ARAVALLI BIODIVERSITY PARK-OECM SITE

ARAVALLI BIODIVERSITY PARK-OECM SITE

TOPIC: Environment

Context- On the occasion of World Wetlands Day(February 2) the Aravalli Biodiversity Park was declared India’s first “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECM) site.

Concept-

What is the OECM tag?

• OECM is a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values.
• The OECM tag is given by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to areas that are not protected but support rich biodiversity.
• It does not bring any legal, financial or management implications, but designates the area as a biodiversity hotspot on the international map.
• The OECM areas were defined at the Convention on Biological Diversity that was held in 2018.
• The proposal to declare Aravalli Biodiversity Park an OECM site was sent by the National Biodiversity Authority to the IUCN in December 2020.

About the Aravalli Biodiversity Park-

• It is spread across 390 acres near Gurgaon, Haryana and contains ecologically restored and semi-arid land vegetation.
• It has around 300 native plants, 101,000 trees, 43,000 shrubs, and several species of birds.
• The park was transformed into a city forest from a 40-year-old mining site through the efforts of citizens, ecologists and scientists along with the help of the urban local body of Gurugram.
• These valleys were restored with native plants that helped in seasonal water accumulation, making them special micro-habitats within the larger Aravalli landscape.
• The Aravallis, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, are considered the green lungs of Delhi-NCR, a crucial water recharge zone for the region.