Last updated: February 2023
This project aims to create a Butterfly corridor through the city of New Delhi by connecting local parks, residential gardens, biodiversity parks, and major forest areas (Ref 1, 2). For this, various locations, mainly maintained by citizens, are developed as habitats for the butterflies by planting various kinds of host plants which can be used to lay eggs. Overall, about 100 butterfly corridors are planned to be developed over time (Ref 3). The project is initiated by the Conservation Education Centre (CEC), a Delhi-based faction of the Bombay Natural History Society. With the help of CEC, community custodians of the gardens are trained to develop butterfly parks. A number of public and private land areas have now been designed as butterfly corridors throughout the city (Ref 1). An underlying aim of the project is to allow butterflies to travel across locations, thus allowing genetic diversity among populations (Ref 1). The project has also helped educate the community about the importance of maintaining a healthy butterfly population. Through the organization of Butterfly month in September every year, citizens and, especially young kids, are encouraged to learn about butterflies through butterfly walks, counting, and photography contests, among other activities (Ref 1, 5).
Butterfly
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/reviving-butterflies-project-on-to-create-links-via-urban-clusters-for-habitat-connect/articleshow/90650333.cms
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- House gardens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Institutional green space
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Effective management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
- To create a butterfly corridor across the city that loosely connects forest patches in the city to smaller habitats within urban localities (Ref 1)
- To maintain a diverse number of host plants that can sustain butterfly populations (Ref 2)
- To improve the butterfly population in urban areas (Ref 2)
- To designate locations such as schools, colleges, derelict areas such as dump yards, and public and private gardens to maintain butterfly parks (Ref 1,2)
- To improve knowledge and impart education about butterflies (Ref 3)
Implementation activities
Habitats for butterflies were created by planting selected host plants on which adult female butterflies lay their eggs (Ref 2). A wide variety of host plants were planted to maintain a higher number of butterfly species. Also, to attract butterflies, rotten fruits, cow dung, and mud were added to the created habitats. This being a citizen's initiative, these corridors were targetted in locations such as schools, colleges, residential colony parks etc. (Ref 3)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is led by the Conservation Education Centre (CEC), a Delhi-based faction of the Bombay Natural History Society, in association with schools, colleges, residents and community groups etc., who maintain these butterfly corridors. (Ref 1, 5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Enhanced support of pollination
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
(1) Raj R. (2021). Butterfly Highway: Delhi’s New Flyby Zones. 5 August, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(2) Roy D. (2022). Fluttering through corridors of change. 25 April, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(3) Gandhiok J. (2020). Butterfly corridor for Delhi-NCR by next year. 15 August, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(4) Dixit K. (2022). Reviving butterflies in Delhi: Project on to create links via urban clusters for habitat connect. April 5, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(5) Unknown (2022). Butterfly Garden becomes latest attraction near Delhi's Singhu border. April 10, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(2) Roy D. (2022). Fluttering through corridors of change. 25 April, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(3) Gandhiok J. (2020). Butterfly corridor for Delhi-NCR by next year. 15 August, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(4) Dixit K. (2022). Reviving butterflies in Delhi: Project on to create links via urban clusters for habitat connect. April 5, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
(5) Unknown (2022). Butterfly Garden becomes latest attraction near Delhi's Singhu border. April 10, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: Source link
Butterfly Garden
https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/butterfly-garden-becomes-latest-attraction-near-delhis-singhu-border-check-visiting-hours-here-article-90764042
A map displaying the planned corridor for butterflies along with existing green patches in the city
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/expert-explore-possibilities-to-create-highways-for-butterflies-in-delhi/story-pVi2wL0p6JLnoy6rIFobYM.html
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.