Not just forests: why grasslands also belong in national climate plans

Not Just Forests: Why Grasslands Also Belong in National Climate Plans

UPSC Prelims + Mains Study Note

1. At a Glance

• Grasslands and savannahs are chronically under-represented in global climate negotiations despite constituting the second-largest terrestrial carbon store after forests — the UNFCCC framework has historically privileged forest-based mitigation [S1][S2].
• UN has declared 2026 the "International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists" — a direct signal to UPSC aspirants that this biome is now a live exam theme [S3].
• India-specific relevance: ~24% of India's landmass comprises grasslands; these ecosystems support biodiversity, pastoralism, and soil carbon but are largely absent from India's NDC targets [S4].
• This topic spans GS-III (environment/climate) and GS-II (international institutions/conventions), making it a high-yield multi-paper topic.

2. Why in the News

• January 7, 2026 (The Hindu): An analysis piece highlighted that UNFCCC COP30 (held in Belém, Brazil) remained forest-centric, with the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) drawing most of the attention — while grasslands and savannahs were again marginalised [S3].
• 2022 (Science journal letter): Scientists from institutions in Tanzania, Zambia, the UK, the US, Germany and Canada wrote an open letter to UNFCCC parties urging inclusion of all biomes — especially grasslands and savannahs — in climate goals; the letter noted savannahs may be better carbon sinks than forests [S3].
• 2026: UN designation of the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists places grassland ecology at the centre of multilateral discourse [S3].
• April 2026 (PIB): India released a document — India's Green Pathway: From Conservation to Climate Action — outlining a phase-wise restoration plan (2025–2034) that includes grassland rejuvenation [S4].

3. Background & Evolution

4. Core Static Facts

Definitions & Classifications - Grasslands / Savannahs / Rangelands: Non-forest terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses ± scattered trees; include tropical savannahs, temperate steppes, alpine meadows, and semi-arid shrublands. - Pastoralists: Communities whose livelihoods depend on mobile livestock rearing on rangelands; ~1 billion people globally. - LULUCF: The UNFCCC accounting framework for land-sector emissions/removals; currently skewed toward forestry [S1]. - NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution): A country's self-set climate pledge under the Paris Agreement, submitted to UNFCCC.

Key Numbers - Grassland soil carbon mitigation potential: 1.8–4.1 GtCO₂eq/yr (IPCC) [S2] - FAO's global grassland soil carbon assessment: first published 2021 [S2] - India's grassland cover: approximately 24% of total landmass [S4] - India's biodiversity: 2.4% of Earth's land area; 7–8% of known species; includes grassland-dependent fauna [S4] - China NDC example: improved 3.07 million ha of grasslands as part of carbon sink efforts (2021 reporting) [S1]

Implementing Bodies (India) - Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC): Nodal ministry for NDC implementation and biodiversity reporting [S4] - NAPCC (National Action Plan on Climate Change): Operationalises India's NDC through 9 missions; National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is most relevant [S5] - State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC): State-level implementation arms [S4]

Enabling Framework - Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Forest Conservation Act, 1980 govern protected ecosystems but do not specifically protect grasslands as a category. - National Mission for a Green India (GIM): Targets 10 million ha of forest/non-forest land (includes some grasslands) for improved ecosystem services [S5]

International Framework - UNFCCC / Paris Agreement (195+ parties) — land sector: LULUCF rules [S1] - Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) — Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF, 2022): 30×30 target (protect 30% of land & ocean by 2030) implicitly covers grasslands - UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): Explicitly addresses rangelands/pastoralism

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Environmental

• Grasslands store large quantities of carbon in soil (not above-ground biomass), making them more resilient carbon stores than forests — which can release stored carbon rapidly through fire [S2][S3].
• Savannahs may be net carbon sinks when fire regimes and grazing are well-managed; however, conversion to agriculture triggers carbon release [S3].
• India's grasslands harbour species such as the Great Indian Bustard (critically endangered), blackbuck, and cheetah reintroduction sites (Kuno NP) — showing interlinkage between climate and biodiversity targets [S4].
• Soil organic carbon in grasslands is difficult to monitor accurately — a key barrier to NDC inclusion [S2].

Economic

• ~1 billion people globally depend on rangelands for pastoral livelihoods; exclusion from climate finance mechanisms denies them access to funds [S3].
• REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) channels billions toward forests; no equivalent mechanism exists for grasslands, creating a structural funding gap.
• FAO's soil carbon assessment could unlock carbon credit markets for grassland managers, generating income for pastoralists [S2].

Social / Equity

• Pastoralist and tribal communities in India (e.g., Van Gujjars, Rebaris, Dhangars) who depend on grasslands are excluded from climate adaptation funding that flows through forest-centric schemes [S4].
• Globally, grassland degradation disproportionately impacts women pastoralists and indigenous communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Geopolitical / Institutional

• There is an ongoing institutional fragmentation problem: grassland/biodiversity goals are handled by CBD, while climate goals are under UNFCCC — the two bodies lack a unified accounting standard for grassland ecosystem services [S3].
• Brazil's presidency of COP30 (Amazon focus) reinforced the forest bias; African nations (whose savannahs are globally significant) remain under-represented in agenda-setting [S3].
• The 2022 Kunming-Montreal GBF (CBD) and Paris Agreement (UNFCCC) could synergise on grasslands, but institutional silos prevent integration.

Legal / Constitutional (India)

• Grasslands in India lack a dedicated legal protection category; they are classified variously as revenue land, wastelands, or "deemed forests" — rendering them vulnerable to diversion for solar parks, plantations, or agriculture.
• The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises community forest rights but its application to grasslands and pastoralists is contested.

Scientific / Technological

• Soil organic carbon monitoring requires remote sensing + in-situ sampling — currently less developed than forest carbon monitoring (MODIS, LiDAR systems) [S2].
• FAO's 2021 grassland soil carbon assessment used global harmonised soil databases — a methodological breakthrough enabling future NDC integration [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• January 7, 2026: The Hindu publishes an analysis on COP30's failure to include grasslands in climate plans; highlights the 2022 Science letter and launch of TFFF at COP30 [S3].
• COP30, Belém, Brazil (November 2025): Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) launched with multi-million-dollar pledges; grassland equivalents not announced [S3].
• 2026: UN designates the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists [S3].
• April 2026 (PIB): India releases Green Pathway: From Conservation to Climate Action — includes a phase-wise restoration plan (2025–2034) covering forest restoration, grassland rejuvenation, and mine reclamation [S4].
• 2025 (PIB, Year-end Review): MoEFCC's Year-End Review 2025 highlights India's wildlife conservation milestones and global climate leadership, but grassland-specific targets remain undefined [S4].
• India's updated NDC (2031–2035): Cabinet approved updated NDC (PIB, PRID 2245209); details on grassland-specific targets pending in public domain [S4].

7. Prelims Hooks

1. The UN has declared 2026 as the "International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists".
2. IPCC estimates grassland soil carbon mitigation potential at 1.8–4.1 GtCO₂eq/yr.
3. FAO published its first Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands in 2021.
4. COP30 was held in Belém, Brazil — the first COP hosted in the Amazon basin.
5. The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at COP30 — a forest-specific climate finance mechanism.
6. A 2022 open letter in the journal Science urged UNFCCC parties to include savannahs and grasslands in climate goals.
7. Grasslands store carbon primarily in soil (below-ground), unlike forests which store it in above-ground biomass — making them more resilient to fire loss.
8. LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) is the UNFCCC's land sector accounting framework — currently forest-centric.
9. India's grasslands cover approximately 24% of total landmass [S4].
10. National Mission for a Green India (GIM) targets 10 million ha of land for ecosystem restoration, including non-forest lands [S5].
11. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and UNFCCC are separate UN bodies — lack of coordination between them is a key barrier to integrated biome protection.
12. India's NDC is implemented through NAPCC (9 missions) and SAPCC (state-level plans) [S4].
13. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) sets a 30×30 target — protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030.
14. In China's 2022 NDC progress report, 3.07 million ha of grasslands were reported as improved for carbon sink purposes [S1].
15. Grasslands in India lack a dedicated legal protection category — often classified as "revenue wasteland," making them vulnerable to diversion.

8. Mains Relevance

Plausible Mains Questions: 1. "Grasslands and savannahs are potentially superior carbon sinks compared to tropical forests, yet remain absent from most National Determined Contributions. Critically analyse the structural and institutional reasons for this gap and suggest reforms." (GS-III, 15 marks) 2. "The UN declaration of 2026 as the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists offers India an opportunity to redesign its climate and biodiversity governance. Discuss with reference to India's NDC framework and the rights of pastoral communities." (GS-II/III, 15 marks) 3. "Examine the institutional fragmentation between the UNFCCC and the Convention on Biological Diversity in addressing holistic ecosystem-based climate mitigation." (GS-II, 10 marks)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

1. "Grasslands = wastelands": A common administrative misconception in India where unclassified grasslands are treated as "degraded" or "wasteland" land available for diversion — examiners test whether aspirants understand the ecological value distinction.
2. Confusing UNFCCC and CBD: The UNFCCC handles climate (emissions/sinks); the CBD handles biodiversity. They are separate conventions with separate COPs — grasslands fall under both but neither takes full ownership.
3. LULUCF ≠ only forests: LULUCF technically covers croplands, wetlands, and grasslands too — but in practice NDC accounting has been forest-dominated; aspirants must know the scope vs. the practice gap.
4. COP30 location: Held in Belém, Brazil (not Buenos Aires or Bonn). The Amazon context explains the forest bias.
5. GIM target: The National Mission for a Green India targets 10 million ha — aspirants often confuse this with the 33% green cover target in India's NDC, which are different metrics.

11. Sources

• [S1] Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) | UNFCCC — https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/land-use--land-use-change-and-forestry-lulucf — (Tier 2)
• [S2] FAO publishes its first Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands | FAO Newsroom — https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-publishes-its-first-global-assessment-of-soil-carbon-in-grasslands/en — (Tier 2)
• [S3] "Not just forests: why grasslands also belong in national climate plans" — The Hindu, 7 January 2026 (article content supplied; The Hindu = Tier 4)
• [S4] India's Green Pathway: From Conservation to Climate Action, PIB, April 2026 — https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2026/apr/doc202647841001.pdf — (Tier 1); India's Fourth National Report to CBD — https://moef.gov.in/uploads/2018/04/India_Fourth_National_Report-FINAL_2.pdf — (Tier 1)
• [S5] National Mission for a Green India (GIM) Mission Document — https://moef.gov.in/uploads/2017/08/GIM_Mission-Document-1.pdf — (Tier 1)