'Wastelands' No More: India Charts a Future for Its Grasslands

India's National Board for Wildlife directed government agencies in April 2026 to map the nation's grasslands for the first time, with findings to be published in an 'Atlas of Grasslands' to create a national policy framework. Early restoration efforts in Rajasthan's Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary have brought wildlife and bird resurgence; Gujarat's Banni grasslands have restored around 7,000 acres with invasive species removal.

This is a policy directive and mapping initiative; the atlas and national framework are still in development.