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Environment & Ecology: Protected Area

  • Categories
    Environment & Ecology
  • Published
    13-Feb-2020

Protected Area Network in India

  • India is one of the 17 mega diverse countries of the world.
  • With only 2.4% of the world’s land area, 16.7% of the world’s human population and 18% livestock, it contributes about 8% of the known global biodiversity, however, putting enormous demands on our natural resources.
  • India is home to world’s largest wild tigers population and has got unique assemblage of globally important endangered species like Asiatic lion, Asian Elephant, Onehorned Rhinoceros, Gangetic River Dolphin, Snow Leopard, Kashmir Stag, Dugong, Gharial, Great Indian Bustard, Lion Tailed Macaque etc

Protected Area Network in India:

  • A National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by the Prime Minister of India provides for policy framework for wildlife conservation in the country.
  • The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) was adopted in 2002, emphasizing the people’s participation and their support for wildlife conservation.
  • India’s conservation planning is based on the philosophy of identifying and protecting representative wild habitats across all the ecosystems.
  • The Indian Constitution entails the subject of forests and wildlife in the Concurrent list.
  • The Federal Ministry acts as a guiding torch dealing with the policies and planning on wildlife conservation, while the provincial Forest Departments are vested with the responsibility of implementation of national policies and plans.
  • A network of 662 Protected Areas (PAs) has been established, extending over 1,58,508 sq. kms. (4.83% of total geographic area), comprising 104 National Parks, 551 Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves.
  • Tiger Reserves and Elephant Reserves have been designated for species specific management of tiger and elephant habitats.
  • UNESCO has designated 5 Protected Areas as World Heritage Sites.
  • As the ecosystems and species do not recognise political borders, the concept of Trans-boundary Protected Areas has been initiated for coordinated conservation of ecological units and corridors with bilateral and/or multilateral cooperation of the neighbouring nations.
  • There are 4 categories of the Protected Areas viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves.

WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

  • Sanctuary is an area comprised within any reserve forest or the territorial waters, which is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance. The Sanctuary is declared for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife or its environment. Certain rights of people living inside the Sanctuary could be permitted. Further during the settlement of claims, before finally notifying the Sanctuary, the Collector may, in consultation with the Chief Wildlife Warden, allow the continuation of any right of any person in or over any land within the limits of the Sanctuary

NATIONAL PARK

  • It is an area within a Sanctuary or outside having adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance.
  • The National Park is also declared for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife or its environment, like that of a Sanctuary.
  • The difference between a Sanctuary and a National Park mainly lies in the vesting of rights of people livening inside.
  • Unlike a Sanctuary, where certain rights can be allowed, in a National Park, no rights are allowed.
  • No grazing of any livestock shall also be permitted inside a National Park while in a Sanctuary, the Chief Wildlife Warden may regulate, control or prohibit it.
  • In addition, while any removal or exploitation of wildlife of forest produce from a Sanctuary requires the recommendation of the State Board for Wildlife, removal etc., from a National Park requires recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife.

Wildlife sanctuaries and National Park in India

  • Jim Corbett National Park: Said to be India's most beautiful wildlife reserve, Jim Corbett National Park was established in 1936. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, this National Park is spread over an area of 1318.54 sq. km. Home to a rich ecosystem the Jim Corbett consists rolling grasslands interspersed with rivers and valleys. An ideal place for bird watchers and nature lovers this national park in North India is the residing place of the endangered Bengal Tiger. Consisting of a diversified flora and fauna this sanctuary in India is home to about 600 different species of plants, over 650 species of birds and animals which includes gharial, elephant, chital, sambar, wild boar , King Cobra, Indian Pangolin nilgai, muntjac, common musk shrew, and the flying fox.
  • Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: Situated in the mighty Western Ghats the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is said to be heaven for nature lovers. Set amidst the picturesque surroundings and vast tracts of lush greeneries of Kerala this wildlife sanctuary in South India is the adobe of some of the rarest endangered species in the country. Beautiful as it is this wildlife sanctuary offers enthralling views of nature and includes a host of wildlife attractions like Barking Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog, Deer, Mouse and very rarely, a Tiger. There are also a number of birds that inhabit the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary which include Darters, Kingfishers, Cormorants and the Malabar Hornbill.
  • Gir National Park: Spread over an area of 1412 sq km the Gir National Park lies in the Gujarat Peninsular region of India. Known to be the only habitat of the world renowned Asiatic Lion, this wildlife reserve in western India is every nature lovers' dream. Consisting of a seamless blend of valleys, rivers, dense deciduous forests and swampy grasslands this national park is considered as one of the top wildlife habitats in the country. Apart from the Asiatic Lions this wildlife reserve is also famous for species like; Grey Musk Shrew, Flying Foe, Hare, Hedgehog, Small Indian Civet, Indian Pangolin, Ratel, Porcupine, Fox and Jackal. The peafowl is the most important bird found here. Kamleshwar Dam provides a large water body for marsh crocodiles, reptiles and birds.
  • Sariska National Park: Counted as one of the most frequented wildlife reserves in India, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Extending over 800 sq km of vast green milieu and encompassing certain important historical monuments, dating back to 10 century, within the vicinity of the park this wildlife sanctuary is definitely eye candy to nature and wildlife enthusiasts. The biosphere of this wildlife sanctuary includes rocky landscapes, dry deciduous forests, and hilly cliffs. Sasrika is said to be ethereal for bird watchers with some of the rarest feathered species like Grey Partridge, white breasted Kingfisher, golden backed woodpecker and the Sand Grouse. Some of the wildlife that reside in this sanctuary are; Four-horned antelope, hyena rhesus macaque, leopard, languor and the jungle cat.
  • Sunderbans National Park: Synonymous with wildlife and wildlife sanctuaries in India the Sunderbans National Park is the undisputed gem in the crown of the eastern part of India. It is situated in the world's largest Delta this wildlife reserve in India spreads over an area of 4264 square km of impenetrable mangrove forests. Bestowed with the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site the Sunderbans in Eastern India is known to be the largest tiger reserve in the country. Idyllic for bird gazers and nature lovers the Sunderbans is home to species a multitude of species apart from the Royal Bengal Tiger like; Jungle Cat, Flying Fox, Chital, Wild boar and Pangolin.
  • Ranthambore National Park: When talking about National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India Ranthambore National Park needs a definite mention. Ranked as one of the largest and most reputed national park in North India this wildlife sanctuary is situated in Rajasthan. Said to be the once famous hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur this National Park sprawls over 1,334 sq km of terrain. Offering a gamut of flora and fauna and home to species such as the sambar, hyena, sloth bear, leopard, nilgai, dhole and lots more this is a place worth a visit.

CONSERVATION RESERVE AND COMMUNITY RESERVES

  • Conservation reserves and community reserves in India are terms denoting protected areas of India which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India.
  • Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities, and community areas if part of the lands are privately owned.
  • Administration of such reserves would be through local people and local agencies like the gram panchayat, as in the case of communal forests.
  • Community reserves are the first instances of private land being accorded protection under the Indian legislature. It opens up the possibility of communally owned for-profit wildlife resorts, and also causes privately held areas under non-profit organizations like land trusts to be given protection.
  • These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 − the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
  • These categories were added because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land, and land use.
  • A case in point was the Melghat Tiger Reserve where a large area was left unprotected due to private ownership.
  • Amendments to the Wild life protection act in 2003, provided a mechanism for recognition and legal backing to the community initiated efforts in wildlife protection.
  • It provides a flexible system to achieve wildlife conservation without compromising community needs.
  • Tiruvidaimarudur Conservation Reserve, declared on February 14, 2005, is the First Conservation Reserve to be established in the country. It is an effort of a village community who wanted to protect the birds nesting in their village

Hangul

Context

A massive decline in the population of Kashmir’s iconic wildlife species, the Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu), also known as the Kashmir stag, continues to be a big concern as conservation efforts for it, going on for years, have not yielded any significant results so far.

About

Hanguls in India:

  • Today, Hangul, the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir, is restricted to the Dachigam National Park some 15 km north-west of Jammu & Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.
  • From a population of 5,000 in the early 1900s, the Hangul’s numbers have constantly declined over the decades.
  • According to the latest survey in 2017, the population of Hangul is 182 in Dachigam and adjoining areas.
  • Earlier population estimates suggest that there were 197 Hanguls in 2004 and 186 in 2015.
  • Small isolated Hangul herds of five to ten have been reported from adjoining areas of Dachigam which include Shikargah-Tral and the Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary in south Kashmir.
  • It was once widely distributed in the mountains of Kashmir and parts of Chamba district in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
  • The IUCN’s Red List has classified it as Critically Endangered and it is placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978.

Why is Hangul population declining?

  • The biggest challenges in the way of conservation and population growth of Hangul are habitat fragmentation, predation and very low fawn-female ratio.
  • Another challenge is the male-female and fawn-adult disparity in the Hangul population. There is a female-biased ratio of 23 males to every 100 females. The female-biased ratio and the fawn to female ratio of 30:100 are the two main reasons for the declining numbers of Kashmir’s Hangul.
  • Fawns are also predated upon by the dogs of security forces deployed in forests and the dogs of nomads who graze their herds in areas which are Hangul habitats.

Conservation efforts:

  • An important part of the conservation project for Hangul is to study the food habits, breeding patterns and movements of the species in and out of its habitat and tagging the animals with satellite collars.
  • There was a 66-hectare sheep farm in the lower part of the Dachigam National Park. Since 2002, the wildlife department had been consistently pleading with the sheep husbandry officials that the farm is acting as a huge disturbance to the habitat of the Hangul. Now the farm is removed helping in conservation of Hanguls.
  • Another conservation measure taken by the wildlife department in recent years is a project for improving the population of the Hangul through ex-situ breeding. The breeding centre, along with some infrastructure over a five-acre forested area in south Kashmir’s Shikargah-Tral was started a few years ago.

Anthropocene recognised as an epoch

Context

The pervasive and persistent signatures of modern human activity on the earth have been so striking that officially, it is being recognised and named as a new geologic epoch (Anthropocene).

About

  • Recently, the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) overwhelmingly voted to recognise Anthropocene as an epoch. The vote gives form to the efforts of scientists, notably the Nobel Laureate Paul Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer, who coined the term in 2000 to highlight how human activity had changed many facets of the earth.

Geochronology:

  • Eon (largest)
  • Era
  • Period
  • Epoch
  • Age
  • Chron (smallest)

Geological epoch:

  • In geochronology, an epoch is a subdivision of the geologic timescale that is longer than an age but shorter than a period. The current epoch is the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period.
  • Cenozoic (current era)
    • Quaternary (current period)
      • Holocene (current epoch: The start of the Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago marks the end of the transition from the last glacial phase to a period of warming and a rise in sea level.)
      • Pleistocene
  • Neogene
    • Pliocene
    • Miocene
  • Paleogene
    • Oligocene
    • Eocene
    • Paleocene

Anthropocene:

  • It is a proposed epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems.
  • Human activity has been drastically changing the earth, with the greatest impacts coming from agriculture, large-scale deforestation, the industrial revolution and increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, besides the creation of materials such as concrete and plastic.
  • Unlike the others, it will be the first time that the beginning of an epoch would be based on human activity and not the consequences of changes brought about by nature.

Marker for this new epoch:

  • Anthropocene Working group voted to look for unique signatures around the 1950s to define the start of the Anthropocene.
  • To be chosen as a geologic marker, the golden spike must be present globally across most environments and must be a part of deposits for a geologically significant length of time.
  • A decrease in deuterium excess, a proxy for climate change, owing to the reorganisation of North Atlantic Ocean-atmosphere circulation was a definitive geologic marker (or golden spike) to signify the base of Holocene.
  • Now, radionuclides from atomic bomb tests from the early 1950s are emerging as a favourite golden spike candidate to define the base of the Anthropocene.

Waste-to-Energy

Context

DMRC becomes India’s 1st project to receive Power from Waste-to-Energy.

About

More on news:

  • Delhi Metro has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12 MW capacity waste-to-energy plant set up in Ghazipur and the plant will mitigate over 8 million tons of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) over the life of the project.
  • DMRC will take approximately 17.5 million units per annum from this plant, however, the energy off-take will depend upon the actual generation of the plant.
  • The waste-to-energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL) is based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving the Delhi government and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), besides the EDWPCL.
  • The plant is India's first Euro norms compliant waste-to-energy facility and the state of the art facility is set up to process above 1,500 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste and generate 12 MW of green power.
  • The Delhi Metro has been working continuously towards the conservation of the environment since the inception of the organization and is the first ever rail based organisation in the world to claim carbon credits.
  • The DMRC has also commissioned a facility at Rohini (Delhi) on PPP model with IL&FS Environmental Infrastructure & Services Ltd (IEISL) for recycling of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste with a capacity of 150 tons per day.
  • Currently, DMRC is producing 28 MW of solar power from the various rooftop solar power plants, which have been set up in its stations, depots and residential premises.
  • The mass transit operator has also started to receive solar power from the off-site solar power plant at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
  • In construction also, DMRC plants 10 trees for each tree that is cut. Close to 4 lakh vehicles are being removed from the streets because of the Delhi Metro.

Waste-to-Energy

  • Waste-to-Energy (WtE) or Energy-from-Waste (EfW) is a form of energy recovery and the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source.
  • Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.
  • Incineration, the combustion of organic material such as waste with energy recovery, is the most common WtE implementation method.
  • All new WtE plants in OECD countries incinerating waste (residual MSW, commercial, industrial or RDF) must meet strict emission standards, including those on nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), heavy metals and dioxins. Modern incinerators reduce the volume of the original waste by 95-96 percent, depending upon composition and degree of recovery of materials such as metals from the ash for recycling.
  • Incinerators may emit fine particulate, heavy metals, trace dioxin and acid gas, even though these emissions are relatively low from modern incinerators. Other concerns include proper management of residues: toxic fly ash, which must be handled in hazardous waste disposal installation as well as incinerator bottom ash (IBA).

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