Rewilding has Ecological lessons from COVID 19 Pandemic III

By Malini Shankar

Digital Discourse Foundation

Among the unexpected ecological consequences of the breakout of the COVID 19 pandemic have been Re-wilding: We now have a visual record of the return of wild animals into urban landscapes. They had been banished beyond bursting urban areas by the human footprint courtesy 9% GDP growth on the one hand and rabid unplanned urbanisation because of rural unemployment on the other. Re-wildling is indeed a rewarding analysis during COVID Lockdown.

Rewilding

Not just peacocks snakes and leopards were seen in urban spaces in India, but crocodiles loitered on a beach in distant Mexico. 

Wildlife in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in South India, roamed across the National Highway that cleaves it in half - without fear of oncoming vehicles, the  Wildlife Conservation Society http://wcsindia.org/home/ documented that vehicular accidents involving endangered wildlife had actually decreased during the Lockdown, but also, regrettably that incidents of poaching had increased in the absence of foot patrol in the tiger reserve. 

 In Hyderabad a leopard was seen resting next to the central median on a  national highway. A snow leopard appeared on a national Highway in Lahaul Spiti in Himachal Pradesh only to be captured and sent to the Zoo. Free roaming snow leopard captured for incarceration in a zoo  What was its fault? It seemed that the Lockdown triggered absence of human footprint benefited India’s wildlife the most except in the case of the Himachal snow leopard.

 A handsome peacock was found strutting on a rock in Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore during the early phase of the Lockdown. 

   A female Paradise Fly Catcher. Although not an endangered or threatened bird, its presence / or sighting is much cherished by birders and photographers in the Subcontinent. © Prashanth N Rao CC BY-SA 4.0

The Paradise Fly Catcher winged its way back to Bangalore, the Garden City.

Dr. M.B. Krishna an ornithologist in Bangalore told Digital Discourse Foundation “People could say it has. Many species have been able to spread better and explore habitats suitable to them.  All perhaps because there were no people and vehicles around.” .

Peafowl were found in the heart of Bangalore in Lalbagh. “Peafowl spread into Bangalore, coming into as interior a place as Lalbagh Botanical Gardens (a luscious green park in the heart of Bangalore spread over about 100 hectares). This would not have happened with people and vehicles around. Though they can fly into trees they are essentially ground birds. So disturbance or the absence of it at the ground level should matter to them”.

Here below are scenes and glimpses from Lalbagh Botanical Gardens 

Birding groups in Bangalore documented visually the presence of peacocks in heretofore congested Bangalore. Peacocks roam freely in Malleswaram “Peacock strutting on raintree in Bangalore” were some of the excited messages flooding the e-groups, newsletters and discussion groups. A rider in RMV Extension, an elite neighbourhood in Bangalore saw a peacock on a tree in his neighbourhood and promptly shared it on a birding e group: peacock prancing

A peacock is seen on the fronds of a coconut tree bang in the heart of Bangalore… right next to the Banashankari BDA Complex on 7th April 2020 about 12 days after the COVID 19 triggered Lockdown was enforced in India. It clearly makes a case for inviolate spaces for conservation, say wildlife activists. © Nagesh Hanagodu

When Mr. Nagesh Hanagodu sat down to sip tea on his house terrace near the Banashankari BDA Complex on 7^th April, around ten days into the Lockdown, he was pleasantly surprised to see a peacock on a coconut tree frond in his house at 5.17 pm.

Crickets were heard chirping at dusk in the heart of cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai Kolkata and Colombo… sounds that had been drowned by the usual din of vehicular congestion during the urban return exodus at Sundown. 

“Many other birds in our green pockets had spread to nearby areas too” says Dr. Krishna.  

A regular bird watcher Mr. Sushil Saxena posted a picture of “a Pheasant-tailed Jacana seen in breeding plumage near Doddanekundi Lake on the outskirts of Bangalore on 9.05.2020” on https://Bngbirds.org 

© Sushil Saxena 

So then the next question that arises is: Will the mating behaviour of birds change during Anthropocene due to human impact?  That in other words means Climate Change induced by anthropogenic factors. But Dr. Krishna says “Breeding season or time could not possibly be changed by the Lockdown”.

Dr. T.V. Ramachandra Energy & Wetlands Research Group at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore tells Digital Discourse Foundation “Peacock dancing in Malleswaram reminded humans, of the price to be paid (that is staying indoors without any activity) for mismanaging Nature. Humans throughout the globe have to spend time indoor just out of a fear of a micro-organism - (virus)!  If entire Nature turns against humans, then humans will go extinct. This episode (COVID 19) is just a warning bell and we need to wake up otherwise we will have to pay a heavy price”.

Ground water replenishment

The Lockdown led to an increase in the ground water table by 295 feet or 89.91 metres. COVID 19 triggered Lockdown commenced on 25th March 2020. Industries shut down, resulting in conserving ground water usage through bore-wells that supply water to the industrial workforce. 

Rivers and water bodies have tangibly become cleaner, CO₂ emissions have decreased world over.

Further reports suggested that the ground water table increased in height by 67 metres or 217 feet in the “Electronics City” an industrial hub in Bangalore that houses many software companies and electronic industries.

Says Dr. T.V. Ramachandra “Removal of native vegetation and water bodies with intense concretisation has led to the decline of recharge capability of the catchment leading to the decline of  groundwater table as witnessed in rapidly urbanising Bangalore landscape. There has been 1055% increase in paved surfaces (concrete area, buildings, etc), with the decline of 88% vegetation and 79% water bodies during the period between 1973 to 2019.  

Zoonotic diseases:

Unabated deforestation of the natural habitat with destruction of Nature has been contributing to zoonotic diseases. The following case studies confirm the linkages, says Dr. T.V. Ramachandra.

“Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) in and around Shimoga in Karnataka state: removal of native species of vegetation (especially trees like Michelia champaka, etc.) and also afforestation with the exotic monocultures like Acacia, Eucalyptus, etc. has deprived the dependent population (monkey) of their food, necessitating them to enter human habitations. This has brought the disease also to human colony. KFD is due to virus through bugs (ticks).

Nipah Virus is also linked to changes in ecological conditions that have led to fruit bats coming out of their natural habitat and feeding on agricultural produce.

The shrinkage of eco-sensitive zones (for instance - reducing eco-sensitive zone in and around Bannerghatta National park in Bangalore) would enhance the proximity between human settlements and wildlife which is increasing the rate of disease transmission between domestic animals and wildlife. Viruses are being exchanged from fauna to humans, Irrespective of whether humans are going into forest areas or animals are coming to human settlements due to deforestation”.

Human Wildlife conflict can only increase with habitat destruction.

Re-wilding for economic benefits

Apart from a positive ecological impact Work From Home has financial benefits or savings which has to spread horizontally to ensure equitable distribution of wealth for sustainable development and work life balance like Professor Suma Singh says. 

If the drop in fossil fuel emissions triggers a fall in price it should benefit the consumer too. It is possibly the best time to introduce GST on crude oil / fossil fuel in India. Since 2014 the drop in oil prices has favoured the Modi Government on the foreign exchange account. It is now time to share the benefit thereof with the consumers too.

It does not take rocket science to figure that inviolate respect of Nature is indeed the sustainable way of inclusive economic growth. These ecological benefits have to translate into effective policies for a future marked by inclusive, sustainable economic growth lest the lessons will be lost to our detriment.

Ecological Lessons from COVID triggered lockdown

·   Concretisation has to make way for landscaping and live edges. This will help recharge of ground water table but helps urban wildlife re-establish their homes for coexistence with Homo sapiens.

Factoring in per capita green lung spaces implies a good human development index. 

·         Effective solid waste management with segregation can lead to effective re-use of segregated waste. There is immense calorific value in segregated biodegradable waste. It can be used for production of energy as well as for restoration of abandoned mines and many other benefits.

·         Effective separation of dry wastes can be used for production of bitumen that can be used for infrastructure development like roads / highway construction.

·         We need to frame policies and find sustainable ways of usage of water – equitably. We need separate water supply infrastructure – one each for fresh potable water – used minimally for primary usage;

·         Recycled / grey water for secondary usage to flush toilets and possibly to wash cars.

·         Treated Sewage water has to be used to water the plants like kitchen garden.

·         Soapy water from tap drains has to feed flush tanks in toilets.

·         This kind of an elaborate water supply infrastructure will help save fresh water. Policies and policy guidelines have to be made for bottled water to make way for equitable access and distribution of fresh water for all.

·         Water security, water and sanitation are not negotiable.  

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    Urban infrastructure should not be made conducive only for the automobile industry. Human development index should be the central focus of urbanisation.

    

·         Rural industrialisation can mitigate urban congestion.  Gandhiji’s saying that “India lives in her villages” is an immortal altruism. Till such time that the villages develop India will not progress.

·    Roads, power supply, water security, water and sanitation, agricultural markets and agricultural supply chains must absorb the resource rich rural India for India to truly develop.

You may want to watch this Sustainable Biodiversity Management webinar on sustainable usage of Biodiversity.

And here is another link to sustainable win win management Legislative perspective of food security for tribals in India of biodiversity