Question

Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.

Answer 1

Due to rapid reduction in the forests and wildlife population, Conservation of forests and wildlife has become very important.

• Our life support systems – soil, air, water and ecological diversity is preserved through conservation.
• For better growth of breeding and species, conservation preserves the genetic diversity of animals and plants.
• A demand for a national wildlife protection programme was made by the conservationists in the 1960s and 1970s.
• In 1972 the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented with different provisions for protection of wildlife.
• An all India list of protected species was also published.
• The thrust of the programme was towards restricting trade in wildlife, giving legal protection to their habitats, by banning hunting, protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species.
• Subsequently, state and central governments established many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks were established by the state and central governments.
• Some animals like snow leopard, the great Indian bustard (godawan), black buck (chinkara), the Indian elephant have been given partial or full legal protection from trade and hunting throughout India.
• For protecting specific animals, which were gravely threatened, the central government announced several projects for protecting the Asiatic lion, the Kashmir stag or hangul, one horned rhinoceros, the tiger, three types of crocodiles – the Gharial, saltwater crocodile, and freshwater crocodile.
• Rather than focusing on a few components, the conservation projects are now focusing on biodiversity.
• In conservation planning, even insects are beginning to find a place. There is now a more intensive search for different conservation measures.
• Several hundred beetles, moths, butterflies, and one dragonfly have been added to the list of protected species in the notification under Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986.
• Starting with six species, for the first time plants were also added to the list in 1991.
• Through involvement of local communities, degraded forests have been restored and managed through the Joint Forest Management (JFM) Programme.
• As per JFM, local (village) institutions are formed to undertake protection activities managed by the forest department in the degraded forests.
• In return for their protection activities, intermediary benefits like share in the timber harvested by successful protection, and non timber forest produce are given to the members of these communities.