India
Leads the World in Tiger Conservation
Prelims:
Environment & Ecology, International
Organisations
Mains:
GS Paper III- Conservation
Current relevance:
On the occasion of International Tiger Day (29
July), the Government highlighted India's remarkable achievements in science-based
tiger conservation, showcasing the country's leadership in protecting wild
tigers and their habitats.
Highlights:
1.
India has
emerged as a global leader in tiger conservation through science-based
policies, strong institutional support, technology-driven monitoring, and
community participation, and is now home to nearly 70% of the world's
wild tigers.
2. Ecological Importance of Tigers:
i.
Tigers are apex
predators and umbrella species that help maintain healthy forest
ecosystems.
ii.
Conserving
tiger habitats also protects forests, rivers, biodiversity, and ecosystem
services, while enhancing ecological security and supporting sustainable
development.
3. Governance Framework for Tiger Conservation:
i.
Project
Tiger:
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented
by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It
provides financial and technical assistance to tiger-range States
through habitat protection, scientific management, and field-based monitoring.
ii.
National
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
It oversees the implementation of Project Tiger,
approves Tiger Conservation Plans, issues management guidelines, and
provides scientific, technical, and financial support to tiger-range States.
iii.
Tiger Task
Force:
It advocated
greater transparency, community participation, and stronger institutional
support for Project Tiger. Its recommendations strengthened India's
tiger conservation framework and led to the 2006 amendments to the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, establishing the National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) as statutory
bodies.
4. Science-Based Monitoring:
i.
All India
Tiger Estimation (AITE):
AITE estimates tiger populations, prey species,
co-predators, and habitat quality. Conducted every four years by the NTCA
in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
ii.
Technology-Driven
Monitoring:
India uses M-STrIPES, Camera Trap Data
Repository and Analysis Tool (CaTRAT), ExtractCompare, GPS, GPRS, remote
sensing, and artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of
tiger monitoring.
iii.
Management
Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE):
MEE evaluates the management of tiger reserves by
assessing planning, protection, management processes, and conservation
outcomes, helping strengthen accountability and reserve management.
5. International Cooperation:
i.
International
Big Cat Alliance (IBCA):
It is a global initiative headquartered in
India that promotes international cooperation for the conservation of seven
big cat species.
ii.
Global
Tiger Forum (GTF):
It is the world's only intergovernmental
organisation exclusively dedicated to tiger conservation, bringing
together 13 tiger-range countries.
iii.
Integrated
Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP):
It is the IUCN's flagship tiger conservation
initiative, funded by the German Government through KfW Development Bank,
supporting science-based conservation across priority tiger landscapes in Asia.
Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2290233®=48&lang=1