India effort for Biodiversity

conservation
1.)Protected Areas

What is meant by a Protected Area (PA)?

In simplest terms, protected areas are regions or zones of land or sea which are
given certain levels of protection for conservation of biodiversity and socio-
environmental values. In these areas, human intervention and exploitation of
resources is limited.
Protected Areas are the principal mechanism of conservation of biodiversity on Earth
and serves as the most important units for in-situ biodiversity conservation.
There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection.
Examples include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, marine protected areas,
community reserves etc.

What are the different IUCN categories of

Protected areas?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through its World
Commission on Protected Areas, has put forward six Protected Area
Management Categories. The categories are as follows:

Category I a– Strict Nature Reserve: Protected areas managed mainly for

science and receives least human intervention. E.g. Urwald Rothwald in
AustriaCategory I b – Wilderness Area: Wilderness protection. E.g. wilderness
areas in the Sami native region in FinlandCategory II – National Park: ecosystem
protection and recreationCategory III – Natural Monument or Feature:
Conservation of specific natural features. E.g. cliffs, caves, forest groves. E.g.
Cono de Arita in Argentina.Category IV – Habitat/Species Management Area:
Conservation of specific species which require protection.Category V –
Protected Landscape/Seascape: Conservation of entire area. It permits
surrounding community to interact. Example: Great Barrier Reef in
AustraliaCategory VI – Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources:

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 Conservation of ecosystem and habitats together with associated cultural values
and traditional natural resource management systems.

World Commission on Protected Areas

It is one of six commissions of the IUCN. It was established in 1960 and is

headquartered in Gland, Switzerland. It is administered by IUCN’s Global
Programme on Protected Areas.

Protected Area Network in India-Legal

Provisions, Types, Present status
Before starting with a discussion on Protected Area Network in India, let us check
certain important facts:

Forests and wildlife are included in the Concurrent list of the Indian

Constitution. Therefore, the Union government makes the policies and plans for
Wildlife Conservation. On the other hand, the State Forest Departments are the
ones implanting those national policies and plans at the state-level.National
Board for Wildlife (NBWL) puts forward policy framework for wildlife
conservation in India. The Board was constituted under Wildlife (Protection) act,
1972. It is chaired by the Prime Minister.Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (with
Amendment Acts of 2003 and 2006)It provides for the protection of plants and
animal in India. The aim of the Act is to ensure the ecological and environmental
security of India.It is the principal act which contains provisions for setting up and
managing national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas

In India, there are four major categories of Protected areas. These protected areas
are constituted under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The four categories of protected areas are:

1. Wildlife SanctuariesNational ParksCommunity ReservesConservation Reserves

Community and Conservation reserves were first introduced in the Wildlife

(Protection) Amendment Act of 2002

As of 2019, there are 870 notified protected areas covering 5.02% of India’s land
area. This is far below Target 11 of the Aichi Targets -which states that by 2020, at
least 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas should be conserved under Protected
Areas.

What are Aichi biodiversity targets:

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 These are a series of goals that were set in 2010 at a Conference of Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting for protection and conservation of
biodiversity.

The following table gives the present status of various categories of Protected

areas in India

Category Number % Area of Country

National Parks 104 1.23

Wildlife Sanctuaries 551 3.64

Conservation Reserves 88 0.13

Community Reserves 127 0.02

Total: 870 5.02

Apart from these protected areas, India also has the following:

Biodiversity ReservesTiger ReservesElephant Reserves

Types of Protected Area in Detail

Wildlife Sanctuaries
It is a protected area constituted for the protection and conservation of wildlife or its
environment.  They are declared in areas that are considered to be of adequate
ecological, geomorphological and natural significance.

In wildlife sanctuaries, certain rights of people living inside, are permitted as long
they don’t harm the wildlife. Such activities include harvesting of timber, collecting
minor forest products, livestock grazing, ownership of private land.

National Parks
It is a protected area constituted for the protection and conservation of wildlife or its
environment.  They are declared in areas that are considered to be of adequate
ecological, geomorphological and natural significance.

The definition of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks sounds similar. So, what is
the difference between them?

National parks are given highest level of protection. Unlike wildlife sanctuaries, no
human interference in any form of harvesting of timber, collecting minor forest
products and private ownership rights is allowed.

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 Did you Know?
·Hailey National Park (presently known as Jim Corbett National Park), established in
1936 is India’s first National Park.
· Maximum numbers of wildlife sanctuaries are present in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands (96) followed by Maharashtra (45)
· South Button Island National Park in Andaman and Nicobar Islands si the smallest
National park of India.

To check out list of National Parks in India-Click Here

Marine Protected Areas

These are protected areas within or adjacent to seas, oceans, estuaries, lagoons. In
these areas human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters.

Gulf of Mannar National Park, Tamil Nadu

Gulf of Kutch Marine Sanctuary, Gujarat,

Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, Odhisa

Conservation Reserves
They are declared by the State Governments in any area owned by the
Government.The aim of conservation reserves is to protect landscapes,
seascapes, flora and fauna and their habitat.They act as buffer zones between
established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected
forests of India.It is important to note that the rights of people living inside a
Conservation Reserve are not affected.

Examples: Bankapur Peacock Conservation Reserve (Karnataka), Beas River

Conservation Reserve (Punjab).

Community Reserves
They are declared by the State Government in any private or community land.
The land should not be within a National Park, Sanctuary or a Conservation
Reserve. It is basically an area where an individual or a community has
volunteered to conserve wildlife and its habitat

These areas also act as buffer zones between established national parks,
wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India. Rights of people
living inside a Community Reserve are not affected.

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 Example: Lalwan community reserve in Punjab, Gogabeel in Bihar (1st community
reserve of Bihar- recently in news)

Sacred Groves:
·They are patches of forests or natural vegetation generally dedicated to local folk
deities or tree spirits

Example: Kovil Kadu at Puthupet (Tamil Nadu), Gumpa Forests (Sacred Groves

attached to Buddhist monasteries) in Arunachal Pradesh

Eco-sensitive zone:

It is an area notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change

(MoEFCC), around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

The main aim behind ESZs is to regulate certain activities and thus minimise the
negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem surrounding the
protected areas.

Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared the

National Chambal Sanctuary as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).

Biosphere Reserves

The concept of Biosphere Reserves was introduced in 1971 as a, part of United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s ‘Man and
Biosphere Program’.

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal/ marine ecosystems

where both flora and fauna are protected and sustainable livelihood
development is promoted.

They are ‘Science for Sustainability support sites.’ Apart from in-situ

conservation, they also promote research in ecological conservation and
environmental preservation.

Biosphere reserves have three-fold aim:

Firstly, they aim at conservation of genetic resources, species, and ecosystems

Secondly, they aim at scientific research and monitoring

Finally, they aim at promoting sustainable development in communities of the

surrounding region
Zonation of Biosphere Reserves:

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 Generally, any biosphere reserve is divided into three zones for its conservation and
management:

1. Core Areas: It is a strictly Protected Area where human activities are restricted.
Non-destructive research is undertaken.

2. Buffer Zone: This is the area that surrounds the core zone. Low impact activities
are undertaken in this area. Example: sustainable use of natural resources and
development researches, environmental education and regulated recreation

3. Transition Zone or Area of Cooperation: This zone lies outside the buffer zone.
Here, intense human activities on sustainable use of resources by local
communities are permitted.

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 To read the full list of Biosphere Reserves in India- Click Here

Difference between National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and

Biosphere Reserves
Wildlife
Parameter National Park Biosphere Reserve
Sanctuary
Reserved for
Protection of Ecosystem oriented-reserves all
Protection type species-oriented
wildlife forms of life
plant or animal

Internationally recognized within

the framework of UNESCO’s
Wildlife Protection Wildlife
Legislation Man and Biosphere (MAB)
Act Protection Act
programme and nominated by
national governments.

Greater degree of
Level of Lesser degree
protection than Greater Degree of Protection
Protection of protection
sanctuaries

Activities like
Allowed to a
Regulation of grazing, hunting,
limited extent in No interference except in buffer
Human forestry or
the wildlife and transition zone
Activities cultivation etc. are
sanctuaries
strictly prohibited.

Clearly delineated
Boundaries Not sacrosanct Clearly delineated by legislation
by legislation

Can be
Upgradation Cannot be National Parks and wildlife
upgraded to a
and downgraded to a Sanctuaries may become a part
Wildlife
Downgradation Wildlife Sanctuary of Biosphere Reserve
Sanctuary

Category II of the Category IV of Roughly corresponds to IUCN

IUCN Status
protected areas protected areas. Category V of protected areas.

https://prepp.in/news/e-492-wildlife-sanctuary-environment-notes

https://prepp.in/news/e-492-protected-areas-environment-notes

3.)Project tiger

4.)project elephant
5.)project snow leopard

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 On October 23, 2013, the Bishkek Declaration was endorsed by the governments of
twelve snow leopard range countries, to ensure that snow leopards and the people
who live among them thrive in healthy ecosystems. The Bishkek Declaration set a
goal of protecting at least 20 snow leopard landscapes with viable snow leopard
populations by 2020, and led to the formation of the Global Snow Leopard and
Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). Since then, October 23 is commemorated
each year as International Snow Leopard Day.

• The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme

(GSLEP) was also launched on the same day to address high-mountain
development issues using conservation of the snow leopard as a flagship.

6.)project hangul

7.)india rhhino vision 2020

8.)national rhino conservation authority

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 9.)Action plan for conservation of Vulture

the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

 launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25  for the conservation of vultures in the
country.

• The cause of the decline was established as diclofenac, a veterinary

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in 2004, which is used to treat pain
and inflammatory diseases such as gout in carcasses that vultures would feed off.

•
◦ The MoEFCC released the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2006 with
the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) banning the veterinary use of
diclofenac in the same year.

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 10.)project Dolphins
Recently, Union JAL Shakti Minister expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of
the approval process for Project Dolphin at a meeting of the Empowered Task
Force (ETF) on Ganga.

About
About Project Dolphin:

Project Dolphin will be on the lines of Project Tiger, which has helped increase
the tiger population.

Project got in-principle approval in December 2019, at the first meeting of

the National Ganga Council (NGC), headed by the Prime Minister.

Implementing Agency: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Special Conservation program needs to be taken up for Gangetic Dolphin

which is a national aquatic animal and also indicator speciesfor the river
Ganga spread over several states.

As the Gangetic dolphin is at the top of the food chain, protecting the species
and its habitat will ensure conservation of aquatic lives of the river.

So far, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which implements the

government’s flagship scheme Namami Gange, has been taking some initiatives
for saving dolphins.

About Gangetic dolphin:

Gangetic river dolphin is India’s national aquatic animal. Its presence signals
a healthy river ecosystem.

Habitat: It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu

river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Gangetic river dolphin is one of the four freshwater dolphin species in the

world. The other three are found in the Yangtze River, the Indus River in
Pakistan and the Amazon River.

They are usually found in turbulent waters where there is enough fish for them to
feed on.

Gangetic dolphins prefer deep water with adjoining shallow water. They live in a
zone where there is little or no current that helps them save energy. If they sense
danger, they can go into deep waters.

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 The dolphins swim from the no-current zone to the edges to hunt for fish and
return. It is almost completely blind. It finds its way and prey using echoes.

Threats to Gangetic river dolphin

Pollution: It faces a number of threats such as dumping of single-use

plastics in water bodies, industrial pollution, and fishing.

Restrictive Flow of Water: The increase in the number of barrages and

dams is also affecting their growth as such structures impede the flow of
water.

Poaching: Dolphins are also poached for their flesh, fat, and oil, which is
used as a prey to catch fish, as an ointment and as a supposed aphrodisiac.

Shipping & Dredging: It is also called a blind dolphin because it doesn’t

have an eye lens and uses echolocation to navigate and hunt.

Status of Conservation:

In the First Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972.

Endangeredby the International Union for the Conservation of

Nature (IUCN).

Appendix I(most endangered) of the Convention on International Trade

in Endangered Species (CITES).

Appendix II (migratory species that need conservation and management or

would significantly benefit from international co-operation) of
the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

11.)Eco sensitive zone

Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
stated that the Ministry will file a review petition in the Supreme Court
urging a relook into its judgment on eco-sensitive zones.

In June 2022, the Supreme Court directed that every protected forest,

national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a
mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum one km starting
from their demarcated boundaries.

The judgment came on a petition instituted for the protection of

forest lands in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

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 What are Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs)?
The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) of the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stipulated that state
governments should declare land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive
Zones (ESZs) under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.

While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its

application can vary. Areas beyond 10 km can also be notified by the
Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically
important “sensitive corridors”.

The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such
activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.

What are the Activities Allowed in ESZs?

Prohibited Activities: Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing
pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric
projects (HEP), commercial use of wood.

Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge
of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.

Regulated Activities: Felling of trees, establishment of hotels and resorts,

commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change
of agriculture system, e.g., adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc,
widening of roads.

Permitted Activities: Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices,

rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources,
adoption of green technology for all activities.

What is the Significance of ESZs?

Minimise the Impact of Development Activities:

To minimize the impact of urbanization and other developmental

activities, the areas adjacent to protected areas have been declared as
Eco-Sensitive Zones.

In-situ Conservation:

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 ESZs help in in-situ conservation, which deals with conservation of an
endangered species in its natural habitat, for example the conservation
of the One-horned Rhino of Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

Minimise Forest Depletion and Man-Animal Conflict:

Eco-Sensitive Zones minimise forest depletion and man-animal conflict.

The protected areas are based on the core and buffer model of
management, through which local area communities are also protected
and benefitted.

Minimise the Negative Impact on the Fragile Ecosystems:

The purpose of declaring eco-sensitive zones around protected areas is

to create some kind of a 'Shock Absorber' for the protected area.

They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to

areas involving lesser protection.

What are the Challenges and Threats to Eco-Sensitive

Zones?
Developmental Activities:

Activities such as construction of dams, roads, urban and rural

infrastructures in the ESZ, create interference, negatively impact upon
the environment and imbalance the ecological system.

For exampl- The construction of roads would lead to cutting down of

trees which would further impact upon, soil erosion thereby destroying
the habitats of the species preserved under the ESZ.

Governance and New Laws:

By failing to recognize the rights of forest communities and curbing

poaching of animal, legislations like the Environmental Protection Act
1986, and Wildlife Protection Act 1972, undermine the ESZs in favour
of developmental activities.

For example - The new draft notification for reducing the ESZs
of Bannerghatta National Park.

Tourism:

As the pressure of tourism is rising, the government is developing new

sites and gateways to the ESZ.

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 To cater to the increasing demand for eco-tourism, land around parks
and sanctuaries is being cleared through deforestation, displacement of
local people etc.

The tourists leave behind garbage such as plastic bags and bottles etc.
which lead to environmental degradation.

Introduction of Exotic Species: Exotic species like Eucalyptus and Acacia

auriculiformis etc., and their plantations create a competing demand on
naturally occurring forests.

Climate Change:

Biodiversity and climate change are interconnected, for example, the

rise in global temperature has generated land, water and ecological
stress on the ESZs.

For example- Forest fires or the Assam floods which badly affected

the Kaziranga National Park and its wildlife.

Local Communities: Slash and burn techniques used in agriculture, the

pressure of increasing population and the rising demand for firewood and
forest produce, etc. exert pressure on the protected areas.

What can be the Way Forward?

Promoting Eco Restoration: Afforestation and reforestation of degraded
forest, regeneration of lost habitats, reducing climate change impacts by
promoting carbon footprints and through education, is needed.

Need of Awareness: Conservation techniques, awareness about

overexploitation of resources and its adverse impacts should be propagated
among masses.

Collaboration on Different Levels: Government, civil societies and

stakeholders are largely required to collaborate with each other to balance
sustainable development with development.

The government should not confine its role to that of a facilitator of

economic activities for the immediate upliftment of the fortunes of the
State.

Achieving Sustainable Development: The States should act as a trustee

for the benefit of the general public in relation to natural resources so that
sustainable development can be achieved in the long term.

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 12.)Wetland conservation in India
13.)coastal ecosystem conservation in india
14.)conservation of western ghats

15.)biogeographic zones in india

https://prepp.in/news/e-492-biogeographic-zones-indian-biodiversity-diverse-
landscape-environment-notes

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