Environment Quick Revision Part-3

by | Feb 5, 2025 | APPSC Group-2 Mains Paper-2 Environment

Legal Framework for Protected Areas

  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Provides the legal basis for declaring and managing protected areas.
  • Environment Protection Act, 1986: Supports conservation efforts.
  • Forest Conservation Act, 1980: Regulates diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is a landmark legislation in India aimed at conserving wildlife and their habitats. Here’s a quick revision guide covering its objectives, key provisions, schedules, and amendments:
  • Objectives of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
    • Protect wild animals, birds, and plants.
    • Prevent hunting, poaching, and illegal trade of wildlife.
    • Establish protected areas like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and conservation reserves.
    • Regulate and control trade in wildlife and their derivatives.
  • Schedules of the Act: The Act classifies species into six schedules based on their level of protection:
  • Schedule I:
    • Species: Highly endangered species.
    • Protection: Highest level of protection; hunting prohibited.
    • Examples: Tiger, lion, elephant, rhinoceros, snow leopard.
  • Schedule II:
    • Species: Species not as endangered as Schedule I but still protected.
    • Protection: Hunting prohibited; trade regulated.
    • Examples: Himalayan black bear, Indian cobra, crocodiles.
  • Schedule III & IV:
    • Species: Species with lower levels of protection.
    • Protection: Hunting prohibited; lesser penalties for violations.
    • Examples: Chital (spotted deer), barking deer, hares.
  • Schedule V:
    • Species: Vermin (species harmful to crops and livestock).
    • Protection: Can be hunted with permission.
    • Examples: Common crow, fruit bats, mice.
  • Schedule VI:
    • Species: Specified plants.
    • Protection: Prohibits cultivation and trade.
    • Examples: Pitcher plant, red vanda, blue vanda.

Amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972

The Wildlife Protection Act has been amended several times to strengthen conservation efforts:

  • 2002 Amendment:
    • Introduced the concept of conservation reserves and community reserves.
    • Enhanced penalties for wildlife crimes.
  • 2006 Amendment:
    • Strengthened provisions for the protection of tigers and their habitats.
    • Established the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
  • 2013 Amendment:
    • Included stricter provisions for the protection of endangered species.
    • Enhanced penalties for illegal wildlife trade.
  • 2022 Amendment: The original number of six schedules have been reduced to four schedules
    • Schedule I: Animal Species with the highest level of protection (e.g., tigers, elephants).
    • Schedule II: Animal Species with high protection but not as critical as Schedule I.
    • Schedule III: Contains protected plant species.
    • Schedule IV: Conatins Species listed under CITES.

Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 empowers the State Governments to declare areas as National Parks. While the State Government initiates the process, the Central Government, through the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), also plays a role. No alteration of the boundaries of a National Park can be made without the recommendation of the NBWL.

National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is an advisory body in India that advises the government on wildlife conservation. The NBWL was established by the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. It is headed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change as vice chairperson.

National Parks: These offer the highest level of protection. Human activities like grazing, hunting, and logging are strictly prohibited.

Wildlife Sanctuaries: These also focus on wildlife conservation, but allow some regulated human activities like grazing or collection of minor forest produce, as long as they don’t harm wildlife.

Conservation Reserves: Declared in buffer zones between protected and unprotected areas. Example: Pichavaram Mangrove (Tamil Nadu) – Conservation Reserve.

Community Reserves: Managed by local communities for conservation. Example: Kokkare Bellur (Karnataka) – Community Reserve for birds.

Biosphere Reserves

  • Large areas with a focus on biodiversity conservation, research, and sustainable development.
  • Zones: Core (no human activity), Buffer (regulated and educational activities), Transition (zone of cooperation and sustainable human use).
  • Examples:
    • Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
    • Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve – West Bengal.
    • Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve – Uttarakhand.

Biodiversity hotspots are regions that contain a high level of species diversity, many endemic species (species not found anywhere else in the world) and a significant number of threatened or endangered species The concept of biodiversity hotspot was given by Norman Myers in 1988.

Coastal Protected Areas are designated regions along coastlines where human activities are regulated to conserve marine and coastal biodiversity, habitats, and natural resources. They can include a variety of ecosystems like coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, estuaries, and beaches.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Focus on protecting marine ecosystems, often including coral reefs, fish breeding grounds, and marine mammal habitats.

National Committee on mangroves, wetlands and coral reefs constituted in 1993 advise the Government on relevant policies and programmes regarding marine species.

  • Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification (1991 and later versions) prohibit developmental activities and disposal of wastes in the fragile coastal ecosystems.
  • Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019, promulgated under Environment (Protection) Act 1986, has specific focus on conservation and management plans of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs).
  • 2011 Notification classifies the CRZ into four categories: CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive areas), CRZ-II (built-up areas), CRZ-III (basically rural areas) and CRZ- IV (water areas, including territorial waters and tidal-influenced water bodies).
  • Based on their location and ecological significance MPAs classified as follows
    • Category-I: This covers National Parks and Sanctuaries and has entire areas in intertidal/subtidal or mangroves, coral reefs, creeks, seagrass beds, algal beds, estuaries, lagoons.
    • Category-II: This includes Islands, which have major parts in marine ecosystem and some part in terrestrial ecosystem.
    • Category-IIIA: This includes sandy beaches beyond the intertidal line but occasionally interacting with the seawater.
    • Category-IIIB: This includes evergreen or semi evergreen forests of Islands.

Sacred groves

  • Sacred groves are essentially patches of forests or natural vegetation, ranging from a small cluster of trees to forests spanning several acres.
  • These groves are dedicated to local deities or ancestral spirits, holding deep religious and cultural significance for the communities that protect them.
  • Community-managed: The protection of these groves is primarily driven by local communities who hold strong beliefs about the sanctity of these spaces.

Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme

  • It is an intergovernmental scientific initiative launched by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1971.
  • It aims to establish a scientific basis for improving the relationship between people and their environments.
  • MAB Programme combines natural and social sciences to promote sustainable development and conserve biodiversity.

World Heritage Sites

  • Designated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
  • Places of cultural, historical, scientific, or natural significance.
  • Aim to preserve and protect these sites for future generations.
  • The first list of World Heritage sites was officially published in 1978.

Project Tiger (1973)

  • Launched in 1973 to protect the Royal Bengal Tiger.
  • Implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
  • First Tiger Reserve: Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand).
  • Largest Tiger Reserve: Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam.
  • As of December 2024, there are 57 tiger reserves in India.
  • Guru Ghasidas – Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve (3rd largest) is 56th Tiger Reserve.
  • Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is 57th tiger reserve.

Project Elephant (1992)

  • Launched in 1992 for elephant conservation.
  • As of January 2023, there are 33 Elephant Reserves in India.
  • Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) in Dudhwa-Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh is 33rd elephant reserve.
  • Major Elephant Reserves:
    • Periyar (Kerala)
    • Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu-Kerala-Karnataka)
    • Mayurbhanj (Odisha)

Project Hangul is a conservation project for the Kashmir stag, also known as the hangul deer. The project was started in 1970s by the Jammu and Kashmir government with the help of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and IUCN.

Project Snow Leopard (2009): Protects snow leopards in Himalayan regions (Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).

Project Dolphin is the Government initiative to conserve both oceanic and riverine dolphin species launched in 2021.

Crocodile Conservation Project (1975): Focuses on Mugger, Gharial, and Saltwater Crocodiles.

Indian Rhino Vision 2020: Aims to increase the population of the one-horned rhinoceros in Assam.

Sea Turtle Conservation:

  • Sea Turtle Project (1999) aims to protect turtle populations. It is a joint venture by the Government of India and UNDP, with the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun).
  • The primary focus is on conserving olive ridley turtles.
  • Protects sea turtle nesting sites and promotes awareness about their conservation.
  • National Marine Turtle Action Plan (MoEF&CC) aims to conserve marine turtles and their habitats in India.

Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986 with the objective of providing for the protection and improvement of the environment. It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country. The Act was last amended in 1991. This amendment added new provisions on: air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, hazardous substances, and environmental impact assessment.

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers over the forest areas inhabited by them and provides a framework for according the same.

Forest Conservation Act 1980 was enacted to help conserve the country’s forests. It strictly restricts and regulates the de-reservation of forests or use of forest land for non-forest purposes without the prior approval of Central Government. To this end the Act lays down the pre-requisites for the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.

Indian Forest Act, 1927 consolidates the law relating to forests, the transit of forest-produce and the duty leviable on timber and other forest-produce.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006.

Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme is a global initiative designed to monitor and address the illegal killing of elephants. Launched in 1997 by CITES.

E-50:50 Forum:

  • The concept of the E-50:50 Forum emerged during the Elephant-8 Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi, India, in 2011.
  • This meeting involved eight countries with significant elephant populations.
  • This forum was proposed as a global platform for elephant conservation.

Vultures

  • Nine species of vultures are found in India.
    • Indian Vulture: Also known as the Long-billed Vulture, this species is critically endangered
    • White-rumped Vulture: This species is critically endangered
    • Red-headed Vulture: This species is critically endangered
    • Slender-billed Vulture: This species is critically endangered
    • Egyptian Vulture: This species is endangered
    • Cinereous Vulture: This species is near threatened
    • Bearded Vulture: This species is near threatened
    • Himalayan Vulture: This species is near threatened
    • Eurasian Griffon Vulture: This species is of least concern
  • Use of Diclofenac, a veterinary drug toxic to vultures.
  • In August 2006, the Drugs Controller General of India banned the use, sale and manufacture of veterinary diclofenac.
  • The alternative drug for veterinary use – Meloxicam and Tolfenamic acid found safe to vultures is now widely used across the country.
  • Vulture Conservation Action Plan (2020-2025)
    • Banning veterinary Diclofenac.
    • Establishing Vulture Safe Zones (VSZs).
    • Captive breeding and reintroduction programs.
  • Vulture Breeding Centres
    • Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) was established in Pinjore, Haryana in 2001.
    • Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Haryana.
    • Jorbeer Conservation Reserve in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Source: PIB, GOI websites and Internet