Malenadu

Malenadu is a geographical region in the state of Karnataka, India. It covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats mountain range and is roughly in width. It includes the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, Belagavi, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu. The region experiences heavy annual rainfall of ; most notably, the village of Agumbe in the region, receives the highest annual rainfall in Karnataka of.
This region of the state experiences unique infrastructure challenges due to settlement patterns, sparse population, topography, dense forest, and numerous rivulets. Villages in the Malenadu are scattered throughout remote areas. To encourage development in the area, the Area Development Board was created in 1991 to implement necessary projects.
The districts initially covering the region were Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, and Hassan. Agumbe, Chikmagalur, Yana, Dandeli, Sirsi, Yellapur, and the historical region of Banavasi all belong to Malenadu.

Etymology

The origin of the term Malenadu is unclear, as the word Male in Kannada can have two different meanings depending on pronunciation. Malē means ‘mountain,’ and when combined with Nadu, it gives the meaning ‘mountainous land,’ reflecting the region’s terrain. With the retroflex 'ḷ', however, Maḷē means ‘rain,’ and thus Malenadu also suggests ‘rainy land,’ a fitting description of the region’s high rainfall.

Constituencies

Presently, the Development Board operates in part or all of 13 districts of the state, and comprises 65 Assembly constituencies and 61 taluks:

District	Constituencies
Belagavi district	Bailahongal, Belgaum, Hukkeri, Khanapur, Saudi
Chamarajnagar	Chamarajnagar, Gundlupete, Kollegala, Hanuru
Chikmagalur	Kadur, Koppa, Chikkamagalur, Mudigere, Narasimharajapur, Shringeri, Tarikere, Ajjampura
Dakshina Kannada	Mangaluru, Puttur, Sulya, Bantwal, Belthangadi, Mudubidri, Kadaba
Davanagere	Channagiri, Honnali, Nyamathi
Dharwad	Kalaghatagi, Alnanavara
Hassan	Alur, Arakalagud, Belur, Sakaleshpur
Haveri	Hangal, Hirekerur, Rettihalli, Byadagi, Savanur, Shiggaon
Kodagu	Madikeri, Somavarpet, Virajpet
Mysore	Heggadadevana kote, Hunasur, Periyapattana, Sargur
Shivamogga	Bhadravati, Shivamogga, Sagar, Soraba, Hosanagara, Thirthahalli, Shikaripura
Udupi	Udupi, Kundapur, Karkala, Brahmavara, Kapu, Byndoor, Hebri
Uttara Kannada	Ankola, Bhatkal, Haliyal, Honnavara, Karwar, Kumta, Mundagod, Siddapur, Sirsi, Joida, Yallapur, Dandeli

Climate and Geography

Terrain

True to its name Malenadu, the region is endowed with abundant hills and plenty of rainfall. The region comprises 13 districts spanning a broadly sub-coastal North-South axis, and is a prominent section of the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats are pivotal to the climate and seasons across India. The Sahyadri ranges block the rain-bearing South-West monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea, resulting in heavy rainfall along the western windward side and coastal Karnataka; and forming a rain shadow region on the eastern leeward side. Hills, heavy rainfall, rich sub-tropical forests and rivers flowing down the mountains are the defining geographical features. Temperatures in Malenadu remain moderate throughout the year. Summer temperatures remain within. Winters are mild and pleasant, while the monsoon months between June and September are a time of torrential rains, crossing in many stations.

Mountain Ranges, Peaks and Waterfalls

Malnad has some of the highest mountain peaks in Karnataka. Mullayyanagiri located in the Chandra Drona ranges of the Western Ghats of Chikmagalur Taluk at a height of 1,925 metres, is the highest peak in Karnataka. Kodachadri, Kodagu are hill-stations in the region. Kemmannugundi, Kudremukh with distinctive horse-face shape, Kalhattagiri, Rudragiri, and Devarammannagudda are other significant mountain peaks also known for their scenic treks across high grasslands.
Apart from the well-known Jog Falls, Mallalli Falls in the Pushpagiri range, Mookanamane Falls near Sakleshpur, Abbey Falls near Madikeri in Coorg, Chelavara Falls : near the Tadiandamol Peak, Irupu Falls in the Brahmagiri range, Unchalli Falls, near Sirsi, the spectacular 200 ft Magod Falls near Yallapur, Devaragundi Falls near Thodikana, Jhari Falls and the Hebbe Falls in Chikmagalur, and Kapilatirtha are some of the other known and visited waterfalls in Malnad.

Rivers and Groundwater

The dense forests and hill ranges of Malenadu region are vital for water security, serving as natural sponges, absorbing the monsoon precipitation, and for months beyond the season, steadily feeding major rivers like the Sharavathi, Tunga, Bhadra, and Netravathi, which support hydroelectric power projects and provide irrigation and drinking water across Karnataka.

Rainfall

The Western Ghats acts as the rain barrier during south-west monsoon season. This region is one of the wettest regions in the world, with some rainfall measurements of over.

Rank	Hobli / Village	District	Taluk	Year	Rainfall	Elevation
1	Amagaon	Belgaum district	Khanapur	2010	10,068	785
2	Mundrote	Kodagu district	Madikeri	2011	9,974	585
3	Hulikal	Shimoga district	Hosanagara	2013	9,383	614
4	Agumbe	Shimoga district	Thirthahalli	2013	8,770	643
5	Kokalli / Kakalli	Uttara Kannada	Sirsi	2014	8,746	780

Biodiversity

Abundant water, favourable soil and climate conditions, and limited human interaction have endowed the Malnad region with rich biodiversity comprising hundreds of endemic species of flora and fauna. The natural habitats of the region such as the Kudremukh National Park, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary play a crucial role in the conservation of several endangered species. These protected areas are home to tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs, lion-tailed macaques, hornbills, king cobras, as well as countless other plant species. New species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, plants, lichens and fungi keep getting discovered by field biology researchers. It is not without reason that the Western Ghats is among the eight hottest of biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Responding to the urgency of conservation of endangered riverine fish species like mahseer, haragi, gar, beril, setnai barb, glassy fish and killifish, the Karnataka Biodiversity Board in 2020 recommended setting up fish sanctuaries, or matsyadhamas in numerous riverbeds in Malnad.

Anthropogenic Threats">Human impact on the environment">Anthropogenic Threats and Challenges

Like everywhere else on Earth, climate change is causing noticeable and erratic variations in rainfall and temperature patterns in Malenadu. Apart from the now unavoidable climatic uncertainties, the Malnad region faces major short-term and long-term anthropogenic threats despite, or perhaps due to, its rich natural wealth.

Agricultural Practices

Organised agriculture is known to be practised on land parcels reclaimed from forest clearings for a thousand years. Recent inclination towards intensive plantations, overuse of chemical inputs in farming and monocropping have led to degradation of soil, loss of fertility as well as a far-reaching negative impact on local agro-biodiversity and food-webs.

Development Projects

is a infrastructure initiative proposed by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited, claimed to generate 2,000 MW of renewable energy by storing and releasing water between two existing reservoirs to balance grid loads. The project critically threatens the region's biodiversity, especially the habitat of the endangered Lion-Tailed Macaque. The Karnataka government’s move to proceed with the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project without securing full environmental and forest clearances has prompted strong opposition from environmentalists and local communities. It is alleged by litigant individuals and organisations that the project has progressed without the requisite consent from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and National Wildlife Board, and that the acquisition of lands necessary for the project remains unresolved. , a Bengaluru-based non-governmental organisation, published an elaborate citizen research report on the project, claiming that the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project by KPCL is progressing based on inadequate, misleading, and flawed data, raising serious concerns such as the underreporting of forest land diversion and potential ecological impacts.

[Overtourism]

As much as large-scale road and energy infrastructure projects, the growing number of casual visitors, tourists in or near ecologically fragile regions such as pristine waterfalls, deep forests and mountainous grasslands is exerting a strain on the delicate ecology of the region. State supported encouragement to tourism is often limited by dangerous terrain, inadequate infrastructure like roads, bridges, lack of safety measures and waste management. There are simultaneous efforts and calls by individuals and environment organisations for caution and restraint. A social media content creator met with a fatal fall in the Western Ghats in July 2024. While some incidents make their way to the news, many more accidents go unreported due to the remote location of most waterfalls.