1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
New Delhi
Region
Asia
Short description of the intervention
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).
Address

New Delhi
India

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Public Greenspace Area
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
The project uses areas of schools/colleges, public parks, parks under resident welfare associations, and private gardens (Ref 4, 5).
Website of the intervention
https://roundglasssustain.com/urbanjungles/butterfly-highway-delhi
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2018
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
- 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)
Quantitative targets
- To create 71 butterfly corridors till 2022 (Ref 2)
- More than 100 butterfly corridors are planned (Ref 3)
- Create butterfly corridors in every few kilometres (Ref 3)
- Plantation of 55 species of host plants (Ref 4)
Monitoring indicators defined
The project is monitored by conducting the butterfly census as part of Delhi Butterfly Month in September every year.
- Number of butterfly corridors created (Ref 2);
- Type of host plant species (Ref 4).
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
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
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
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
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)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
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
Please specify "other derelict areas"
Derelict waste dump areas and dog shelter homes [Ref 6]
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Pollination
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
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)
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
District/neighbourhood association
Citizens or community group
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Citizen monitoring and review
Please specify other landowner
Residential blocks (Ref 4, 5), residential associations (Ref 2)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The project was initiated by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and was a citizen-driven initiative, in collaboration with the citizens of Delhi, with some habitats located in schools, parks, residents' welfare associations, and even on private terraces. BNHS is working on connecting these habitats through urban clusters to provide communicable routes for the butterflies (Ref 1, 5)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Business models
Local stewardship model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The project can be considered as a social innovation, specifically a cultural innovation as it was a citizen-driven initiative aimed at creating green citizens and improving knowledge and education about butterflies. The butterfly habitats were created in schools, Resident Welfare Association (RWA) areas, home gardens, and other public spaces (Ref 2, 5). There are mentions of school teachers using the butterfly gardens for education (Ref 4).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The sources do not mention the novelty level of the butterfly corridors initiative. Whether the concept is new or has been previously implemented in other places is not mentioned in the sources.
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
The sources do not mention the replicability or transferability of the project, although it is by design inherently scalable under the coordination of the same organisation.
Impacts, benefits
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
Description of environmental benefits
- The project has restored and created connections among different regeneration sites. As of 2022, 71 habitats, large and small, had been created and 55 species of host plants planted, and connections are built for most of these habitats and green patches for the free movement of butterflies, which are an otherwise diminishing and threatened species in the city (Ref 1, 4, 5).
- In one of the gardens, at least 17 different species of butterflies are regular visitors, which is an improvement (Ref 1).
- The project has increased the number of butterflies in the areas. Butterflies of different species are frequently spotted in the small green patches after the project had started implementing (Ref 1).
- The species are considered to be an important part of the ecosystem, with their entire life cycle serving as a crucial link in the food chain for other species, as well as pollination. It is expected that it will eventually help in pollination and creating more green areas in and around the city. (Ref 1)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and 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
Please specify other environmental justice issue
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
- The project is a citizen-driven initiative with butterfly habitats located in schools, parks and residential areas. Being driven by the local communities, it has increased the involvement of locals and created more opportunities for social interaction. (Ref 4)
- The butterfly garden attracts more visitors, and the visitors have learned about the lives of butterflies, their role in nature, as well as other related ecosystem processes (Ref 1), in one case, it has been used in public education (Ref 5).
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
- The number of habitats created (and connected) (Ref 2)
-The number of species of host plants planted (Ref 4, 5)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Other
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
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
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
(1) Butterfly Highway: Delhi’s New Flyby Zones
(2) Fluttering through corridors of change
(3) Butterfly corridor for Delhi-NCR by next year
(4) Reviving butterflies in Delhi: Project on to create links via urban cluster…
(5) Butterfly Garden becomes latest attraction near Delhi's Singhu border
List of references
(1) Raj R. (2021). Butterfly Highway: Delhi’s New Flyby Zones. 5 August, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: https://roundglasssustain.com/urbanjungles/butterfly-highway-delhi
(2) Roy D. (2022). Fluttering through corridors of change. 25 April, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2022/apr/25/fluttering-through-corridors-of-change-2446234.html
(3) Gandhiok J. (2020). Butterfly corridor for Delhi-NCR by next year. 15 August, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/butterfly-corridor-for-delhi-ncr-by-next-yr/articleshow/77554849.cms
(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: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/reviving-butterflies-project-on-to-create-links-via-urban-clusters-for-habitat-connect/articleshow/90650333.cms
(5) Unknown (2022). Butterfly Garden becomes latest attraction near Delhi's Singhu border. April 10, viewed on 23 January 2023, URL: https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/butterfly-garden-becomes-latest-attraction-near-delhis-singhu-border-check-visiting-hours-here-article-90764042
Comments and notes
Public Images
Butterfly
Butterfly
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/reviving-butterflies-project-on-to-create-links-via-urban-clusters-for-habitat-connect/articleshow/90650333.cms
Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden
https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/butterfly-garden-becomes-latest-attraction-near-delhis-singhu-border-check-visiting-hours-here-article-90764042
Butterfly corridor map of Delhi
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