Of Ecosystems and Solstice

 As mentioned in previous June posts in this blog, this month is about celebrating ecosystems and the solstice. 

June 21st is the Solstice - Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest day and Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere with the shortest day. More recently June 21st has also been observed as International Day of Yoga. The sun salutation or Surya Namaskar being central to yogic practices thus apt to coincide with the Solstice.

Source: "Solstice Sun Salutations," 21 June 2026, Meraki by Me, Raakhee

Combating Desertification and Drought

Meanwhile June 17th is observed as the International Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with the 2026 theme being "Rangelands: Recognize, Respect, Restore" which dovetails well with the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) declaration of 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. 

The Icelandic practice of Rettir - the annual sheep roundup is especially vital to the nation's horses, horse-riding traditions as well as the delicate ecosystems of that Land of Fire and Ice. The sheep and the horses in the pastures help maintain the highlands in spring as well as the flocks and herds health through the year. This traditional cherishing of the wild spirit - the roaming - of the horses and flocks feels especially right in 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse.

In the context of reversing desertification and grasslands and pastures, it becomes vital to talk of the solarization and use of solar sheep to fight the creeping desert in Talatan in  China's Qinghai Province. As this Facebook reel puts it, the construction of the Talatan Solar Park -the size of Singapore at the edge of the desert has helped create a microclimate that sustains green cover - so much so sheep needed to be brought in to control the grass and weeds (Solar Sheep!) thus generating power, pasture and profits in the region.

Rangelands such as the Rakhals in the Salt Desert, Kutch district of Gujarat in India and the Gujjars and Bakkerwals - nomadic  pastoralists of Jammu and Kashmir provide vital oases and ecosystem services respectively. 

SDGs at Play 

Healthy ecosystems and practices and people who consolidate them automatically boost the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a whole as well as directly and indirectly.

The ecosystem services of nomadic pastoralists such as the Gujjars and Bakkerwals in Jammu helo with watershed management (SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation) as much as SDG 15 - Life on Land.

The sensitive Rakhal rangelands and traditional knowledge that maintains them is vital in the harsh environs of the Salt Desert which is nevertheless home to a vast interdependent biodiversity thus healthy rakhals boosts SDG 15. 

The introduction of the Solar Park at the edge of the desert in China ensured SDG 7 - Access to Affordable and Clean Energy as well as combating Drought and Desertification thus boosting SDG 15 as well as tackling the region's health and nutrition requirements (SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing).

Rainforests

The theme for Rainforests Day 2026, observed annually on June 22nd, the day after the June Solstice, is "The Forest Within You." Rainforests in addition to being the lungs of the planet and massive carbon sinks are also vital biodiversity and traditional medicine hotspots. They are also the source of our water security as many mighty rivers emerge from the rainforests that sustain life and livelihoods. Nothing heals like forests and forest products and this is exponentially more relevant with regard to rainforests. 

In 2026, the search engine Ecosia reached and exceeded its goal of planting 250 million trees through its searches. Most of this was done through empowering local communities and restoring forests, watersheds and reviving biodiversity not just increasing green cover.

Rainforests also protect and support many indigenous and tribal communities  that are imperiled by modern way of life.  Thus it is heartening to hear news of the Amazon healing (RE-green - Earthshot Prize 2026 - Restore Earth) and Southeast Asian conservationists and environmental activists such as Theonila Roka Matbob in 2026, who halt its encroachment, like in Papua New Ginea's rainforests by the devastation of Rio Tinto the mining company, being honored with the Green Nobel - Goldman Environmental Prize 2026  as well as Whitley Award for Indonesia's Leuser Rainforest. 

The $10 million XPrize for Rainforests is more tech focused but also focused on monitoring rainforests and enable local indigenous communities' stewardship of them, e.g., Limelight Rainforest. 

Thus the restoration of ecosystems is helping slowly and locally and globally improving people, planet and prosperity - slowly but surely.