Expanding theConservation Estate
The Indian OECMs Experience
Dr. Ruchi Pant
Chief, Climate Change, Resilience,
Biodiversity and Chemicals Management
11th APBON Web Seminar
4 March 2022

OECMs identification and recognition in India:
Work in ProgressFebruary 2022
14 categories classified
into three groupsterrestrial, waterbodies
and marine

July-September
2021

Refining theCoastal/Marine,Inland Water
Categories

30 July 2021
3 submitted OECMs
to be supported
under GOI-UNDP’s
North East India Biocultural
Conservation
Initiative23

Guidelines of the 14 Categories (1/4)
Definition and specific guidelines
CategoryTerrestrial Categories
Biodiversity Parks are unique landscapes in urban and rural areas, that serve as nature reserves and harbour a vast variety of native plants, animals and microbial
species rendering ecological services to the region.
Specific guidelines:
1. The biodiversity park should have owned/ governed/ managed by a local body.
2. Biodiversity Parks existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) qualify as OECMs.
3. The biodiversity park should serve as sites for ecosystem restoration and should not have a pre-dominance of exotic species
4. The biodiversity park should have been managed for long duration for delivering effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity.

1

Biodiversity Parks

2

Industrial estates for Green belts are areas where vegetation is maintained to function as pollutant sinks, and provide other benefits like aesthetic improvement and providing possible
habitats for birds and animals, thus recreating hospitable nature in an otherwise drab Urban-Industrial scene
conservation
Generic guidelines:
purposes
1.
The site should be privately owned/ leased Industrial estates
2.
Industrial estates located outside forest areas mapped by FSI can only qualify as OECMs.
3.
The area should be substantial to support habitat conservation of any major species (e.g. native species, Rare, Endangered and Threatened Species, etc.), as
per approved conservation plan.
4.
Comprehensive Environmental management plan should exist for management of operations and activities, and also covering biodiversity management.

3

Village commons

Common lands are natural and/or modified ecosystems containing significant biodiversity values, ecological services and cultural values, voluntarily conserved by
local communities, both sedentary and mobile, through customary laws or other effective means.
Specific guidelines:
1.
Forested community lands cannot not qualify as OECMs as forested areas outside of private ownership are considered state owned, and therefore, documented
in the WDPA as PAs.
2.
Area should be recorded in Govt. land records as owned by revenue department
3.
Community/ clan/ village areas clearly demarcated and governed by traditional laws andregulations including long term sustenance of biodiversity. Often unwritten long term in-situ
conservation values will be determined by the extent of the area under each village, sustenance use could be done from these areas.

44Important
Bird
AreaandImportant
Birdand Biodiversity
Areas

5Urban Trees and Networks or systems comprising all woodlands, groups of trees and individual trees located in urban and peri-urban areas outside forest areas. These include trees
Forests(UTF)/ outside the forest, forests, street trees, trees in parks and gardens, and trees in derelict corners. They provide economic, environmental and sociocultural benefits.
Urban Greens/ City Specific guidelines:
Urban Trees and Forests (UTF)/ Urban Greens/ City Forest, Urban/ City Gardens located outside forest areas mapped by FSI can only qualify as OECMs.
Forest, Urban/ City 1.
2.
Area should be substantial to support habitat conservation of native species, as per approved management plan.
Gardens

6Unique
AgriculturalSystems (UAS)The IBAs serve as conservation areas for protection of birds at the global, regional or sub-regional level. According to Birdlife International, designation of IBAs is basedon standardized criteria, namelyi.
Hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened bird species,ii.
Be one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted-range species or biome-restricted species andiii.
Have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory birds.
The IBAs contain a range of habitats, such as wetlands, mudflats, microhabitats in biodiversity hotspots, grasslands, scrublands and forests making them excellent
indicators of biodiversity richness (India’s 5th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2014). To define Important Bird Areas, global standards andguidelines needs to be followed.
Specific guidelines:
1.
IBBAs existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) can only qualify as OECMs.

Unique Agricultural Systems (UAS) can be defined as unique land use systems and landscapes which are rich in indigenously significant biological diversity evolvingfrom the co-adaptation of communities with its environment and needs, resulting in food and livelihood security and sustainable development of the region. The systemshould support a rich agro-biodiversity and genetic resources for food and agriculture (e.g. endemic, domesticated, rare, endangered species of crops and animals)
and not harbour invasive species. UAS should not have intensive agriculture activities.
Specific guidelines:
1.

UAS should not have land-use changes over a period of time.

2.

UAS should have evolved over generations through the integration of food production, environment protection and culture.

3.

Established MoUs with communities to ensure no land-use change and commercial crop cultivation for a long time period.

4.

7

IndividualLands

Green

1.
2.
3.
4.

The UAS should include only those sites that are not designated as Biodiversity Heritage sites under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002
This refers to those green lands which are not the property of the Government or over which the Government has no proprietary rights or to the whole or any part of
the forest produce of which the Government is not entitled. The land rights are owned by an individual where the habitat and resident species are offered protection
from exploitative activities like hunting, logging, etc.
Specific guidelines:
Area should be owned and managed by private individuals
Areas that do not fall under, lie adjacent to or is contiguous with Protected areas such as National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, etc., or forest areas mapped by FSI
can only qualify as OECMs
Since there are no legal restrictions, an alternate mechanism for long term sustenance of biodiversity should be ensured.
The area should be managed as per management plan with the primary objective of biodiversity conservation.

5

Waterbody Categories
Waterbodies are defined as areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including
areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.

8Inland Waterbodies
Lakes
and Bodies of standing water occupying distinct basins. These waterbodies occur in natural depressions and normally fed by streams/rivers. Both natural and artificial lakes
Ponds
can qualify as potential OECMs.
Specific guidelines:
1. Only lakes and ponds existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) can qualify as OECMs.
2. The waterbody is either primarily managed for biodiversity conservation, or for water resource management, and such management delivers effective ancillary
conservation due to restricted access leading to effective protection of habitats and species.
3. The waterbody is known for its biodiversity values for providing habitat - including special habitats (such as, breeding grounds) to threatened, and or endemic floraand fauna; stopover of migratory birds; fish breeding grounds etc.

9Riverine
Waterbodies

4. There are sufficient management provisions and safeguards to ensure that structure of waterbody would be maintained for achieving its primary objective, anduse of the lake would not be changed in the near future.
Riverine waterbodies are those systems that are contained within a channel (e.g. river, creek or waterway) and their associated streamside vegetation. They can be natural
or artificial and may connect to lacustrine, palustrine, estuarine and marine waterbodies.
Specific guidelines:
1. Only waterbodies existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) can qualify as OECMs.
2. The waterbody is either primarily managed for biodiversity conservation, or for water resource management, and such management delivers effective ancillary
conservation due to restricted access leading to effective protection of habitats and species.
3. The waterbody is known for its biodiversity values for providing habitat - including special habitats (such as, breeding grounds) to threatened, and or endemic flora andfauna; stopover of migratory birds; fish breeding grounds etc.
4. There are sufficient management provisions and safeguards to ensure that structure of waterbody would be maintained for achieving its primary objective, and use of thewaterbody would not be changed in the near future

10ArtificialWaterbodies

An artificial waterbody is a body of surface water created by human activity. Although their primary objective is water resource management, they also provide habitat to
many fish, birds, aquatic mammals, and reptile species.
This category will include all artificial waterbodies apart from canals, including dams and reservoirs that have been left out from Wetland Rules.
Specific guidelines:
1. Only artificial waterbodies existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) can qualify as OECMs.
2. The artificial waterbody management delivers effective biodiversity conservation, even if as an ancillary function, leading to effective protection of habitats and species.

611Canals

Canals are long channels of water used for irrigation or transportation to a bigger body of water. They can be natural as well as artificial. Larger canals have the landon either side owned by irrigation departments. They are linear but can harbour significant biodiversity. The availability of water and biodiversity make as potentialOECM.
Specifc guidelines:
1. Only those canals existing outside forest areas mapped by FSI or PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) can qualify as OECMs.
2. The canal management delivers effective biodiversity conservation, even if as an ancillary function, leading to effective protection of habitats and species.
3. Only those canals which are not in use for the purpose of transportation qualify as OECMs.
4. The canal must not be contributing to environment harming activities.

Coastal Waterbodies
Important
Coastal ICBAs include interface or transition areas between land and sea that hold ecological value. The area can also be socio-economically important with significant
12Biodiversity
Areas ecosystem and cultural functions.
(ICBAs)Specific guidelines:
1. Only those important coastal areas will qualify as OECMs which have not been mapped as forest areas by FSI and or recognised as PAs.
2. The management of the area delivers effective biodiversity conservation, even if as an ancillary function, leading to effective protection of habitats andspecies.
3. Areas existing within Critically Vulnerable Coastal Areas (CVCAs) that do not fall under PA network will qualify as OECMs under this category.

Marine Categories
1314

Important
Biodiversity(IMBAs)

Marine Important Marine Biodiversity Areas (IMBAs) are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine biodiversity, that have the potential to be delineated
Areas and managed for conservation. IMBAs consist of areas that may merit place-based protection and/or monitoring. ‘Important’ in the context of the IMBA
classification refers to any perceivable value, which extends to the marine species within the IMBA, to improve the conservation status of those species orpopulations of interest.
Specific guidelines:
1.
IMBA existing outside PAs (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved forests, etc.) qualify as OECMs.
2.
IMBA existing outside ‘Designated Area’ for marine protection under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other MaritimeZones Act (Maritime Zones Act), 1976 qualify as OECMs.
3.
IMMA or IBA or EBSA, etc that are outside ‘Designated Area’ (Maritime Zones Act), 1976 qualify as OECMs as IMBA.
4.
IMBA should serve as site for marine biodiversity conservation reserve
5.
IMBA should have been managed for long duration for delivering effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity and ecological services to the nation.
6.
IMBA can include Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) .
7.
IMBA can cover marine islands and reefs.
Ecologically/Culturally ECISMAs are those coastal and marine areas which have been identified as aesthetic, historic, archeological, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present
Significant Coastal & or future generations. This will also include the submerged archeological heritage sites in the country.
Marine Areas (ECSCIMA) Specific Guidelines:
1.
Only those coastal and marine areas will qualify as OECMs which have not been recognized as PAs.
2.
ECISMAs should have been managed for long duration for delivering effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity.

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India-OECMs Web Portal

Saffron Heritage System,
Kashmir

TVS Motor Company Nature
Conservation
Reserve, Tamil Nadu

Coromandel Birds
Paradise, Andhra Pradesh

Visit: http://www.india-oecm.in8Some Potential OECMs Identified in India

Jabarkhet Nature Reserve,
Dehradun,Uttarakhand

Save Animals Initiative,
Karnataka
TVS Motor Company Ltd

Aravalli Biodiversity Park,
Haryana

Gadoli and Manda Khal Fee Simple Estates,
Uttarakhand
9Some Potential OECMs Identified in India

Zabo Farming System,
NagalandSaffron Heritage System,
Kashmir

Coromandel Birds
Paradise, Andhra Pradesh

Godrej’s Pirojshanagar
Mangroves, Maharashtra

TVS Motor Company NatureConservation
Reserve, Tamil Nadu

Chadva Rakhal,
GujaratJagatpur Lake,
Bihar

Kadwa Kosi Floodplains,Bihar

Apatani Landscape,
Arunachal Pradesh

10Challenges…
◍ Lack of awareness on OECMs - Stakeholders, Facilitators, Line Depts, other involved
agencies◍ Use of the case-by-case approach◍ Reporting OECMs to WCMC-WDPA○○○○

Legal aspects viz governance and ownership of OECMs
Identification of key resource persons and communication with stakeholders andfacilitators
Spatial information from local stakeholders
Lack of validation and verification procedure and capacity building◍ Managing and monitoring OECMs◍ Measuring management effectiveness of OECMs

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The Way Ahead…
◍ Continue the PAN-India process of identification and dossier preparation on potentialOECMs◍ Organize in-country “Orientation Meetings” for various target groups particularly○○○○○Corporates
Academic and Research Institutes
State Biodiversity Boards and State Forest Departments
Defence Cantonment Boards
Others◍ Financial resources for support to OECMs◍ Reaching out to more potential OECMs through India Biodiversity Awards◍ Engage MoEFCC-NBA-UNDP Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme (BSIP) interns
for promoting conservation activities

12“Thank You!