Why Keralam has launched India’s first ecosystem Red List assessment

Myristica swamps at Arippa in Kollam district of Keralam | Photo Credit: S. Anandan

Driven by dam construction, invasive plantations, and escalating climate extremes, Keralam’s tropical riparian evergreen forests in the southern Western Ghats have suffered a devastating 83% loss over the past century. This alarming decline places these vital natural habitats on a path toward potential collapse within the next 20 to 40 years, earning them a Critically Endangered status status under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.

Other irreplaceable habitats across the State, including delicate myristica swamps, high-altitude shola-grassland mosaics, and coastal mangroves, face similar existential threats from rapid urban expansion and rising sea levels.

In response to this crisis, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB), has launched a pioneering Red List Assessment of Ecosystems (RLE) project. This initiative marks a first for any Indian State, aiming to transition conservation efforts from isolated species preservation to proactive, landscape-wide ecosystem management.

Funded by KSBB, the one-year project is being jointly executed by the Kerala Forest Research Institute and the Centre for Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation and Climate Change at MES Asmabi College, led by researchers Dr. Amitha Bachan K.H. and Dr. Deepu Sivadas.