The State Biodiversity Board of the Haryana Government and The Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS) are organising the Aravalli Green Wall Partnership Summit from February 6 to 8, 2025, in Gurugram. The summit will bring together representatives from government agencies, conservation, and civil society organisations to discuss the challenges and needs for developing comprehensive conservation strategies and plans for interventions across the Aravallis to create and contribute to a water-secured Aravalli range.
“The northwestern advancement of the Thar desert poses a risk to both biodiversity and the communities that rely on this area. Organisations need to combine their efforts and collaborate on common goals and initiatives aimed at rehabilitating the fundamental ecosystem of the region while pursuing a shared goal and vision to restore the Aravalli Green Wall landscapes,” said Dr Vivek Saxena, IFS, PCCF-cum-Member Secretary, State Biodiversity Board of the Haryana Government.
In 2023, Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, had announced the Aravalli Green Wall Landscape (AGWL) Project. This ambitious project covering four states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi envisions an increase in the green cover, biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, and water bodies.
The project aims to rejuvenate the degraded Aravalli landscape through ecosystem-based conservation and nature-based solutions. This initiative will include ecosystem services, mainly improvements in soil health, water availability, green livelihood, and climate resilience in the region, addressing challenges of advancing desertification and land degradation.
“The Aravallis, as the oldest mountain range and a natural heritage site, requires attention to its ecological preservation and biodiversity. This initiative aims to bring together conservative and climate actions that serve to help commit and restore the ecological health of the mountains. Leveraging the strength of partnerships will aid in restoring this ecosystem, paving the way to establish the Aravalli Green Wall,” said Dr Anjali Acharya, Managing Director, The Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS).
Nestled in the northwestern part of India, the Aravalli mountain ranges stretch approximately 692 km through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. It is one of the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world, approximately 3.2 billion years old.