TIGER CENSUS - ENVIRONMENT
News: India’s
tiger population tops 3,000, shows census
What's in the news?
● India
has at least 3,167 tigers, according
to estimates from the latest tiger census made public.
● While
this is ostensibly an increase since the last census of 2018, the numbers are
not strictly comparable, as a key calculation to compute the maximum and
minimum range of the tiger population is yet to be done.
Key takeaways:
● The
tiger population numbers were made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
Mysuru, at an event to mark the International
Big Cat Alliance conference as well as the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
● He
also mentioned that India completed 75 years of Independence with nearly 75
percent of the world’s tiger population now found in India and tiger reserves
in the country span 75,000 square kilometers.
Findings of the census:
Declining in Western Ghats:
● The
tiger population has grown the most in
the Shivalik hills and Gangetic flood plains, followed by central India,
the north eastern hills, the Brahmaputra flood plains, and the Sundarbans.
● There
was a decline in the Western Ghats numbers, though “major populations” were
said to be stable.
Estimated methods:
● The
tiger numbers are estimated by adding animals caught in camera traps, as well
as those that may not have been captured in this way. The latter are estimated
by statistical techniques.
Mean values:
● In
their four-year estimates, the scientists provide a range of the estimated
tiger population, and the mean value is highlighted as the latest tiger
population.
● For
instance, in 2018, the tiger population was a minimum of 2,603 and a maximum of
3,346 with a mean value of 2,967.
Threats from infrastructural development:
● The
current estimate also does not give numbers on the proportion of tigers outside
protected areas, which are a growing number and a key marker of the
environmental threats as well as man-animal conflicts.
● However,
the census report warns that nearly all of the five major tiger-zones face
challenges to the growth of the tiger population due to the increasing demands
from infrastructure development.
Issues on Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains:
● With
tigers increasing outside Tiger Reserves in the landscape (Shivalik hills and
Gangetic plains), Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh need to invest in mitigating
conflict with tigers and mega herbivores.
Threats faced by Central highlands and Eastern ghats:
● The
wildlife habitats (Protected Areas and corridors) within this region (Central
Indian highlands and Eastern Ghats) face a range of threats, including habitat encroachment, illegal hunting of
both tigers and their prey, conflicts between humans and wildlife, unregulated
and illicit cattle grazing, excessive harvesting of non-timber forest produce,
human induced forest fires, mining, and ever-expanding linear infrastructure.
● This
region also has several mines of important minerals, hence mitigation measures
like lower mining impact techniques and rehabilitation of mining sites should
be done on priority.
Issues in North Eastern Hills & Brahmaputra Plains
Landscape:
● Despite
having habitat connectivity, many of the protected and forested areas are
devoid of tigers.
● Ecological monitoring
outside protected areas is necessary.
● The rapid development of linear infrastructures and several hydroelectric projects could potentially disturb the existing corridors and natural habitats and further alter the gene pool.
Threats in Sunderbans:
● Vulnerable to climate
change and submergence from sea level rise,
the deltaic region faces a substantial amount of accretion and erosion every
year.
● The
ever-increasing biotic interference in the form of livelihood forest
explorations, fishing, palm and timber extractions, and growing national and
international waterways make this landscape and the tiger population
vulnerable.
Other Important takeaways:
Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE):
● The
Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala is
the best-maintained of all tiger reserves in the country, according to the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness
Evaluation (MEE) carried out by the Centre and released Sunday alongside
the Tiger Census.
● The
Periyar reserve has obtained an MEE score of 94.3%, it is followed closely by
the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Bandipur in Karnataka and
Nagarhole in Karnataka.
● Twelve
12 tiger reserves have ranked in the “Excellent”
category, followed by 20 in the ‘Very
Good’ category, 14 in the ‘Good’ category
and 5 in the ‘Fair’ category. None
of the country’s tiger reserves was graded as ‘Poor’.
● At present, the country
has 998 Protected Areas – including 106 National Parks, 567 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, 105 Conservation Reserves and 220 Community Reserves - covering
1,73,629 sq km or 5.28% of India’s geographical area.
Go back to basics:
Tiger Census:
● The
national tiger census is conducted once
every four years.
● The
Nation-wide tiger census was earlier held in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018.
● The
National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA) conducts tiger censuses in partnership with state forest
departments, conservation NGOs, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Project Tiger:
● It
was launched in 1973 with 9 tiger
reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.
● Currently,
the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 54, spread out in 18 tiger range states spanning 75,000 sq km.
● The
tiger reserves are organized according to a core/buffer model.
● The
core parts are legally designated as a national park or a sanctuary, whilst the
buffer or surrounding areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land maintained
as a multiple use area.
● It
is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change that provides
government support to tiger states for tiger conservation in designated tiger
reserves.
National Tiger Conservation Authority:
● It
is a statutory body under the Ministry
of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
● It
was established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
● It
was constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers
and functions assigned to it.
Powers of NTCA:
● The
NTCA had more power to check poaching and preserve the tiger population.
● Its
mandate included setting up the Tiger Protection Force and funding the
relocation of villages from the protected areas.