[Answered] Examine the primary threats leading to IUCN red-flagging the Western Ghats. Critically analyze the interplay of hydropower projects and climate change on this biodiversity hotspot.

Introduction

According to IUCN’s World Heritage Outlook 4 (2025), the Western Ghats—one of the world’s eight “hottest biodiversity hotspots”—face “significant concern” due to climate change, tourism pressure, and unregulated hydropower expansion.

Ecological Significance of the Western Ghats

1. Stretching over 1,600 km across six Indian states, the Western Ghats host nearly 30% of India’s plant and animal species, with 325 globally threatened species (UNESCO).
2. It regulates monsoon patterns, serves as a major carbon sink, and provides ecosystem services worth ₹1.6 lakh crore annually (TERI, 2021).

Primary Threats Leading to IUCN Red-Flagging

1. Climate Change: Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have caused altitudinal migration of species like the Nilgiri flycatcher and black-and-orange flycatcher. Increased forest fires and shifts in phenology (timing of flowering and breeding) threaten ecological stability. As per IPCC AR6 (2023), the Western Ghats could lose up to 23% of endemic flora by 2050 under current warming scenarios.
2. Hydropower Expansion: Over 750 dams and hydropower projects fragment habitats, altering river hydrology and sediment flow (MoEFCC, 2023). Projects like Sillahalla Pumped Storage (₹5,843 crore) in the Nilgiris disrupt riparian ecosystems and aquatic biodiversity corridors. Hydroelectric reservoirs release methane, undermining their role as “clean energy.”
3. Tourism Pressure: Unregulated eco-tourism generates waste and wildlife conflict—elephants consuming garbage, forest trampling, and noise pollution. Tourist footfall increased by over 250% in last decade (India Tourism Statistics, 2023).
4. Invasive Alien Species & Plantations: Exotic species like eucalyptus and acacia outcompete native flora, affecting water retention and soil quality. Plantation expansion for tea, coffee, and cardamom erodes ecological connectivity.
5. Infrastructure & Urbanization: Road and rail expansion leads to habitat fragmentation and wildlife roadkill (notably in Wayanad and Bandipur corridors).

Interplay of Hydropower Projects and Climate Change

1. Hydrological Disruption: Dams alter microclimates, leading to reduced groundwater recharge and increased local warming. The Energy-Water-Biodiversity Nexus is severely imbalanced.
2. Carbon Feedback Loop: Submerged vegetation releases greenhouse gases, worsening climate change impacts.
3. Cumulative Stress: With climate-induced rainfall variability, reservoirs face siltation and reduced efficiency—thus negating the long-term sustainability of hydropower.
4. Species Isolation: Dams fragment river systems, impeding migration of aquatic species like Tor khudree (Deccan mahseer).
5. Socio-ecological Impact: Climate-driven rainfall extremes lead to landslides and floods (e.g., 2018 Kerala floods), magnified by dam mismanagement.

Way Forward: Sustainable Conservation Measures

1. Implement Gadgil & Kasturirangan Reports: Balance ecological sensitivity zoning (ESZ) with local livelihoods.
2. Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM): Regulate hydropower through cumulative impact assessments.
3. Community-Based Conservation: Replicate Sinharaja Reserve Model (Sri Lanka) involving local youth and Panchayats.
4. Eco-tourism Regulation: Enforce carrying capacity norms and waste management.
5. Restoration Ecology: Rewild degraded corridors using native species.
6. Climate-Resilient Policy: Align with Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and India’s LiFE Mission (2022).

Conclusion

As Madhav Gadgil notes in “Ecology is Permanent Economy”, preserving the Western Ghats demands synergizing ecological prudence with human needs—only sustained, science-driven stewardship can ensure resilience against cascading climate threats.