Hyderabad tops Indian Cities in City Nature Challenge

Among the 35 Indian cities competing, Hyderabad made its remarkable debut, emerging as the top Indian city in terms of observations and participant count

Hyderabad: The City Nature Challenge of Hyderabad, held from April 28 to May 1, brought together over 337 community scientists who diligently recorded over 30,000 observations of more than 1,900 species during the four-day event.

A global competition aimed at documenting urban biodiversity, the City Nature Challenge 2023, witnessed an impressive display of participation from cities around the world.

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Among the 35 Indian cities competing, Hyderabad made its remarkable debut, emerging as the top Indian city in terms of observations and participant count. This outstanding achievement highlights Hyderabad’s commitment to preserving and appreciating the natural world within its urban environment.

Spearheaded by WWF-India’s dedicated team of core volunteers led by Farida, Akbar, Ram and Priyanka, the challenge offered a unique opportunity for nature enthusiasts to come together, contributing not only to a global effort in biodiversity conservation but also fostering a deeper connection with nature.

Ram Dayal Vaishnav, a passionate nature enthusiast who took part in the challenge said, “it is a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of nature and to contribute to global urban biodiversity data collection at the same time.”

During the challenge, citizen scientists captured fascinating sightings, including commonly observed species like Neem, Common Lantana, Sacred Fig, Santa Maria Feverfew, Red-vented Bulbul, and Plain Tiger Butterfly.

However, what truly captured attention were the astonishing discoveries of 33 threatened species like Bengal Quince, Purcell’s Hunter Slug, Spot-billed Pelican and many more flourishing amidst the city’s hustle and bustle.

The challenge unveiled intriguing observations of previously unidentified species, such as Anochetus rufus, a cryptic ant species, Pseudoidiumsantalacearum, a fungal disease of sandalwood, and Enicostemmaaxillare, a medicinal plant with various traditional uses and many more species.

Farida Tampal, State Director of WWF-India Hyderabad office, stated, “we are thrilled to witness Hyderabad’s exceptional performance on a global scale. Through initiatives like the City Nature Challenge, we aim to deepen people’s connection with nature and engage them in citizen science projects for the long term.”