Wildlife Conservation in India (Geography)

Wildlife Conservation in India

Introduction

Over the years, factors such as rapid industrialisation, pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, animal exploitation, commercialization and climate change, has caused tremendous damage to the animals and their habitat.

We all know that several species have become extinct in the world in the last few decades, and many more species are on the verge of extinction. While “no species” is going to last on earth forever, but their extinction is becoming a lot faster compared to the natural extinction rate, say experts.

Over the years, the public have become more cognizant of the problem and politicians world over are taking steps towards environmental and world life protection. This project takes a closer look at the efforts of the Government of India towards Wildlife Conservation in India.

Importance of Biodiversity

The Earth’s natural assets are made up of plants, animals, water, land, the atmosphere, and of course, humans.

Biodiversity is important for the overall good health of the planet as it has a direct impact on our lives. Reduced biodiversity means millions of people on this planet face a future where food supplies are more vulnerable to pests and disease, and where fresh water will be in short supply.

Reasons for Impact

However, things like overpopulation, deforestation, climate change, poaching and animal exploitation, human apathy is causing a big strain on our ecosystems.

Animals are poached as there’s a commercial demand for animal products such as ivory, horn, teeth, skin and bone. In India, animals like Tiger, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Monitor Lizard, continue to be poached, despite ban on poaching of wild animals and the trade of animal parts.

Because, biodiversity directly impacts human lives in big ways, the flora and fauna need to be protected and that is why wildlife conservation efforts become so much important.

Why Wildlife Conservation

Here are some more benefits of wildlife conservation.

Wildlife conservation efforts ensure food security for all living beings.

Protecting forests from deforestation and rebuilding forest habitats to preserve biodiversity aids in the carbon-sequestering process, and guards against erosion. As a result, agricultural productivity also improves, thereby allowing farms to become more productive.

Wildlife conservation also helps protect human health as several key ingredients needed for modern as well as traditional medicines come from wild plants and animals.

Wildlife conservation projects also bring the community together as they call for a team effort. From rangers to administrators, conservation initiatives invite the opportunity for a new preservation-based economy.

Conservation steps taken by Government of India

Besides initiating several conservation projects of wild animals, Indian Government has also initiated additional schemes to protect endangered animals and for wildlife protection in general.

Here are some important steps taken by the Government of India to protect biodiversity in India.

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  Indian Government came up with the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972, and created several protected Areas like National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves for protecting wildlife. There’s law in place now that punishes those involved in illegal acts such as hunting, poaching.

• Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been drafted to protect wetlands in India. The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System provides assistance to the various states for proper management of all wetlands.

• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was established to curb the illegal trade of wildlife and that of endangered species.

• Special organizations like Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History were setup to conduct research on conservation of wildlife.

• In order to strengthen tiger conservation, National Tiger Conservation Authority was established by Government of India. A Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) has also been constituted.

• The State Governments have been asked to strengthen patrolling in and around Protected Areas. E-Surveillance has started in a few Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Laws and Acts Passed by Indian Government to Protect Wildlife

Here are some important Environment and Biodiversity Acts Passed by Indian Government.

• Fisheries Act 1897
• Indian Forests Act 1927
• Mining And Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957
• Prevention of Cruelty To Animals 1960
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972
• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
• Forest Conservation Act 1980
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981
• Environment Protection Act 1986
• Biological Diversity Act 2002
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act 2006

Important Wildlife Protection Projects by Indian Government

The Government of India has undertaken several Wildlife Conservation projects to save animals and their habitats. Here are a few important ones.

• Project Tiger
• Project Elephant
• Crocodile Conservation Project

Project Tiger

Tiger is the national animal of India and it’s important to safeguard the population of this majestic animal by taking care of their habitat.

The much-needed project was launched in Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand way back in 1972 under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, and the primary objective of the this project was to save the Royal Bengal Tigers from getting extinct in India.

One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures, ‘Project Tiger’ has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also of the entire ecosystem. There are close to fifty tiger reserves situated spread across several regions in India, the more popular ones being Corbett National Park in Nainital and Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. Jim Corbett, Bandipur, Ranthambore, Nagarhole, Gir, Kanha, Sunderbans, Sariska, Tadoba are some of the national parks in India that are involved in Project Tiger.

At such reserves, the Tiger Task Force conducts regular assessments of the number of tigers, their habitat, and hunting habits. Human interference in any of the reserves and forests is not allowed. A proper habitat has been created for the Tigers to hunt, live and survive.

Project Tiger has been acknowledged as one of the most successful projects in Wildlife conservation. The project has seen significant success in the growth of the habitat, and increase in Tiger population in the reserve areas, from a meagre 268 tigers in 9 reserves in 1972 to well over 2000 tigers in 2018.

Another positive impact of the project is the ‘employment’ that it generates. Project Tiger has not only been useful to tigers, it has been useful for humans as well. Right from building national parks to managing every aspect of it, requires manpower. The massive success of the project has generated significant employment as well.

Project Elephant

Project Elephant was initiated by the Government of India in 1992 with the objective of conserving elephants and their habitat.

Under the project, existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants are restored ecologically. Scientific and planned management is being developed for conservation of elephant habitats and viable population. Overall welfare of elephants is considered, issues like human-elephant conflict are taken care of, and there’s also efforts to improve protection of elephants from poachers and unnatural death.

The Project is being implemented in several States / union Territories, such as Andhra pradesh , Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand , Karnataka , Kerala , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Orissa , Tamil Nadu , Uttranchal , Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The first elephant reserve or elephant sanctuary in India was the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve of Jharkhand. Since then, many more elephant Reserves have come up in India. The Bandipur National Park in Karnataka is the largest habitat of wild elephants in India.

Crocodile Conservation Project

The Crocodile Conservation Project is another successful venture by Government of India to conserve crocodiles in India; this species was on the verge of extinction once in India.

The primary objectives of the crocodile project include:

i) to boost reproductive output by collection of wild-laid eggs with subsequent incubation and rearing of young until of a size (less vulnerable to predation) suitable for release in the wild. The establishment of viable gharial breeding populations in Chambal and Satkoshia Gorge sanctuaries have received a lot of praise for its success.

ii) to protect the natural habitat of various species such as gharial/aligator, mugger/crocodile saltwater crocodiles. This is done by establishing sanctuaries, promoting captive breeding, improving management of the sanctuaries and the various activities, and by involving the local people in the project.

Today, there are several crocodile rehabilitation centres and crocodile sanctuaries established in India. Among the more popular crocodile sanctuaries in India are the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu, National Chambal Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha. The Crocodile Breeding and Management Training Institute was established in Hyderabad in 1980 to address the need for well-trained staff, which is extremely important for a successful crocodile conservation programme.

Conclusion

For a long time, humans have had a self-interested relationship with the environment, which has caused a lot of damage to our environment, especially wildlife. Rapid deforestation, overpopulation, and consumer culture are the biggest causes for the extinction of several flora and fauna, and biodiversity loss.

While efforts are being taken by the government towards wildlife conservation, it is important for the general public and businesses to adopt more sustainable means, in order to prevent further damage to our ecosystems.

Taking care of the world’s wildlife should be everyone’s responsibility and the sooner we realise this, it will be good for our own species; it’s a fallacy that the humans will continue to survive on this planet when all other species around are getting extinct.

References / Bibliography

LIVING PLANET REPORT 2020

Wildlife Conservation Initiatives by Indian Government

National Tiger Conservation Authority

Elephant Reserves

Crocodile Conservation in India

The GOI UNDP Sea Turtle Conservation Project

India adopts SAWEN statute against wildlife crimes

Academic Projects on Wildlife Conservation in India

Question. Reasons why Wildlife Conservation is needed – poaching, climate change, there are many endangered species (mention a few) in India.

What are the main conservation steps that the enlivenment of India is taking.

What are the various sanctuaries, reserves and protected forests we have in India.

Write a para on a protected forest or sanctuary in India, the name of the sanctuaries, the different kind of projects that the government is undertaking – tiger, rhino, etc.

Question. Class X: Geography Project. Wildlife conservation efforts in India. Do a case study about an endangered species in India. This project should include: The general description about the endangered species. Distribution and habitat. Special adaptations if any. Interesting Features. Feeding habits. Breeding habits. Factors leading to endangering of that species. Conservation strategies. Support your project with recent newspaper clippings.