:
1. It must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular
plants as endemics, and
2. It has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation
(original habitat)
Around the world, 35 areas qualify under this
definition, with nine other possible for future. These sites
support nearly 60% of the world’s plant, bird, mammal,
reptile, and amphibian species, with a very high share of
endemic species.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
Three factors that usually determine hotspots:-
1. The number of total species (species richness)
2. The number of unique species (endemism)
3. The number of species at risk (threat of extinction).
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
Eight Hottest Hotspots:-
Out of the 35 hotspots, the top 8 hotspots in terms of five
factors mentioned below are considered as the hottest
hotspots.
Five key factors :-
1. Number of Endemic plants
2. Number of Endemic vertebrates
3. Endemic species/area ratio for plants
4. Endemic species/area ratio for vertebrates
5. Habitat Loss
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
The eight ‘hottest hotspots’, which appear at least three
times in the top ten listings for each factors are listed
below:
1. Madagascar
2. The Philippines
3. Sundaland
4. Brazil’s Atlantic Forest
5. The Caribbean
6. Indo-Burma
7. Western Ghats/ Sri Lanka
8. Eastern Arc and Coastal Forests of Tanzania/Kenya
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN INDIA
The four biodiversity hotspots in India are:
1. Himalaya: Includes the entire Indian Himalayan region (and
that falling in Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, China and
Myanmar)
2. Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India, except
Assam and Andaman group of Islands (and Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China)
3. Sundalands: Includes Nicobar group of Islands (and
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines)
4. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka: Includes entire Western Ghats
(and Sri Lanka)
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Report on Western Ghats
Western Ghats needs high attention in the sustainability
aspect of whole India and especially South India.
Considering the damage, in March 2010, the Ministry of
Environment and Forest of India set up an expert panel,
headed by Madhav Gadgil to find a strategy for conserving
these Ghats.
1. Gadgil Committee Report
• Gadgil Commission, formally known as ‘Western Ghats
Ecology Expert Panel’ (WGEEP), submitted the report to
the Government of India on 31 August 2011.
The major highlights of Gadgil Report are:
1. WGEEP designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically
Sensitive Area (ESA).
2. The present system of governance of the environment
should be changed. It asked for bottom to top approach
(right from Gram Sabhas) rather than a top to bottom
approach. It also asked for decentralization and more
powers to local authorities.
Criticisms of Gadgil Report:
1. It was more environment-friendly and not in tune with
the ground realities.
2. Recommendations were sited as impractical to
implement. Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
3. Complete eco-sensitive cover for Western Ghats hamper
different states on energy and development fronts.
4. There is no need to constitute a new body called WGEA
(Western Ghat Ecology Authority). State insist that
protection can be given under existing laws.
5. The port doesn’t give solution for revenue losses due to
implementation of its recommendations.
6. It is against dams in Western Ghats, which is a crucial
blow on the ailing power sector.
Many mafias createed fear among the people that
the Gadgil report is anti-farmer and anti-people. The mining
lobby took advantage of this aspect and misled the people.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
Another committee was appointed to study Gadgil Report,
review and suggest measures for implementation. The
name of the committee was ‘Kasturirangan Committee’.
2. Kasturirangan Committee Report
The 10 member High-level Working Group (HLWG), headed
by Kasturirangan, was constituted to examine the WGEEP
report. Major recommendations of the Kasturirangan
Committee Report were:
• Instead of the total area of Western Ghats, only 37%
(60,000 sq. km.) of the total area be brought under ESA
under Kasturirangan Report.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
• Complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in
ESA.
• Distinguished between cultural (58% occupied in
Western Ghats by it like human settlements, agriculatural
fields and plantations) and natural landscape (90% of it
should come under ESA according to committee).
• Current mining areas in the ESA should be phased out
within the next five years, or at the time of expiry of
mining lease, whichever is earlier.
• No thermal power be allowed and hydropower projects
be allowed only after detailed study.
• Red industries (distillery), which are highly polluting, be
strictly banned in these areas.
• Top to bottom approach for regulation.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
• Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats has
made several pro-farmer recommendations,
including the exclusion of inhabited regions and
plantations from the purview of ecologically
sensitive areas (ESAs).
• The kasturirangan report had said 123 villages fall
under the ESA purview.
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
• Criticisms of Kasturirangan Committee Report: This report was
criticized on many grounds. They are:
1. The Kasturirangan panel used remote sensing and aerial
surey methods for zonal demarcation of land in Western
Ghats. The usage of such techinques, without examining the
ground reality, has caused many errors in the report.
2. The power is vested with the bureaucrats and forest officials
and not with Gram Sabha.
3. Many fear that the farmers would get evicted if the
Kasturirangan Committee report is implemented. Under this
report, the mining and quarrying lobbies is expected to
flourish. When these lobbies and tourism flourish, it will be
disastrous for the environment.
4. Kasturirangan report included ecologically non- sensitive
area under ESA, and left out many ecologically
sensitiveareas. Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
THANK YOU
Dr. Ravi Agrahari’s
