Syllabus
GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Context
As India completes 50 years of Project Tiger, the article paints a nuanced picture of India’s tiger conservation efforts, highlighting the challenges of balancing the needs of tigers with the needs of the people who share their habitat
Source
The Hindu | Editorial dated 10- January 2024
About Project Tiger:
Goals
- Ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in India
- Preserve tigers and their habitat for their scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural, and ecological value.
- Type
- Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
- Implementing Authority
- National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
- States Covered
- 18 States in India with 54 Tiger Reserves
Achievements of Project Tiger:
- Increased Populations.
- India’s tiger population has seen a phenomenal surge in recent years, expanding by 30% within the last eight years alone
- Increased coverage
- Expanding from just 9 reserves in the 1970s to cover 54 reserves across 18 states, protecting over 57,000 sq km of crucial tiger habitat.
- Global Spotlight:
- India’s commitment to tiger conservation has made it a global leader in the field.India met its TX2 (goal of doubling wild tiger population by 2022) in 2018 (four years ahead of its target) (St. Petersburg Declaration on tiger conservation).
- With over 70% of the world’s wild tigers thriving within its borders, India sets a powerful example for other countries to follow.
- Ripple Effect:
- By prioritizing tiger conservation, Project Tiger has inadvertently protected a whole ecosystem. The ban on tiger hunting has fostered the populations of countless other species
Challenges faced by project tiger:
- Displacement of forest-dwelling communities
- Conflict with FRA, 2006: The Forest Rights Act passed by the Indian government in 2006 recognizes the rights of some forest-dwelling communities in forest areas.
- India’s tiger reserves have been notified without meeting these requirements. The government hasn’t obtained informed consent from forestdwelling Scheduled Tribe communities and other traditional communities.
- The Gram Sabha’s consent is mandatory for diversion of land. But on October 28, 2020, the Environment Ministry insisted that the National Board for Wildlife, a statutory body under Wild Life Protection Act, must issue a wildlife clearance if these diversions are from National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
- Conflicting legal frameworks:
- provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act create obstacles to harmonious coexistence
- Inadequate compensation and relocation packages
- Man-Animal Conflicts
- As tiger populations recover, their interactions with humans living near reserves increase, leading to livestock depredation, injuries, and even fatalities.
- Poaching: Project Tiger’s efforts were mainly hampered by poaching
- Lack of adequate protection in the outside tiger reserve.
- According to a report, nearly 29 per cent of tigers lives outside of the core zone
Way Ahead:
- Promoting human-wildlife coexistence through awareness programs and conflict mitigation strategies
- In 2005 a five member Tiger Task Force asserted that “the protection of the tiger is inseparable from the protection of the forests it roams in. But the protection of these forests is itself inseparable from the fortunes of the people who, in India, inhabit forest areas”.
- Originally, tiger reserves were to be created in a democratic process and “on the basis of scientific and objective criteria”.
- The tiger conservation plan should ensure the agricultural, livelihood, development and other interests of the people living in tigerbearing forests or a tiger reserve
- Buffer Area outside the CTH is to promote human animal coexistence while recognising the livelihood, developmental, social, and cultural rights of the local people. Its geographical limits are to be determined on the basis of objective criteria with inputs from the concerned Gram Sabha as well as an expert committee.
- Only if coexistence is not possible relocation of forest dwellers be considered.
- Create harmony with FRA, 2006
- Obtaining informed consent from forestdwelling Scheduled Tribe communities and other traditional communities.
- Steps to reduce man animal conflict
- Investing in habitat restoration and connectivity conservation.
- Strengthening anti-poaching measures and wildlife trafficking control
- Sustainable funding mechanisms and resource allocation are critical for the project’s long-term success.
Conclusion:
Instead of relying solely on traditional methods like fences and guards, a successful tiger reserve needs to embrace the wisdom and traditions of local communities. By building a cultural model of conservation, we can create a more sustainable and inclusive way to protect these vital animals and their habitats.
RELATED TOPICS
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
- Established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
- Statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Headed by the Union Minister of the MoEFCC (Chairperson) and the Minister of State in the MoEFCC (Vice-Chairperson).
- Includes 3 Members of Parliament and the Secretary of the MoEFCC.
Functions of the NTCA:
- Provides supervisory and coordination for tiger conservation efforts.
- Approves the Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by each state government.
States Covered by Project Tiger:
- 18 states in India have tiger reserves as part of Project Tiger.
- As of 2023, there are a total of 54 tiger reserves across the country.
- The latest additions to the program are Guru Ghasidas National Park and the Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh.
Forest Rights Act, 2006
It recognizes and vest the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations.
The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community Forest Rights (CFR) or both .
Rights Under the Forest Rights Act:
- Title rights:
- It gives the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
- Ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted.
- Use rights:
- The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas etc.
- Relief and development rights:
- To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
- Forest management rights:
- It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.
References:
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1943922
https://ntca.gov.in/
http://tribal.nic.in/FRA.aspx
Practice Question
Briefly explain India’s Project Tiger. How can genuine community participation and informed consent be integrated into tiger conservation efforts to ensure both wildlife protection and equitable outcomes for forest communities?