The Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and Rainmatter Foundation organised the second episode of THE GREEN MANDATE Season 3, focusing on ‘Securing the Future of the Great Indian Bustard’.
Dr Asad Rahmani, renowned conservationist and former Director, Bombay Natural History Society and Dr Sumit Dookia, wildlife biologist and Associate Professor, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha (GGSIP) University, Delhi were in conversation with Debadityo Sinha, Lead – Climate & Ecosystems, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), one of India’s most iconic and critically endangered bird species, is native to the arid and semi-arid grasslands of the Indian subcontinent. Over the past decades, its population has faced a sharp decline, leading to its classification as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2011. Listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the GIB is among the world’s heaviest flying birds. It has disappeared from over 90% of its former range, including protected areas in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Today, only an estimated 100-125 individuals remain in the wild, with the Jaisalmer region in Rajasthan sheltering around 100 of them. Revered locally as the ‘Godavan’, it also holds the title of Rajasthan’s State bird.
This discussion aimed to spotlight the urgent, on-ground challenges and enforcement gaps threatening the GIB’s survival, from habitat degradation and climate change pressures to infrastructure expansion across its remaining range.
The link to the conversation can be found below:
