Bringing a habitat to life

nature illustration conservation habitat watercolor ILLUSTRATION concept art Drawing

Habitats are crucial for the survival of wildlife. They provide shelter, sustenance, and resources for growth and survival.

Intact and healthy habitats not only support a rich biodiversity but also builds resilience against climate change. Mountain ranges, forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, lakes, riverbeds and rivers, every habitat plays a vital role in supporting both wildlife and humans that share the space with them. Preserving these habitats means preserving the future of our planet.

Making a biodiverse habitat

I used sketching and water colour to try to bring to life the diversity of habitats and the richness of intact and connected habitats.

First comes setting up the concept

Starting with a blank sheet

How many trees are too many?

Finishing the sketching part

Then comes the colours

And layering.....

Till the forest comes to life

Moving on to the other habitats

Grasslands are also important habitats that need urgent and dedication support for their conservation

Even though it's very hard to paint them.

Part 1 complete

Next step of the project, talking about the intrusion of infrastructures into wild habitats

When talking about habitats, it's not enough to showcase just beautiful habitats but also what factors impact them.

What are infrastructures and how they impact wild habitats?

Infrastructure, in very broad terms, refers to man-made structures, many linear, that serve the purpose of connectivity, communication, and facilitates the needs of people. They can be buildings, roads, railways, pipelines, bridges, telecommunication lines, hydropower plants, among many others.

In principle, linear infrastructure serves the purpose of providing economic and social benefits of making services and goods accessible to people. It connects people to each other and to public and private commodities. So, whether it is the road network spread across the city, or the railway network of a country, or even an airport that facilitates the air transport across countries, all are infrastructure.

However, in many instances, infrastructures cut through wild habitats, and thus fragmenting and degrading their ability to support the rich biodiversity of the region. Instances of wildlife mortality due to road and train accidents, electrocution, and conflicts along with introduction of invasive species and degradation of habitats and their resources have often accompanied infrastructure development in wild habitats.

The issue needs complex interventions to lower their impact on wildlife and their homes, while supporting the need of the people.