About India's first Red List Assessment of Ecosystems (RLE) Project:
- It is an initiative launched by Keralam, which aims to transform conservation efforts from isolated species preservation to proactive, landscape-wide ecosystem management.
- It is sanctioned and funded by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB).
- This initiative marks the first of its kind for any Indian State.
- The project is being executed by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) along with MES Asmabi College.
- This two-year initiative will map and assess the risk of collapse for critical ecosystems across all 14 districts of the state, spanning high-altitude mountain summits, densely populated midlands, and vulnerable coastal stretches.
- The study will utilise the rigorous IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) framework to assess the health and vulnerability of ecosystems.
- By examining natural habitats across the State from forests and rivers to coastal belts, the project will pinpoint both climate-driven and human-induced threats.
- The spatial data will help local governments and planners to make evidence-based decisions for sustainable infrastructure development and targeted conservation.
