The Central Indian Highlands
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Download the Central Indian Highlands GIS shapefile
The Central Indian Highlands consists of a continuous landscape in Central India across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where tropical deciduous forests form a major land cover. This landscape includes several protected areas (Kanha, Satpuda, Pench, Melghat, Tadoba and Achanakmar) and forest corridors that are essential for wildlife movement and genetic continuity across the landscape. The Central Indian Highlands are particularly important for tiger (Panthera tigris) populations (they support 17% of the country’s tiger population), as well as populations of leopard (Panthera pardus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), gaur (Bos gaurus), and swamp deer (Cervus duvacelli). The landscape also serves as the headwaters to several rivers, including the River Narmada, which is one of seven major rivers in India, and is essential for meeting the irrigation, industrial and urban needs of the region. |
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The forests in this landscape also support local livelihoods: 60% of the income of local people in non-protected areas is based on these forests. Important forest products include fodder for cattle, tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon), mahua (Madhuca indica), awla (Phyllanthes emblica) and other ingredients essential for the herbal medicine industry.
The people of this landscape live and support themselves through a range of activities, including agriculture, forest produce collection, tourism and urban activities. This landscape has been the focus of recent development which includes introduction of new crops and development of new roads, rails, mines, tourism and other infrastructure. Simultaneously, studies on larger processes such as climate change suggest that this region will be highly vulnerable to climate change, and higher temperatures and altered precipitation may disrupt the existing environmental and economic system.
Science-based management of the landscape is needed to help achieve a balance among multiple objectives in the present and in the rapidly changing future: improving the well-being of local communities; conserving habitat for wildlife; protecting watersheds; tourism; and accommodating development needs for improved infrastructure.
The people of this landscape live and support themselves through a range of activities, including agriculture, forest produce collection, tourism and urban activities. This landscape has been the focus of recent development which includes introduction of new crops and development of new roads, rails, mines, tourism and other infrastructure. Simultaneously, studies on larger processes such as climate change suggest that this region will be highly vulnerable to climate change, and higher temperatures and altered precipitation may disrupt the existing environmental and economic system.
Science-based management of the landscape is needed to help achieve a balance among multiple objectives in the present and in the rapidly changing future: improving the well-being of local communities; conserving habitat for wildlife; protecting watersheds; tourism; and accommodating development needs for improved infrastructure.
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Map of the Central Indian Highlands landscape. For an interactive map and to download a GIS shapefile, view the Central Indian Highlands in Google Maps.
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