The Aravali Biodiversity Park (ABDP) is a celebration of the diverse flora and fauna native to the Aravalli Range. Once a mining site, this land was left wasted and scarred after mindless quarrying. This meant a massive loss of habitat for the native plant and animal species of the country’s oldest mountain range. As their numbers were dwindling, the concerned residents of Gurgaon geared up to reclaim their forest. Working with the government and 90+ corporates, iamgurgaon established the largest public private partnership to rehabilitate 380 acres of land.
Today, the park has become a model for ecological conservation. It showcases over 300 plant species, 200 of which are rare, endangered flora of the northern Aravalli. Over 1,50,000 saplings have been planted at the Park since 2011, with a survival rate of 95%+. Many of these species were a reintroduction to Haryana, a large number of these fall under the rare or endangered categories as per the IUCN Red List.
It offers a range of micro climates, vegetation structures and habitat for birds, animals and insects. 182 species including rare bird sightings have been recorded in ABDP by Ebird.com, a globally accepted online database created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where bird sightings are reported and tracked across the globe, making it one of the richest birding habitats in Delhi-NCR.
In times of severe water crisis in Gurugram, with the ground water depleting at 5ft per year as the city pumps out 300% more ground water than it recharges, the Park serves to recharge over 320 million (32 crores) litres of water annually.
A study by the CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (CERE) in 2018, shows that the Park potentially supplies 7.07% of the oxygen requirement for Delhi NCR.
The Aravali Biodiversity Park plays an invaluable role in improving the air quality of Gurugram, Delhi and the entire NCR Region, providing water security by recharging the groundwater table and extending a host of ecosystem services through its rich biodiversity. The area functions as a native Aravali flora and fauna repository, a carbon sink, an educational space to spread awareness about environmental issues, and a recreational space for the citizens of Gurugram. Amidst the rapid urbanization and industrialization in NCR, an urban forest such as the Aravali Biodiversity Park also helps in maintaining the ecological balance for human well-being and helps mitigate the effects of Global Warming.
The Park has been announced as India's 1st OECM site by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on World Wetlands Day. 'Other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs) is a conservation designation for areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas.
iamgurgaon has also been awarded the The Sanctuary Wildlife Asia Service Award for our restoration efforts at the Aravali Biodiversity Park Gurugram.