INDIAN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION EFFORT

MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

• In the News: Recently, the Ministry for

Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) has released Management
Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of 146
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
(NP&WLS) in the country.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

About
• It is defined as the assessment of how
well NP&WLS are being managed and if
they are protecting their values and
achieving the goals and objectives agreed
upon.
• The ratings are assigned in four
categories, as Poor – upto 40%; Fair - 41
to 59%; Good - 60 to 74%; Very Good –
75% and above.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
About
• The term ‘management effectiveness’
reflects three main themes of
Protected Areas (PAs) management:
o Design and planning issues relating to
both individual sites and PA systems.
o Adequacy and appropriateness of
management systems and processes.
o Delivery of the objectives of NP&WLS,
including conservation of values.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
About
• A uniform theme has been provided to
the assessments by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) World Commission on
Protected Areas (WCPA) Framework
which aims both to give overall guidance
in the development of assessment
systems and to encourage basic standards
for assessment and reporting.
• WCPA Framework for Assessing
Management Effectiveness is a system
with six elements: Context, Planning,
Inputs, Processes, Outputs and Outcomes.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
About
• At present, India has a network of 903
protected areas covering about five
per cent of the total geographic area of
the country. India also has 70% of the
global tiger population, 70% of Asiatic
lions and more than 60% of leopard's
global population. Hence, in order to
assess the efficacy of protected areas,
evaluation of management effectiveness
is required.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

Findings:
• Overall Performance: The results of the
present assessment are encouraging with
an overall mean MEE score of 62.01%
which is higher than the global mean of
56%.
• Regional Performance: The eastern
region of India presents the highest
overall mean MEE Score of 66.12% and
the Northern region represents the
lowest mean MEE Score of 56%.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
Findings:
• Best NP&WLS: Tirthan Wildlife
Sanctuary and Great Himalayan National
Park (GNHP) in Himachal Pradesh have
performed the best among the surveyed
protected areas (Total -146).
• Worst NP&WLS: The Turtle Wildlife
Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh was the worst
performer in the survey
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

Extra Information: Categories of Protected

Areas:
• Sanctuary: It is an area 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.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
Extra Information: Categories of Protected
Areas:
• National Park: It is 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 living
inside.
o Unlike a Sanctuary, where certain rights can
be allowed, in a National Park, no rights are
allowed.
o 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.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
Extra Information: Categories of Protected
Areas:
• Conservation Reserves: These can be
declared by the State Governments in any
area owned by the Government, particularly
the areas adjacent to National Parks and
Sanctuaries and those areas which link one
Protected Area with another. Such
declarations should be made after having
consultations with the local communities.
o These are declared for the purpose of
protecting landscapes, seascapes, flora and
fauna and their habitat. The rights of people
living inside a Conservation Reserve are not
affected.
 MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS
EVALUATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

Extra Information: Categories of Protected

Areas:
• Community Reserves: These can be
declared by the State Government in any
private or community land, not within a
National Park, Sanctuary or a
Conservation Reserve, where an
individual or a community has
volunteered to conserve wildlife and its
habitat. As in the case of a Conservation
Reserve, the rights of people living inside
a Community Reserve are not affected.
 FIRST WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOLVES

• In the News: Karnataka's first wolf

sanctuary may come up in Koppal.

About
• It is proposed in the drylands of
Bankapur in Koppal district of the
Kalyana Karnataka region.
• The proposed sanctuary is good for the
conservation of not only wolves but also
striped hyena, Indian fox, gold fox and
other animals.
 ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

• In the News: The Supreme Court has

appointed a new member to the Technical
Committee on Nilgiri Elephant Corridor.
About
• Elephant corridors are narrow strips of
land that connect two large habitats of
elephants.
• Elephant corridors are crucial to reduce
animal fatalities due to accidents and
other reasons.
 ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

About
• The corridor is situated in the
ecologically fragile Sigur plateau, which
connects the Western and the Eastern
Ghats and sustains elephant populations
and their genetic diversity.
• It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern
side and the Moyar River Valley on its
north-eastern side. The elephants cross
the plateau in search of food and water.
 ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the
largest protected forest area in India.
The Biosphere Reserve spread across
three states namely, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, and Kerala.
• The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the
Western Ghats which was declared a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
2012.
 ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• The reserve includes the Aralam,
Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole,
Bandipur, and Silent Valley national
parks. Similarly, the reserve also includes
the Wayanad, Karimpuzha, and
Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.
• It has the largest population of two
endangered species, the lion-tailed
macaque and Nilgiri tahr. The reserve
hosts more than 400 tigers.
 ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve:

• Asian Elephant Alliance, an umbrella
initiative by five NGOs, had come together
to secure 96 out of the 101 existing
corridors used by elephants across 12
States in India.
• NGOs Elephant Family, International
Fund for Animal Welfare, IUCN
Netherlands and World Land Trust have
teamed up with Wildlife Trust of India’s
(WTI) in the alliance.
 WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

• In the News: World Wildlife Day is

celebrated every year on 3rd March.

About
• Background: In 2013, the UNGA decided
to proclaim 3 March, the day of the
adoption of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
in 1973.
• Theme this year: “Forests and
Livelihoods: Sustaining People and
Planet”.
 WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES)
• Also known as the Washington
Convention, CITES is an international
agreement which aims to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild
animals and plants does not threaten their
survival.
• It entered into force in 1975. At present it
has 183 parties.
• CITES is legally binding on state parties to
the convention, which are obliged to adopt
their own domestic legislation to implement
its goals.
 WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

• CITES Appendices:
o Appendix I: includes species threatened
with extinction. Trade in specimens of
these species is permitted only in
exceptional circumstances.
o Appendix II: includes species not
necessarily threatened with extinction,
but in which trade must be controlled in
order to avoid utilization incompatible
with their survival.
o Appendix III: contains species that are
protected in at least one country, which
has asked other CITES Parties for
assistance in controlling the trade.
 DOLPHIN CENSUS

• In the News: The Odisha State Forest and

Environment Department released the
final data on the dolphin census. The
census covers almost the entire coast of
Odisha.
 DOLPHIN CENSUS

About
• The population of dolphins in Chilika,
India’s largest brackish water lake, and
along the Odisha coast has doubled this
year compared with last year.
• Three species were recorded during the
census, with 544 Irrawaddy, bottle-nose
and humpback dolphins sighted this
year, compared with 233 last year.
• The rise in the Irrawaddy dolphin
population in Chilika can be attributed to
the eviction of illegal fish enclosures.
 DOLPHIN CENSUS

Irrawaddy Dolphins:
• Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella
Brevirostris) are oceanic dolphins. Thus,
It resides in brackish water near coasts,
river mouths, and estuaries in South and
Southeast Asia.
• Features: They have a bulging forehead
and short beak. Further, They pop their
head out of the water to breathe.
• Habitat: It extends from the Bay of
Bengal to New Guinea and the Philippines.
 DOLPHIN CENSUS

Irrawaddy Dolphins:
• Rivers: They reside in three rivers
namely The Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the
Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo), and the
Mekong.
• Population: As per estimations, there are
less than 7500 Irrawaddy Dolphins in the
world. More than 6,000 Irrawaddy
dolphins have been reported from
Bangladesh.
• IUCN Status: Endangered.
 DOLPHIN CENSUS
Humpback Dolphin:
• Humpback dolphins stay in relatively
shallow nearshore waters throughout
their range. It includes most of the coastlines
in Australia, Africa, and Asia.
• Species: There are four species of
humpback dolphins with very little overlap
between their ranges:
o Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (IUCN
Status: Vulnerable)
o Indian Ocean humpback dolphin(IUCN
Status: Endangered)
o Atlantic humpback dolphin(IUCN Status:
Critically Endangered)
o Australian humpback dolphin(IUCN
Status: Vulnerable).
 DOLPHIN CENSUS
Bottlenose Dolphin:
• Further, Bottlenose dolphins are the most
common members of the family of oceanic
dolphins.
• Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and
temperate seas worldwide. Thus, they are
found everywhere except for the Arctic and
Antarctic Circle regions.
• Species: Following are three species of
Bottlenose dolphins:
o Common bottlenose dolphin (IUCN Status:
Least Concern)
o Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (IUCN Status:
Near Threatened)
o Burrunan dolphin (IUCN Status: Yet to be
categorised).
 BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE

• Facility, the Pew Charitable Trusts,

Minderoo In the News: Blue Nature
Alliance has been launched with a goal to
restore 7 million square miles of ocean in
five years.

About
• The Blue Nature Alliance is a global
partnership of five core partners and a
few other Non-Profit Organisations.
• The core partners are Conservation
International, The Global Environment
Foundation and Rob and Melani Walton
Foundation.
 BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE

About
• Aim: To safeguard global ocean
biodiversity, build resilience to climate
change, promote human well-being and
enhance ecosystem connectivity.
• Targets: The alliance has a target to:
o Conserve 18 million square kilometres of
ocean in five years.
o Protect 5% of the world’s ocean in five
years.
o Help the world achieve 30% ocean
conservation by 2030.
 BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE

About
• Target Oceans: The Alliance has started
by targeting seven ocean locations. This
includes Antarctica, Fiji, Canada,
Seychelles, Palau, the Western Indian
Ocean and Tristan da Cunha, an island in
the South Atlantic Ocean.
• The alliance will begin work by working
with local communities and national
leaders. It aims to establish new marine
protected areas (MPAs) and improve the
management of existing ones.
 BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE

Conservation International (CI)

• Conservation International (CI) is an
American non-profit environmental
organization founded in 1987.
• Objective: Its mission is to spotlight and
secure the critical benefits that nature
provides to humanity. Such as food,
freshwater, livelihoods and a stable
climate, etc.
• Headquarters: Virginia, USA.
 WORLD EARTH DAY

• In the News: Every year, 22nd April is

celebrated as Earth Day to raise public
awareness about the environment and
inspire people to save and protect it.

About
• World Earth day 2021 theme ‘Restore
Our Earth’. The theme focuses on natural
processes, emerging green technologies
and innovative thinking to restore the
world’s ecosystems.
 WORLD EARTH DAY

About
• The year 2021 marks the 51st
anniversary of the annual celebrations. It
was celebrated for the first time in the
year 1970. In 2009 the United Nations
designated April 22 as ‘International
Mother Earth Day’
• Aim: The celebration of earth day is to
achieve the following objectives.
o To build the world’s largest
environmental movement to drive
transformative change for people and the
planet.
 WORLD EARTH DAY

About
o To diversify, educate and activate the
environmental movement worldwide.
• The activities on Earth Day are led by
earthday.org formerly known as Earth
Day Network. It is a US-based
international environmental NGO and has
a presence in 195 countries.
• Significance: The Paris Agreement
brought almost 200 countries together in
setting a common target to reduce global
greenhouse emissions. It was signed on
Earth Day 2016.
 WORLD EARTH DAY

Other Important Days:

• 22nd March: World Water Day.
• 22nd April: Earth Day.
• 22nd May: World Biodiversity Day.
• 5th June: World Environment Day.
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

• In the News: Recently the Odisha

government’s plan to get Blue Flag
Certification for five beaches was opposed
by the fishermen.

About
• The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most
recognised voluntary eco-labels awarded
to beaches, marinas, and sustainable
boating tourism operators. Blue Flag
beaches are considered the cleanest
beaches of the world
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

About
• Criteria for Certification:
o In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a
series of stringent environmental,
educational, safety, and accessibility
criteria must be met and maintained.
o There are around 33 criteria that are to
be met to qualify for a Blue Flag
certification,
o Such as the water meeting certain quality
standards, having waste disposal
facilities, being disabled- friendly, having
first aid equipment, and no access to pets
in the main areas of the beach.
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES
About
• The 10 beaches that have been awarded
the “Blue Flag Certification” in
India: Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat),
Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri
(Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda
(AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha) and Radhanagar
(A&N Islands), Eden (Puducherry) and
Kovalam (Tamil Nadu).
• Denmark-based non-profit Foundation
for Environmental Education (FEE)
awards Blue Flag Certification.
• On the lines of Blue Flag certification, India
has also launched its own eco-label BEAMS
(Beach Environment & Aesthetics
Management Services).
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

BEAMS
• Beach Environment & Aesthetics
Management Services that comes under
ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone
Management) project.
• This was launched by the Society of
Integrated Coastal Management
(SICOM) and the Union Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC)
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

BEAMS
• Its objective is to:
o Abate pollution in coastal waters.
o Promote sustainable development of
beach facilities.
o Protect and conserve coastal ecosystems
and natural resources.
o Maintain high standards of cleanliness,
hygiene and safety for beachgoers in
accordance with coastal environment and
regulations.
 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

What is the ICZM Project?

• ICZM aims to improve the livelihood of
coastal communities and conserve the
coastal ecosystem.
• It is a World Bank assisted project.
• The National Centre for Sustainable
Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai,
will provide scientific and technical
inputs.
• The concept of ICZM was born in 1992
during the Earth Summit of Rio de
Janeiro.
 INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

• In the News: India’s first cryptogamic

garden housing nearly 50 species of
lichens, ferns and fungi was inaugurated
in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district.

About
• A cryptogam is a plant that reproduces
with the help of spores. The word
"Cryptogamae" implies ‘hidden
reproduction', referring to the fact that
they do not produce any reproductive
structure, seed, or flower.
 INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

About
• Due to this, they are called "flowerless" or
"seedless plants" or ‘lower plants'. They
need a moist environment to survive.
These are present in aquatic and
terrestrial places.
• Algae, bryophytes, lichens, ferns and fungi
are the best-known groups of cryptogams.
• Classification of
Cryptogams: Cryptogams are classified
into 3 groups based on the various
structural and functional criteria of the
plant.
 INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

Thallophyta:
• Thallophyta is a division of the plant
kingdom including primitive forms of
plant life showing a simple plant body.
They lack roots, stems, or leaves.
• It includes algae-like Spirogyra,
Sargassum, etc.
• They are predominantly aquatic and
found both in marine as well as
freshwater habitats.
 INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

Bryophyta:
• Bryophytes comprise a limited variety of
non-vascular land plants. They prefer
moist habitats but they can survive in dry
environments too. Example- hornworts,
liverworts, mosses, etc.
• They occupy an intermediate position
between algae and pteridophytes.
• Since bryophytes can survive in both
water and land, they are considered as
the 'amphibians of the plant kingdom'.
 INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN
Pteridophyta:
• A pteridophyte is a vascular plant that
disperses spores. It is the first plant to
have xylem and phloem.
• Ferns are the largest living group of
primitive vascular plants.

Other Types of Cryptogams:

• Liches: Lichens are a complex life form
that is a symbiotic partnership of two
separate organisms, a fungus and an
algae.
• Fungi: It is a kingdom of usually
multicellular eukaryotic organisms
that are heterotrophs.
 TIGER CORRIDOR

• In the News: The Rajasthan government

will develop a tiger corridor connecting
the newly proposed ‘Ramgarh Tiger
Reserve’, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve,
and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve.

About
• A tiger corridor is a stretch of land which
links 2 or more tiger habitats, allowing
the movement of tigers, prey, and other
wildlife. Without corridors, tiger habitat
can become fragmented, and tiger
populations isolated.
 TIGER CORRIDOR

Ramgarh Tiger Reserve:

• Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary
has recently received a nod from the
National Tiger Conservation Authority’s
(NTCA) technical committee to become
the 4th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan.
 TIGER CORRIDOR
Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (TR):
• It is located near Kota, Rajasthan. The
Mukundra Hills was declared a Wildlife
Sanctuary in 1955 and a National Park
(Mukundra Hills (Darrah) National Park)
in 2004.
• River: The reserve is located on the
eastern bank of the Chambal River and is
drained by its tributaries
• Mountains: The park is situated in a
valley formed by two parallel mountains
viz. Mukundra and Gargola.
• The Tiger Reserve constitutes 3
Wildlife Sanctuaries viz; Darrah,
Jawahar Sagar, and Chambal.
 TIGER CORRIDOR

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve:

• Ranthambore National Park and Tiger
Reserve is located in Rajasthan.
• The park is bounded to the north by the
Banas River and to the south by the
Chambal River. The park is named after
the historic Ranthambore Fort, which lies
within the park.
• Two protected areas namely Kailadevi
Wildlife Sanctuary and Sawai
Mansingh Wildlife Sanctuary are linked
by narrow corridors to the core of
Ranthambore NP and all these together
comprise the Tiger Reserve.
 DRAGONFLY CENSUS 2021

• In the News: The Fourth Edition of the

Dragonfly Census 2021 will start from
Delhi-NCR.

About
• This census will be Conducted by World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) in
partnership with Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS), United Nations
Environment Programme, Zoological
Survey of India and others.
• Aim: To spread awareness about the
importance of the Dragonfly species to
the overall ecosystem.
 DRAGONFLY CENSUS 2021
About
• The first Dragonfly census was carried
out in 2018 which revealed a total of 51
different species of these insects in New
Delhi and NCR.
• Dragonfly:
o Dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order
Odonata.
o They are most commonly found near
freshwater habitats throughout most of the
world.
• Significance: Dragonflies act as important
bio-indicators of the ecological health of an
area. As they feed on mosquitoes and other
insects that are vectors to life-threatening
diseases like Malaria and Dengue.
 DRAGONFLY CENSUS 2021

Bioindicators:
• Bioindicators are living organisms such as
plants, plankton, animals, and microbes,
which are used to assess the health of the
natural ecosystem in the environment.
• Examples of Bioindicators:
o Lichens are powerful Bioindicators of air
quality.
o Frogs are basically influenced by changes
that take place in their freshwater and
terrestrial habitats.
o Algae blooms are often used to indicate
large increases of nitrates and phosphates
in lakes and rivers.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD

• In the News: Indian biologist Shailendra

Singh has been awarded the Behler
Turtle Conservation Award for bringing
three critically endangered turtle
conservation species back from the brink
of extinction.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD
About
• Several global bodies involved in turtle
conservation such as Turtle Survival
Alliance, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and
Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group,
Turtle Conservancy, and the Turtle
Conservation Fund.
• He was awarded for bringing three
critically endangered turtle
conservation species back from the brink
of extinction.
• These species are red-crowned roofed
turtle (Batagur kachuga), northern river
terrapin (Batagur baska), and black
softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans).
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD
Northern river terrapin:
• Northern river terrapin is a species of
riverine turtle native to Southeast Asia. It
is one of Asia’s largest freshwater and
backwater turtles.
• Habitat: The species is currently found
in Bangladesh (in the Sundarbans),
Cambodia, India (parts- West Bengal &
Odisha), Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Protection Status:
o IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
o Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of
1972 Schedule I.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD
Red Crowned Roofed Turtle:
• Red Crowned Roofed Turtle is a species of
freshwater turtle endemic to South Asia.
• The last known stronghold for this river
turtle is on the Chambal River in central
India, however, small isolated populations
may still exist in the Ganges and
Brahmaputra river basins.
• Protection Status:
o IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
o Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972
: Schedule I.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD
Black Softshell Turtle(Nilssonia
nigricans):
• Black Softshell Turtle is a species of
freshwater turtle. It is found in India and
Bangladesh
• Distribution:
o Brahmaputra’s drainage and Near Temple
Ponds in Assam
o Bangladesh (Chittagong and Sylhet)
• Protection Status:
o IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
o Indian Wildlife Protection Act,1972 : It
does not enjoy legal protection.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD

Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA):

• It was formed in 2001 as an International
Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN)
partnership for sustainable captive
management of freshwater turtles and
tortoises.
 BEHLER TURTLE CONSERVATION
AWARD
Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF):
• It was established in 2002 as a
partnership initiative of Conservation
International, IUCN Tortoise and
Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
(TFTSG), and Turtle Survival Alliance
(TSA). Later, it was joined by other
organizations.
• The fund is focused on ensuring the long-
term survival of tortoises and freshwater
turtles.
THANK YOU