Relevance for UPSC
- GS Paper 3: Environment & Ecology (Biodiversity, Conservation, Invasive Species).
- GS Paper 1: Geography (Human-environment interaction).
- GS Paper 2: International Agreements and Conventions.
- Essay Paper: “Globalisation vs Sustainability”, “Hidden Environmental Costs”.
- Prelims: Facts on invasive alien species, conventions (Ballast Water Management Convention, CBD).
Context
Invasive alien species—plants and animals that expand into ecosystems where they do not naturally occur—pose one of the world’s most severe but underappreciated environmental and economic challenges. A recent study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, drawing on the InvaCost database and global modelling dating back to 1960, estimated that the economic damages from invasive species exceed $2.2 trillion worldwide. The study found that these costs may be 16 times higher than what earlier research suggested, emphasizing the growing scale of the problem.
Global Economic Impact
The financial burden of biological invasions varies across regions:
- Europe: $1.5 trillion (71.45% of global costs)
- North America: $226 billion
- Asia: $182 billion
- Africa: $127 billion
- Australia & Oceania: $27 billion
Europe bears the heaviest economic hit due to high-value agriculture, extensive infrastructure, and costlier management systems.
| Invasive Species Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are plants, animals, or microorganisms introduced into ecosystems where they are not native and whose presence causes ecological, economic, or health-related harm. 👉 UPSC Tip: All alien species are not invasive. For example, wheat and potatoes are alien but beneficial. Only those that cause harmful impacts are classified as invasive. Key Characteristics of Invasive Species Rapid growth and high reproductive capacity. Ability to adapt to varied environments. Absence of natural predators in the new ecosystem. Outcompete native species for food, space, water, and sunlight. Examples of Invasive Species in India 1. Plants Lantana camara – Initially introduced as an ornamental plant; now invades forests, suppresses native plants, and is toxic to livestock. Parthenium hysterophorus (Congress grass) – Spreads across farmland, reduces crop productivity, and triggers skin allergies and respiratory issues. Prosopis juliflora (Vilayati Babool) – Brought for fuelwood; invades dry areas, depletes groundwater, and eliminates native vegetation. Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth) – Called the “Terror of Bengal”; clogs rivers and lakes, depletes oxygen, kills fish, and fosters mosquito breeding. 2. Animals African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) – Invasive predator, displaces native fish species; banned in aquaculture. Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) – Destroys paddy crops, especially in wetlands. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) – Aggressively pushes out native birds such as the Indian Roller. House Crow (Corvus splendens) – Spreads widely, creates urban nuisances, and transmits diseases. 3. Insects/Pests Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) – A destructive pest attacking maize and sorghum fields. Papaya Mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) – Infests papaya, tapioca, mulberry, and other crops, causing major agricultural losses. |
India’s Hidden Costs
India, though not assigned an absolute damage estimate, emerged with the highest discrepancy in reported management costs—a staggering 1.16 billion percent. This suggests massive unrecorded expenditures, likely caused by:
- Fragmented or absent centralised reporting systems
- Limited resources for monitoring
- Underrepresentation in global databases that miss reports in regional languages
For comparison:
- Europe’s discrepancy: 15,044%
- Asia: 3,090%
- Africa: 1,944%
- Global median: 3,241%
Experts, such as invasive species researcher S. Sandilyan, stress that India is falling behind in documenting and strategically funding biological invasion management, mainly due to poor data consolidation, weak inter-agency coordination, and competing conservation priorities.
The Invaders
The most financially damaging invasive groups worldwide are:
- Plants: $926.38 billion
- Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.): $830.29 billion
- Mammals: $263.35 billion
Examples include Japanese knotweed and Lantana, which are among the most expensive species to manage per square kilometre. Their spread is largely facilitated by global trade, travel, and bilateral exchanges.
Management vs. Globalisation
Lead researcher Brian Leung cautioned that eradication alone is not feasible. Many non-native species—including agricultural crops—are now part of human systems. This creates a two-pronged challenge:
- Minimising economic and ecological losses caused by invasions.
- Balancing this with the drive for increased globalisation and trade.
Existing Control Measures
Several international agreements already aim to reduce invasive threats:
- Ballast Water Management Convention – prevents transfer of aquatic species via ships.
- Convention on Biological Diversity – requires nations to prevent, control, or eradicate invasive alien species that threaten ecosystems.
Despite these frameworks, the study highlights the urgent need for improved data collection, reporting, and coordinated response mechanisms.
Way Forward:
1. Strengthen National-level Data Systems and Documentation
- Why? India’s exceptionally high discrepancy (1.16 billion %) shows that most costs are hidden or unrecorded. This makes policymaking ineffective because reliable baseline data is absent.
- How?
- Establish a National Centralised Database on Biological Invasions, integrating reports from state forest departments, research institutions, and NGOs.
- Encourage citizen science initiatives (like iNaturalist or India Biodiversity Portal) for local reporting of invasive species.
- Example: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) can coordinate such national registers, similar to the USDA’s National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC).
2. Improve Inter-Agency Coordination and Funding
- Why? Biological invasion management in India is fragmented across forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and trade ministries with little synergy.
- How?
- Set up a National Task Force on Invasive Alien Species with participation from MoEFCC, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Trade ministries.
- Allocate dedicated funds under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) or a special “Invasive Species Management Fund.”
- Example: The European Union’s Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (2015) provides coordinated lists and funding streams among member states. India could replicate at federal-state levels.
3. Adopt Integrated Prevention and Early Detection Systems
- Why? Preventing entry is far cheaper than managing full-blown invasions (economic logic similar to disease control).
- How?
- Strengthen biosecurity at ports and airports using DNA barcoding for imported seeds, plants, and live animal consignments.
- Train local forest guards and farmers to identify early-stage invasions (capacity-building).
- Example: Australia enforces quarantine laws with strict inspection for agricultural imports, preventing species like the brown tree snake from spreading further.
4. Balance Management with Globalisation through Sustainable Trade Practices
- Why? Trade and globalisation are major pathways of spread but must co-exist with economic needs.
- How?
- Implement risk assessments for agricultural imports to avoid harmful exotic introductions.
- Enforce international conventions like the Ballast Water Management Convention more strictly for shipping traffic.
- Promote phytosanitary certification systems for plant and seed imports.
- Example: New Zealand strictly regulates import of live plants and seeds; violators face heavy penalties, effectively curbing entry of invasives.
5. Strengthen Community Participation and Ecological Restoration
- Why? Many invasive species thrive in degraded landscapes—local communities are the first responders in managing them.
- How?
- Launch employment-linked eradication drives (like Mahatma Gandhi NREGA work for clearing invasives such as Prosopis juliflora and Lantana).
- Promote restoration of native vegetation after clearing invasive species to prevent re-colonisation.
- Example: In Uttarakhand, Lantana removal programs coupled with the planting of fodder grasses helped both biodiversity recovery and rural livelihoods.
Conclusion
The study makes it clear that biological invasions are an escalating trillion-dollar problem that is often underestimated, especially in countries like India where costs are hidden or unrecorded. Plants remain the primary economic culprits, but multiple invasive groups driven by global trade continue to impose widespread damage. Moving forward, the world must adopt a balanced strategy—one that combines better documentation, preventive policies, and robust management tools with the realities of international trade and the need for climate solutions.
| Practice question for prelim Q. Consider the following statements about Invasive Alien Species (IAS): 1- Every alien species is treated as invasive since it is non-native to the ecosystem. 2- The spread of invasive species is often linked to global trade, tourism, and bilateral exchanges. 3- Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, and Eichhornia crassipes are prominent invasive plants in India. Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only Practice question for mains. Q. Biological invasions are among the least documented yet most serious threats to biodiversity worldwide. Discuss the ecological and economic challenges posed by invasive alien species in India. Suggest practical measures to strengthen India’s preparedness and response. 15 marks (250 words) |
Source: The Hindu