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EcoParadigms Platform
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EcoParadigms is a collaborative storytelling platform that puts ecosystems at the center of development narratives. The platform uses open-source data and web-mapping GIS technology to draw insights on the impacts of infrastructure projects and the sectors of our economy vis-à-vis ecosystems in which we live and depend on for our survival. ​
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The Context
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India’s State of Forest Report 2017 maintains that India’s forest and tree cover is about 24 percent of its total landmass whereas only 4.9% of the landmass has protected status. As per the pledge made under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, India has highlighted that it wants to bring at least 33 percent of its total area under green cover. Furthermore, the draft of India’s National Forest Policy 2018 also states that to achieve the national goal of eco-security, the country should have a minimum of one-third of the total land area under forest and tree cover.​ India is a member country of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity. The theme for the 2020 UN Biodiversity conference was - Ecological Civilization: Building a shared future for all life on earth.
How do we include biodiversity within the context of human activity in a way that transcends the existing paradigm of human extraction and consumption; can we move to a paradigm where there is a future for all beings? ​
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Our Approach
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An Ecosystem Paradigm is a thought process that looks at our immediate surroundings as a dynamic system that consists of the interaction of living organisms - humans, plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms - and their physical environment. Human culture and our technological advancements are an integral part of an ecosystem. Due to the interdependent nature of the elements within an ecosystem, the degradation or disappearance of one species will modify the whole ecosystem and subsequently damage other components. We are witnessing these effects on fundamental natural cycles like the hydrological and carbon cycles essential for human survival.
Given the dominant position human civilization has within any ecosystem, we need to develop integrated policies that protect the ecosystem as a whole and ensure that none of its components are over-exploited or depleted beyond repair. With this in mind, we hope EcoParadigms provides an easy to use web-mapping analytics platform for researchers, conservationists, journalists, or anyone interested in telling stories about the impacts of our economy on biodiversity and forests around us.
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