Rajasthan Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan Prepared Under National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan – India S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 2 Centre for Management Studies HCM Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration, Jaipur This report is being issued under the process of preparation of National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) under the aegis of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, New Delhi. Production Team Project coordination and direction Sudhir Varma A K Pande Compilation, writing and editing P R Siyag Project management Maneesha Rai Regional experts V D Sharma S M Mohnot S K Verma A full list of contributors appears in the appendix. Support services Satish Kalra Mahesh Chandra Sharma National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) Executing Agency Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India Funding Agency United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Technical Implementation Technical and Policy Core Group Coordinated by Kalpavriksha Administrative Services Biotech Consortium India Ltd. Abbreviations AFRI Arid Forest Research Institute BSAP Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan BSI Botanical Survey of India CA Closed Area CAR Comprehensive Adequate & Representative (of PAs) CAZRI Central Arid Zone Research Institute CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CPA Community Protected Area EIA Environmental Impact Assessment GDP Gross Domestic Production GEF Global Environment Facility GIS Geographical Information System HRD Human Resource Development ICS International Classification System IDA Interagency Development Assistance IPM Integrated Pest Management IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JFM Joint Forest Management MAB Man And Biosphere Programme NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan NBPGR National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources PA Protected Area PRI Panchayati Raj Institution RET Rare Endangered Threatened SAP Strategy & Action Plan Spp Species SSC State Steering Committee TPCG Technical and Policy Core Group UNEP United Nation Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization VFPMCs Village Forest Protection and Management Committees WG Working Group WWF World Wildlife Fund ZSI Zoological Survey of India Preface Biological resources play a key role in the economic, social and cultural life of the people of the state. The productivity of the state's natural resources hinges upon the health and security of the underlying ecosystems. Protection of watersheds, direct benefits of biodiversity to communities in and around forest areas, maintenance of soils and water regime, and potential market and non-market value of the unique species and genetic resources of the state are some of the economic and non-economic values that we draw from our biological resources. Considering that the state has a rich heritage of biodiversity and a strong dependence on this resource, the conservation of biological diversity is of highest concern to the state. The present document is the state Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (BSAP) report initiated under the process of preparation of National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) currently under way in the entire country. The Centre for Management Studies at the HCM Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration was entrusted this task in the first quarter of the year 2001. Considering that biodiversity affects and is affected by activities of all sectors of society, a conscious effort has been made to make the process of preparing this document as participatory as possible by holding consultations with ecologists, foresters, wildlife experts, agriculture scientists, farmers, villagers in general, people's representative, academicians, media persons, and government officers working in different development departments. The report is intended to provide the framework around which long term planning of biodiversity conservation programmes in the state will be designed. It will stimulate interest in all the departments of the state government, the non-government organisations, community organisations and others who are concerned with conservation of the states biological diversity. I hope the report will be helpful in advancing the cause of biodiversity conservation in the state which is so important in sustainable development of the state. A K Pande Feb 15, 2002 CONTENTS Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................ 3 PREFACE ................................................................................................................. 4 1 INTRODUCTION SCOPE OF THE SAP .............................................................................................. 9 THE NEED FOR THE SAP ................................................................................... 9 AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF THE SAP .................................................................. 11 BROAD AIMS .............................................................................................................................11 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ..............................................................................................................11 CONTENTS OF THE SAP ................................................................................... 12 2 PROFILE OF THE STATE GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE ............................................................................... 13 THE ARAVALLIS .......................................................................................................................13 EAST RAJASTHAN UPLANDS ...................................................................................................13 THE SOUTH-EASTERN PATHAR (HADOTI PLATEAU)..........................................................14 THE THAR DESERT ..................................................................................................................14 DRAINAGE ................................................................................................................................15 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................................16 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE ........................................................................... 17 THE PEOPLE .............................................................................................................................17 LANGUAGE ...............................................................................................................................17 RELIGION ..................................................................................................................................18 Folk Heroes and Deities ..........................................................................................................18 HABITATION .............................................................................................................................18 AGRICULTURE ..........................................................................................................................19 LIVESTOCK ................................................................................................................................19 MINERALS .................................................................................................................................20 ENERGY & TRANSPORT ..........................................................................................................20 INDUSTRY ..................................................................................................................................21 EDUCATION AND WELFARE ...................................................................................................21 FAIRS & FESTIVALS ..................................................................................................................21 POLITICAL PROFILE ......................................................................................... 22 GOVERNMENT .........................................................................................................................22 LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................................22 ECOLOGICAL PROFILE ..................................................................................... 23 SOILS ..........................................................................................................................................23 FLORA ........................................................................................................................................23 FAUNA .......................................................................................................................................23 3 CURRENT STATUS OF BIODIVERSITY NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND WILD SPECIES ............................................. 25 THE ARAVALLIS .......................................................................................................................25 THE THAR DESERT ..................................................................................................................26 EASTERN UPLANDS AND HADOTI PLATEAU .......................................................................26 ECOSYSTEM TYPES ............................................................................................ 26 FORESTS