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From ‘Wastelands’ to Carbon Gold: Reframing Grasslands in Climate Action

Why global climate commitments must expand to rangelands and how India can turn policy conflict into a carbon-sink advantage
GopiGopi
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From ‘Wastelands’ to Carbon Gold: Reframing Grasslands in Climate Action
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1. Global Climate Governance and the Forest-Centric Bias

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists, signalling growing recognition of non-forest ecosystems in global environmental governance. However, this recognition has not translated adequately into climate negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Since its inception, the UNFCCC has focused predominantly on carbon emissions and sequestration, with forests emerging as the primary ecosystemal solution. This has resulted in a structural bias where forests dominate mitigation finance, policy instruments, and negotiations, while grasslands and savannahs remain marginal.

The persistence of this bias was evident at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where climate action largely revolved around forest protection initiatives despite scientific evidence highlighting the importance of open ecosystems. Such selective focus risks narrowing the scope of climate governance and overlooking equally critical biomes.

If unaddressed, this approach weakens the comprehensiveness of global climate action and creates governance blind spots that undermine long-term mitigation and adaptation efforts.

From a governance perspective, climate regimes that prioritise a single ecosystem reduce policy resilience; ignoring biome diversity limits mitigation options and increases systemic ecological risks.

2. Grasslands and Savannahs as Climate-Critical Ecosystems

Grasslands and savannahs are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, despite their ecological and climatic significance. Unlike forests, these ecosystems store a substantial proportion of carbon underground in soils and root systems, making them resilient and long-term carbon sinks.

Scientific assessments have indicated that grasslands and savannahs can match or exceed forests in carbon sequestration potential, particularly when soil carbon is accounted for. Yet, they receive limited attention in global climate finance and carbon accounting frameworks.

The neglect of grasslands has led to their large-scale conversion for agriculture, plantations, and extractive activities. Additionally, afforestation efforts often misclassify grasslands as degraded land, resulting in ecological damage rather than restoration.

Failure to recognise grasslands as distinct ecosystems weakens climate mitigation strategies and accelerates biodiversity loss, land degradation, and carbon emissions.

Effective climate policy requires recognising ecosystem-specific functions; overlooking grasslands leads to maladaptive interventions that undermine both mitigation and biodiversity goals.

3. Indigenous Stewardship, Land Management, and Climate Resilience

Indigenous and pastoral communities have historically managed grasslands through practices such as controlled burning and rotational grazing. These practices maintain ecological balance, reduce wildfire intensity, and sustain biodiversity.

In regions like Australia’s desert grasslands, Indigenous ranger networks, such as the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA), have demonstrated the effectiveness of culturally appropriate land management in addressing climate risks and invasive species.

However, modern conservation policies have often suppressed indigenous knowledge systems, favouring centralised and technocratic approaches. This has increased vulnerability to intense wildfires and ecosystem degradation.

Marginalising indigenous stewardship not only weakens climate resilience but also raises concerns of equity and governance legitimacy.

"It is getting hotter and it is getting harder to live here." — Samantha Murray, Indigenous Desert Alliance

Governance systems that exclude traditional knowledge reduce adaptive capacity; ignoring indigenous stewardship increases ecological instability and social vulnerability.

4. Grasslands, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Connectivity

Grasslands and savannahs play a crucial role in maintaining hydrological cycles, biodiversity corridors, and ecosystem connectivity. The Brazilian Cerrado, one of the world’s most biodiverse savannahs, supports 8 of Brazil’s 12 major water systems.

The Cerrado is experiencing twice the rate of habitat loss compared to the Amazon, driven by agricultural expansion, mining, and weak land protections. Despite this, climate policy discourse continues to treat forests and grasslands as separate and unequal entities.

Scientific and policy voices have highlighted that ecosystem interdependence makes such separation untenable. As articulated by Brazilian policymakers, degradation of the Cerrado directly affects the Amazon’s ecological stability.

"Without the Cerrado, there is no Amazon." — Dandara Tonantzin, Brazilian Federal Congresswoman

Ignoring ecosystem connectivity fragments conservation efforts; treating biomes in isolation undermines landscape-level climate and biodiversity outcomes.

5. Institutional Fragmentation Across Global Environmental Regimes

Environmental governance at the global level is institutionally fragmented among the three Rio Conventions:

  • UNFCCC (climate change)
  • UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

While grasslands fall squarely within the mandates of the CBD and UNCCD, they remain peripheral in UNFCCC negotiations. This siloed governance structure has limited cross-learning and integrated policy action.

Notably, the UNCCD COP16 recognised rangelands as complex socio-ecological systems through Resolution L15, calling for improved tenure security and targeted investments. However, such recognition has yet to influence climate negotiations meaningfully.

The absence of institutional convergence weakens collective action and reduces policy coherence across environmental goals.

Fragmented institutions dilute accountability; without convergence, global environmental governance fails to address interconnected crises effectively.

6. National Policy Fragmentation: The Indian Case

In India, grasslands fall under the jurisdiction of 18 different Ministries, each with competing mandates. This has resulted in inconsistent classification, with some policies treating grasslands as wastelands suitable for conversion or afforestation.

India’s climate commitment includes creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover. However, grasslands are not explicitly recognised within this framework despite their carbon sequestration potential.

This policy incoherence undermines grassland conservation and risks ecological mismanagement. Integrating grasslands into national climate planning could enhance mitigation outcomes while supporting pastoral livelihoods.

National-level institutional coherence is essential; fragmented governance leads to inefficient policy outcomes and ecological degradation.

7. Way Forward: Integrating Grasslands into Climate Action

Protecting grasslands requires bridging institutional silos and adopting ecosystem-based approaches across governance levels. Reports by organisations such as WWF and IUCN have called for integrating grasslands across all three Rio Conventions.

Inclusion of grasslands in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), recognition of indigenous land rights, and reform of carbon accounting frameworks are critical steps. Aligning climate, biodiversity, and land policies can enhance effectiveness and equity.

At the national level, harmonising ministerial mandates and reclassifying grasslands as productive ecosystems would strengthen conservation and development outcomes.

Conclusion

Mainstreaming grasslands into climate governance is essential for holistic mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and social equity. Integrated institutional frameworks and ecosystem-based approaches can enhance resilience and ensure sustainable development outcomes in the long term.

Quick Q&A

Everything you need to know

Rangelands are vast natural landscapes dominated by grasses, shrubs, and sparse trees, supporting livestock and wildlife. Pastoralist ecosystems are socio-ecological systems where indigenous and local communities manage these lands through traditional grazing, fire regimes, and other sustainable practices.

These ecosystems are significant because:

  • Carbon sequestration: Grasslands can store substantial amounts of carbon, sometimes comparable to forests, making them important for climate mitigation.
  • Biodiversity: They host unique species of flora and fauna, including endemic plants, herbivores, and birds, contributing to ecosystem resilience.
  • Livelihoods and cultural heritage: Pastoralists rely on these lands for subsistence and income, and their traditional knowledge contributes to sustainable land management.

Despite their importance, rangelands have historically been overlooked in climate negotiations, with forests receiving the bulk of attention and funding, underscoring the need for greater policy focus on these ecosystems.

The UN’s declaration highlights the global importance of rangelands and the communities that depend on them. These ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world due to:

  • Agricultural expansion and land conversion.
  • Spread of invasive species and unsustainable land management practices.
  • Climate change-induced stresses like droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures.

By dedicating 2026 to rangelands and pastoralists, the UN aims to:
  • Raise global awareness about their ecological, climatic, and socio-economic value.
  • Encourage countries to integrate grasslands into climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and land degradation neutrality strategies.
  • Promote recognition of indigenous and local communities as key stakeholders in sustainable ecosystem management.

This focus also serves to address historical neglect in climate policy frameworks, ensuring these ecosystems are not sidelined in global climate negotiations and funding mechanisms.

Indigenous communities play a crucial role in grassland management through culturally rooted practices and active stewardship. For example, in Australia, the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) manages desert grasslands using traditional burning regimes to prevent uncontrolled wildfires, monitors biodiversity round-the-clock, and controls invasive species such as buffel grass.

In Brazil, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the Cerrado advocate for secure land tenure, sustainable land management, and the protection of water systems. Their engagement at COP30 and through side events demonstrates how local knowledge can complement scientific research to create effective climate adaptation strategies.

Such interventions are critical because they:

  • Maintain ecosystem integrity and biodiversity.
  • Reduce carbon emissions from uncontrolled fires.
  • Empower communities and integrate social justice with environmental conservation.

Grasslands face multiple pressures that threaten their ecological function and socio-economic value. Globally, these include:

  • Conversion to agriculture, plantations, and forests.
  • Spread of invasive species such as buffel grass that outcompete native flora and burn more intensely.
  • Climate change impacts like droughts, floods, and erratic rainfall patterns.
  • Suppression of traditional land management techniques, including controlled grazing and fire regimes.

In India, grasslands are fragmented across various administrative jurisdictions and fall under the purview of multiple ministries with competing priorities. Conversion to afforestation projects, agricultural expansion, and insufficient recognition in policy frameworks reduce their capacity to act as carbon sinks and biodiversity refuges. These threats underscore the need for integrated governance, secure land tenure, and recognition of the ecological and social importance of grasslands.

Forests have historically dominated global climate mitigation agendas due to their visible carbon storage, biodiversity, and funding mechanisms like REDD+. This focus, however, has led to:

  • Underfunding of grasslands, which can be equally or more effective carbon sinks in some regions.
  • Neglect of socio-ecological systems maintained by pastoralists and indigenous communities.
  • Policy gaps where climate and biodiversity objectives fail to integrate across ecosystems.

While forest conservation remains essential, prioritising forests alone risks unintended consequences such as monoculture afforestation that can replace native grasslands. Recent advocacy by scientists and indigenous communities aims to bring grasslands into COP agendas, promote integrated ecosystem-based approaches, and bridge gaps between the UNFCCC, UNCBD, and UNCCD frameworks. Balancing attention between forests and grasslands is necessary for holistic climate, biodiversity, and land management outcomes.

Globally, examples include:

  • The Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) in Australia, which implements controlled burning, invasive species management, and rangeland monitoring.
  • Brazil’s Cerrado Defense Group, advocating for indigenous and Quilombola land rights and sustainable management of savannah ecosystems.
  • International advocacy at COP30, including side events, youth groups, and policy reports integrating grasslands into climate and biodiversity agendas.

In India, initiatives are emerging through:
  • Research by organisations such as the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) to map and assess grasslands.
  • Efforts to include grasslands in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as additional carbon sinks.
  • Policy briefs promoting integrated governance across multiple ministries to prevent conversion and encourage sustainable management practices.

These examples demonstrate that a combination of local stewardship, scientific research, and policy integration is crucial for conserving grasslands as multifunctional ecosystems.

The Cerrado, Brazil’s biodiverse savannah, illustrates the intersection of ecology, climate, and social justice. It is home to eight of Brazil’s 12 major river systems, supports endemic species, and acts as a significant carbon sink.

The biome faces rapid habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, mining, fire suppression, and policy neglect. At COP30, indigenous communities and youth groups highlighted these pressures, demonstrating both local impacts and global relevance. The Cerrado’s degradation affects water systems, carbon storage, and biodiversity, with consequences extending beyond Brazil.

Efforts to protect it involve securing land tenure for indigenous and Quilombola communities, promoting sustainable land management, and integrating its conservation into Brazil’s NDCs. This case underscores how protecting grasslands is not only an ecological priority but also a social justice imperative, requiring coordination between national governments, local communities, and multilateral climate bodies.

Attribution

Original content sources and authors

Sutirtha Lahiri
Sutirtha Lahiri
The Hindu
The Hindu
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