Introduction
Across the living fabric of India, ecosystems once thriving in balance with life’s cycles — grasslands, wetlands, mangroves, forests— are nearing a vanishing point from which life may not return.
Every inch of soil, every patch of grassland, wetland, mangrove, or forest breathes life into the delicate web that sustains not just human beings but a rich flora and fauna that do not exist anywhere else.
Yet, across the world, vital biomes are being misclassified, overlooked, or systematically dismantled — driven by a mix of limited awareness, unchecked & unrestrained economic ambition, and governance structures that have failed to recognize and protect these ecosystems.
The Problem of Mislabeling: When Unrevised Colonial Language Still Devalues Our Biomes
Centuries-old colonial classifications like “wasteland,” “barren,” and “degraded” were once devised to extract resources, not protect. These systems were not created to value ecological richness or biodiversity — their only focus was economic productivity and revenue generation.
Tragically, many of these labels and focus still exist — embedded in modern land governance and planning systems — leading to the silent erasure of vibrant, life-sustaining ecosystems. Many rich ecological biomes have been reduced to mere real estate labels.
But nature knows no such labels and has never needed human approval to be worthy. A scrubland might be the last refuge of rare pollinators. A wetland tagged as ‘barren’ might filter water for hundreds of species. But when words diminishes the inherent worth of these landscapes, systems follow — with irreversible consequences.
Real-World Examples from India
| Ecosystem | Colonial Mislabel | Ecological Impact | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aravalli Hills | Wasteland | Illegal mining, groundwater depletion, habitat loss | Rajasthan | |
| Kancha Gachibowli Forest | Wasteland | Urban encroachment, biodiversity loss | Telangana | |
| Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary | Degraded Land | Habitat fragmentation, species displacement | Delhi | |
| Mumbai Salt Pans | Vacant Land | Wetland encroachment | Maharashtra | |
| Ennore Creek | Industrial Zone | Loss of wetlands, flooding, waterway disruption | Tamil Nadu |
Sources: India Biodiversity Portal, ATREE, CEE India, CPR Environmental Research, Ministry of Environment Reports
Latest or Ongoing in India :
Deforestation of Kancha Gachibowli Forest in Telangana in April 2025 for Urbanization due to continued use of colonial-era label of this ecologically rich biome as “wasteland” sparking citizen-led protest seeking it’s protection.
Urban development Plan threatens to Versova’s Mangrove Belts in Mumbai in April 2025 for building Flyovers that
Global Examples of Ecosystem Mislabeling and Its Consequences
| Ecosystem | Mislabel or Mismanagement | Ecological Impact | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ok Tedi River System | Mining waste disposal site | River pollution, forest degradation, community displacement | Papua New Guinea | |
| Niger Delta Mangroves | Oil extraction zone | Ecosystem loss, water contamination, fishery collapse | Nigeria | |
| China’s Coastal Wetlands | Reclaimed for agriculture and urban development | Habitat destruction, increased disaster risk | China | |
| Russia’s Boreal Forests | Exploited for timber without sustainable practices | Large-scale logging, biodiversity threats | Russia | |
| USA’s Great Plains Grasslands | Converted for agriculture and development | Grassland depletion, loss of carbon storage | United States |
Ecocentric Perspective: Why This Matters Beyond Everything Else
Every ecosystem is a living network of interdependence. Its disappearance disrupts not just local habitats, but ripples across soil health, species survival, air quality, climate regulation, and human well-being.
- A scrubland misclassified as “barren” may be home to rare medicinal herbs, endemic reptiles, and endangered pollinators that exist nowhere else on Earth. Their extinction is irreversible.
- A wetland labeled as “unused” or “wasteland” may host migratory birds, a spawning ground for aquatic life, and a natural flood regulator.
- A grassland misread as degraded may house keystone species like the Great Indian Bustard, whose disappearance signals an entire biome in collapse.
- Mangroves removed from one coast expose not just biodiversity to flooding and erosion, but also communities — increasing climate displacement, vector-borne diseases, and respiratory illnesses.
- The disappearance of pollinators, trees, wetlands, and grasslands doesn’t just threaten wildlife—it disrupts food security, destabilizes climate patterns, and displaces communities.
Loss of green spaces contributes to rising chronic illness, weakened immunity, and mental health disorders.
With every vanishing biome, we edge closer to a future of nutritional decline, extreme weather, and rising ecological trauma.
Root Causes of This Crisis:
- Colonial-Era Land Classification Still Shapes Modern Decisions – Outdated labels like “wasteland” and “barren” continue to influence policy, despite their ecological richness.
- Ecology as an Afterthought in Economic and Bureaucratic Systems – Developmental frameworks often prioritize GDP or Revenue over biodiversity, ignoring long-term planetary costs.
- Limited Integration of Ecology in Planning
While assessments like EIAs exist, many land-use decisions do not fully account for species survival, water cycles, or soil health, particularly in non-forest ecosystems. - Governance Gaps, Real Estate and Infrastructure Expansion
Unchecked economic ambition feeds ecological erasure — forests become plots, wetlands become blueprints. Current policies often do not mandate cross-disciplinary ecological review in urban planning - Human centric Policies That Erase the Rights of Non-Human Life
When nature is seen only in terms of its utility to humans, ecosystems lose their inherent right to exist.
The Way Forward: Rebuilding Prakriti Dharma in Land Governance
Prakriti Dharma speaks to the universal responsibility to maintain balance and protect the right of all life to exist. These values can guide a new approach to land governance—one that integrates ecological wisdom with development goals.
Ongoing Conservation Efforts in India:
50+ Tiger Reserves under Project Tiger
75+ Wetlands designated as Ramsar Sites, globally recognized for their biodiversity value
Four Global Biodiversity Hotspots, including the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas
Protected Areas Network comprising over 100 national parks and 500 wildlife sanctuaries
Open-data platforms like India Biodiversity Portal and Bhuvan Geo-Platform enabling public access to ecological data
These are vital pillars of India’s ecological efforts. Yet, conservation today often overlooks mislabeled yet ecologically rich landscapes — scrublands, wetlands, grasslands, and buffer zones that remain unrecognized in official records. As a result, they face silent erasure.
Ongoing incidents, such as the development threats to Kancha Gachibowli Forest in Telangana and the Versova’s Mangrove Belts in Mumbai in April 2025 highlight the critical gaps in our ecological protection frameworks that urgently need to be addressed.
Recommendations:
Establish a National Ecosystem Classification Framework rooted in ecological value, ensuring consistent relabeling and recognition of ecosystems across the nation. This Classification must be made accessible to citizens, fostering transparency and accountability. Urgent integration in rapidly urbanizing cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata is crucial, where urban expansion often threatens vital ecosystems.
Mandatory Ecological Literacy and Impact Awareness Understanding for Urban planners and Policy Makers.
Establish Transparent Multi-Stakeholder Approval Boards for ecological assessments.
Map and Integrate Ecological Boundaries into Land Use Plans
Delineate zones such as — wetlands, floodplains, mangroves, wildlife corridors and buffer zones — where sensitive development must be restricted or redesigned to preserve ecological function and flow, ensuring that development respects environmental thresholds.Enforce Legal Protections and Restorations for Unlabeled but Ecologically Rich Biomes.
India has long been respected across the world for its traditions of honoring rivers, conserving forests, and building intricate networks of ponds and lakes to sustain life in harmony with the land. India’s ecological wisdom has always emphasized balance, respect, and coexistence.
It is time to draw from this legacy and lead the world once again — by adopting an innovative, mindful classification of ecosystems, rooted in the values of Prakriti Dharma. This approach prioritizes ecological harmony over unchecked economic growth, offering a model for sustainable development and conservation that addresses global environmental challenges. Through this, India can inspire the world to adopt a more balanced and respectful relationship with nature.
Conclusion:
It is time to see the world not as ours to own but as ours to protect. The web of life is breaking, and only collective humility, responsibility, and action can hold it together.
At Redefining Purpose, we stand for life, for balance, for the universe. This isn’t about saving nature for us. It’s about saving nature because it exists beyond us. Redefine your purpose and uncover the essence of life …