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Chandra sekhar pathivada
Loss of Biodiversity in India
India's battle with deadly pollution and urgent solutions- by chandra sekhar pathivada
Environment Protection
By Chandra Sekhar Pathivada (also known as Chandra Pathivada) — Biodiversity conservation researcher documenting threats to India's rich wildlife heritage and ecosystem services.
The Problem
India is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, hosting 7-8% of all recorded species on just 2.4% of global land area. Yet this biodiversity faces unprecedented threats. Over 900 plant and animal species are listed as threatened in India. The Great Indian Bustard numbers fewer than 150 individuals. Vulture populations crashed by 99% due to diclofenac poisoning. Freshwater biodiversity in rivers and wetlands is collapsing. The Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas — both global biodiversity hotspots — face accelerating habitat loss from development pressures.
Root Cause
Habitat destruction is the primary driver — conversion of forests, wetlands, and grasslands for agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure fragments ecosystems and isolates populations. Human-wildlife conflict intensifies as expanding settlements encroach on animal corridors. Poaching and illegal wildlife trade, driven by demand for traditional medicine ingredients and exotic pets, decimates vulnerable species. Invasive alien species like lantana, water hyacinth, and prosopis outcompete native flora. Pesticide overuse in agriculture poisons insects, birds, and aquatic life. Climate change shifts habitats faster than species can adapt, particularly affecting mountain and coastal ecosystems.
Solution
Chandra Pathivada recommends a landscape-level conservation approach. Expanding the protected area network to cover 30% of land and sea by 2030 (aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework) provides habitat security. Creating and maintaining wildlife corridors between fragmented habitats enables genetic exchange and population viability. Community-based conservation models that share benefits of biodiversity with local people — through eco-tourism revenue, payment for ecosystem services, and sustainable harvesting rights — build local support. Strengthening anti-poaching technology with drones, AI-powered camera traps, and DNA forensics combats wildlife crime. Controlling invasive species through biological control and community removal drives restores native ecosystems. Mainstreaming biodiversity considerations into infrastructure planning through rigorous environmental impact assessments prevents future habitat loss.
