Climate change impacting jamun varieties in Sahyadris

PUNE A report compiled by Baswant Vithabai Babarao from the Centre for Environment and Education (CEE) brings to the fore the adverse impact of changing rain patterns and destruction of forests on varieties of the fruit Myrtaceae or Java Plum, commonly known as jamun

PUNE A report compiled by Baswant Vithabai Babarao from the Centre for Environment and Education (CEE) brings to the fore the adverse impact of changing rain patterns and destruction of forests on varieties of the fruit Myrtaceae or Java Plum, commonly known as jamun.

HT Image

Around 250 schools in the Sahyadris were surveyed over a period of time as part of the Western Ghats Eco Clubs scheme; supported by the environment department, government of Maharashtra, and implemented by the CEE.

“The idea was an educational activity for schools and the community to understand the Western Ghats which are a global hotspot of biodiversity. This is the first time that such a survey was conducted by the CEE and schools to understand the rich biodiversity,” said Mr Babarao, who along with five of his colleagues, visited 50 schools and communities and discovered 21 varieties of jamun in the Sahyadris.

The varieties of jamun found by the survey include: Garpi, Mutki, Redy, Khati, Bahadoli, Kuutri, Kirkas, Lendi, khadkii, drakshi, and Kala Jambhul; all of which are sweet and tangy and typically ripen towards the end of the summer season.

However, “Climate change in terms of less rainfall poses the risk of losing this kind of biodiversity which may not have been documented but this report should help scientists, the community and the government to conserve this natural resource which is used as natural medicine to control diabetes,” Mr Babarao lamented.

The report has been put together ahead of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), scheduled to be held between November 1 and 12, 2021, at Glasgow, UK. The COP 26 is working on forward action for the protection and restoration of forests and critical ecosystems.