Restoring the hazard-buffering ecosystems of the Western Ghats is essential to re-establish their natural capacity to attenuate runoff, stabilise slopes, and reduce disaster risk in a changing climate. This analytical paper proposes an integrated restoration framework that combines ecological priorities, technical bio-engineering, and institutional-financial reforms to transform fragmented conservation actions into a coherent, range-wide programme with measurable hazard-reduction outcomes. Ecologically, the paper emphasises targeted restoration of shola forests, montane grasslands (shola–grassland mosaics), wetlands, and riparian buffers, which collectively function as a “sponge and net” to delay peak flows and retain soil on steep terrain. It calls for active removal of invasive species such as Eucalyptus and Acacia to enable recovery of native vegetation and habitats, alongside large-scale native-tree planting and fire-prevention measures embedded within national schemes like the National Afforestation Programme and the Green India Mission. These actions aim to rebuild ecosystem mosaics that historically moderated hydrological extremes and maintained slope integrity across the Ghats. On the technical front, the paper advocates native-species bio-engineering on exposed, degraded slopes and road cuts, using deep-rooted indigenous plants to enhance slope cohesion and reduce infrastructure-induced failures at relatively low cost. It further recommends high-resolution, parcel-level GIS mapping to identify, safeguard, and restore critical wildlife corridors and riparian buffers, thereby aligning hazard mitigation with biodiversity connectivity and landscape-scale planning. Institutionally and financially, the analysis argues for replacing isolated, NGO- or division-led initiatives with a coordinated, range-wide ecosystem restoration programme underpinned by explicit hazard-reduction targets and dedicated funding. It proposes mobilising resources from CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority) and other forestry or climate trusts through a performance-linked fiscal model, where disbursements are contingent on achieving quantifiable ecological indicators such as increases in native canopy cover. To ensure durability and local ownership, the framework integrates restoration with sustainable livelihoods—promoting agroforestry in transition zones and introducing payments for ecosystem services (PES) that provide Gram Sabhas and local communities with a direct economic stake in conservation outcomes. Together, these strategies offer a pathway to rebuild the Western Ghats’ natural hazard-buffering functions while strengthening rural livelihoods, institutional accountability, and climate resilience across one of India’s most critical mountain ecosystems.

Keywords: Western Ghats; disaster risk reduction; landslides; Ecologically Sensitive Area; Gadgil report; Kasturirangan report; land-use zoning; cumulative impact assessment; ecosystem restoration; climate resilience; trans-boundary governance; ecological fiscal transfers