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Banni Grassland, a Geoheritage Landscape of Western India: Endless Possibilities for Geo-Eco-Socio Tourism

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Abstract

Awareness of geoheritage, geoconservation, and geotourism research has significantly increased globally during the past two decades. A peri-cratonic Kachchh rift basin in western India exposes varied geological formations and structures, from the Jurassic to Recent. Kachchh basin is characterized by rocky uplifts and pediments with deciduous and scanty forest, which suggest a semi-arid climate while hypersaline Rann and Banni plains show an arid to hyper-arid climate. The deteriorating grasslands of Banni were known as Savanna-type grasslands of Asia. Several natural and anthropogenic factors have led to its depletion. Owing to its unique geological, aesthetic, botanical and cultural values, the Banni Grasslands hold a potential candidature for a critical geo-observatory site status, both at national and international levels. The geological evolutionary history of this fragile eco-zone with a strong anthropological background calls for a holistic sustainable development that encompasses the socio-economical needs and ecological agility at the same time. The plains of Banni are unique geomorphic features with distinct ecology, traditional climate-human sustainable practice model and diverse folk arts and skills of making climate-tectonic resistive dwellings. The grasslands to the north merge into the marshes and uplifted mudflats as the Rann terrain. The present paper is an attempt to understand the socio-economic intricacies of Banni grassland in light of its unique geological origin and ecological vulnerabilities. It focuses on traditional and sustainable ecological knowledge of the local folks with distinct harmony of their art and architecture so interwoven with the activeness of the climate and tectonics of Banni. The inter-sectorial conflicting interests have redefined the fate of this terrain, in recent decades. It presents the status quo of its geological, anthropological and ecological facets and establishes the way forward that sustains the social, economic and above all ecological obligations in the long run.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their invaluable comments and suggestions, which greatly contributed to improving the quality of this paper. Special thanks are extended to the Education Department, Government of Gujarat, for providing the SHODH Fellowship to Rupak Dey, enabling him to pursue his Ph.D. research work. The authors would also like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the local community of Banni for their generous assistance in comprehending the intricacies of this unique region. Their invaluable insights greatly enhanced the authors' understanding of the distinct characteristics of this terrain. Furthermore, the authors are grateful to the various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have actively worked in Banni. Their valuable contributions and shared knowledge played a vital role in facilitating a deeper comprehension of the true essence of this remarkable landscape. This paper forms a part of the Doctoral Thesis of Mr. Rupak Dey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, KSKV Kachchh University, Mundra Road, Kachchh, Bhuj, Gujarat, 370001, India

    Rupak Dey, Seema B. Sharma & M. G. Thakkar

  2. Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India

    Abhiroop Chowdhury

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  1. Rupak Dey
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All the authors have participated in the field, generated data regarding the manuscript and prepared all the figures and drafted the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Seema B. Sharma.

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Dey, R., Sharma, S.B., Thakkar, M.G. et al. Banni Grassland, a Geoheritage Landscape of Western India: Endless Possibilities for Geo-Eco-Socio Tourism. Geoheritage 16, 52 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-024-00945-x

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