In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: No Wild, No Life

Anchor: Vishal Dahiya

Participants: 

1. Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh, Former Director, Wildlife Preservation, GoI
2. Dr. Sejal Worah, Programme Director, WWF India 
3. Neha Sinha, Conservation Biologist & Author

Context: 

Human beings extensively derive their necessities from wildlife resources that are indispensable for their sustenance. Wildlife is in dire need of regulations and interventions for the maintenance of ecological balance, economic growth and prosperity of the nation

A brief perspective:

• In continuity with the pace of time, human activities have contributed largely to an emerging threat on wildlife and biodiversity along with the challenge of diminishing resources. 
• Human life is largely dependent on nature as a source of food, fuel, medicines, housing and clothing. 
• Moreover, many people rely on wildlife for employment and economic opportunities. 
• The present hour determines our arrival at a point that calls for effective measures and firm resolutions to protect the wildlife and conserve the biodiversity in order to achieve the futuristic Sustainable Development Goals.

Examining the present scenario:

• The IUCN Red List of threatened species put forth an estimate that over 8400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered and 30,000 more are anticipated to be endangered and vulnerable. 
• According to the IUCN data, 239 faunal species in India are classified as endangered species which includes 45 species of mammals, 23 species of birds, 18 species of reptiles, 39 species of amphibians and 114 species of fish.
• India has a network of 733 Protected Areas that include 103 National Parks, 537 wildlife sanctuaries, 67 conservation reserves and 26 community reserves.

Forest Survey Report 2021

• The total forest and tree cover of the country has been estimated as 80.9 million which is 24.62% of the total geographical area of the country. There has been an increase in forest cover (to 1540 sq km) and tree cover (to 721 sq km). 
• Andhra Pradesh followed by Telangana and Odisha are the top three states showing an increase in forest cover. 
• Based on the area, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. 
• In terms of percentage of forest cover, the top five states include: 

• About 17 states/UTs have above 33% of the geographical area under forest cover.
• Total mangrove cover has been estimated as 4,992 sq km, which indicates an increase of 17 sq km in mangrove cover. 
• Odisha followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka have shown an increase in mangrove cover.
• Total carbon stock in the country’s forests is 7, 204 million tonnes, indicating an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in carbon stock. There is an annual increase in the carbon stock which is about 39.7 million tonnes. 

What’s new in ISFR 2021? 

• The Forest Survey of India included a new chapter related to the assessment of forest cover in tiger reserves, corridors and lion conservation areas of India. It is based on a decadal assessment of change in forest cover in those areas between the period of 2011 and the current cycle of 2019-2020. 
• Above Ground Biomass is a new chapter that is added. This study was carried out at a pan-India level using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The study is still continuing and a detailed report will be submitted after its completion. 
• FSI, in collaboration with Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, carried out a study on climate change hotspots in Indian forests.

Read the India State of Forest Report 2021 in detail in the link.

Challenges faced by wildlife:

• The neglect and collapse of basic wildlife protection capacity along with the inefficiency of forest administration have been underlying problems faced by the wildlife. 
• A serious threat to the wildlife species is created by illegal poaching and hunting. 
• Reckless developmental projects that include the construction of highways, mines and dams have detrimental effects on the habitats of wildlife. 
• The illegal trade of wildlife has been prevalent and encourages the existence of criminal elements that result in the massive killing of animals and it is difficult to identify the practice of silent poaching and extremely challenging to educate the local community against poaching. 
• A large chunk of human settlement in the protected areas represents an alarming situation which is commonly referred to as human-wildlife conflict. 
• The extraction of non-timber forest products has adverse effects on the wildlife. 
• A study published in the Nature journal that displayed the biggest threats to wildlife found that agriculture and overexploitation of resources are the major threats. 
• The power line projects pose an enormous threat to the birds along with considerable interference with their habitats. For example, the Great Indian Bustard which is a native species of the sub-continent is almost on the verge of extinction due to the developmental projects that are life-threatening for them.

Image source: ourworldindata.org

Legal framework for Wildlife in India:

• Section 2 (37) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 defined wildlife to include any animal, either aquatic or terrestrial and vegetation that forms a part of any habitat. 
• The Wildlife Protection Act provides legal support for the protection and conservation of wildlife in India.
• The act was implemented to protect wild animals, birds and plants with an objective to ensure the environmental and ecological security of India. 
• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established to eliminate the illegal trade of wildlife along with endangered species. 
  • The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 
• The Constitution of India makes it a Fundamental Duty of the citizens to protect wildlife and have compassion for living creatures.
• According to Article 48A (a DPSP), it is the duty of the state to protect, safeguard and work for the improvement of forests and wildlife of the country. 
• Wildlife is placed under the concurrent list (List III) of Schedule VII of the Constitution that brings it under the purview of both State and the Union governments. 
• India is a part of many international conventions that intend to enhance the conservation of wildlife. Some of these conventions include the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Efforts of the Government:

• The government has been responsive in attending to the challenges of the wildlife and has taken various initiatives to protect and conserve it. 
• The ongoing conservation efforts are based on an integrated approach to evolutionary theory and environmental scenarios considering the influence of global warming and climate change, pollution and human activities. 
• The important Convention Projects include the following:

1. Project Snow Leopard: Snow leopards reside in the Himalayan landscape and in states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act as it is under the risk of habitat loss and poaching. The IUCN status of this species is vulnerable. It is also listed in the CITES and CMS which determine its highest conservation status both nationally and internationally. This project aims at an inclusive and participatory approach to conserve Snow Leopards boosted by initiatives such as SECURE (Securing Livelihoods, Conservation, Sustainable use and Restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems) and Save our Snow Leopards (an initiative by the World Wide Fund).

 Read more about Snow Leopard in the linked article.

2. Project Tiger: 

• It was launched by the government in the Palamau Tiger Reserve, Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand to prevent the extinction of tigers by ensuring the presence of their viable population in their natural habitat. 
• It is governed by the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). 

3. Project Elephant: 

• It was launched in 1992 and is a centrally sponsored scheme.
• The project intends to manage and protect elephants in the states which have free-ranging populations of wild elephants. 
• The project attempts to protect the elephants at the Elephant Corridors and their habitats.
• It also works towards the preservation of man-animal conflict.
• This is a crucial initiative and it protects the elephants from hunters and poachers along with the mitigation of illegal trade of ivory. 

Walking ahead:

• Conservation of Wildlife is essential for the stability of the ecosystem making strict regulations on human activities in the wildlife habitats an urgent requirement. 
• There should be joint efforts by the state and central government to establish a balance between economic activities and wildlife conservation.
• It has been suggested that the critically endangered species of the country need critical and urgent intervention towards their conservation and habitat protection.
• Absolute zero tolerance must be adopted through effective interventions towards the conversion of any form of the ecosystem into other forms of land use. 
• The ambit of protected areas, which is less than 5%, must be extended in order to achieve a holistic ecological balance. 
• Innovative methods through technology intervention need to be developed for the peaceful coexistence of humans and animals. 
• The alarming statistics must serve as a clarion call to ignite the sense of responsibility for the conservation of the wildlife among the government bodies, forest departments, conservation activists, researchers and other stakeholders before human beings witness irreversible damage to the ecosystem. 

Read more summaries of Perspective in the link.

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