The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
These are the draft guidelines released by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for selection, planning, development, implementation and monitoring of ecotourism in and around protected areas. The Ministry has released draft guidelines for ecotourism in and around protected areas of the country. This document lays out a detailed set …
The purpose of these guidelines is to update and expand the original guidelines on protected areas legislation published in 1980 and to reflect new developments and emerging issues. These developments include significant advances in international environmental law, and an improved scientific understanding of the role of protected areas in nature …
People of Orissa have been involved in the protection of some unique and endangered wildlife for their own interest or for the environmental sustainability. Rugudipalli is one of the community based conserved areas of Orissa where the arrival of Asian Open Bill Storks is believed to coincide exactly with the …
Can you love tigers but hate forests? This is the question that troubled me as I visited the middle of India last fortnight. I was in Nagpur, where local politicians, conservationists and officials were discussing what needed to be done in this chronically poor and backward region endowed with forests …
This response to the comment “Protecting India’s Protected Areas” by Praveen Bhargav and Shekar Dattatri (23 April 2011) points out the authors’ misreading of the Forest Rights Act and also of the report of the Joint Committee on the FRA.
Just when Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had expressed shock over the manner in which Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was being implemented in certain States, the Wildlife Society of Odisha, member organisation of the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has drawn the attention of the Ministry …
The main objectives of Sikkim Ecotourism Policy are. Bring all stakeholders on a common platform of understanding of ecotourism; Promote ecotourism in a sustainable manner based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC); Generate incentives to local communities for nature conservation through alternative income sources and livelihood, and empower local …
Many factors such as poverty, ineffective institutions and environmental regulations may prevent developing countries from managing how natural resources are extracted to meet a strong market demand. Extraction for some resources has reached such proportions that evidence is measurable from space. We present recent evidence of the global demand for …
Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is highly dependent on traditional farming and traditional practices of grassland management. Habitat loss and habitat alterations are major threats identified for its decline and maintenance of its mosaic habitat is crucial for long term survival of the species. Local community plays a …
Across the world there exists a large overlap of biodiversity hotspots with areas experiencing high levels of socio-political and ethnic conflicts, making the impacts of such activities a critical factor for long-term conservation of biodiversity in these regions. India is no exception with many forested areas, including protected areas, experiencing …
These are the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on February 9, 2011 for States and Union territory governments to facilitate declaration of eco-sensitive zones around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. In pursuance to the decision taken by the National Board for Wildlife, all the States/Union Territory, …
Maldivian atolls are known for their beautiful coral structures, fish abundance, white sandy beaches, coastal vegetation and mangroves. This paper provides an economic valuation of the recreational uses of atoll-based marine resources in the Republic of the Maldives.
This paper examines the legal framework of Protected Areas (PAs) in Nepal - that includes several types and categories of PAs such as national parks, wildlife reserves, conservation areas and buffer zones. Laws concerning PAs are examined against the contexts of international agreements, conventions, and accepted standards as well as …
In an unprecedented response to the rapid decline in wild tiger populations, the Heads of Government of the 13 tiger range countries endorsed the St. Petersburg Declaration in November 2010, pledging to double the wild tiger population. We conducted a landscape analysis of tiger habitat to determine if a recovery …
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (GOI) has been asked to identify ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) along the Western Ghats, and to suggest how to manage them. The concept of ESAs has been extensively discussed in the literature. Several …
MADHYA Pradesh’s forest department seems to share a cosy relationship with resort owners and tour operators. On September 14, H S Pabla, chief wildlife warden of the state, wrote an e-mail: “A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on tourism in core areas of Madhya Pradesh’s national tiger reserves …
The best way to manage national parks in the face of the effects of climate change is not to manage at the park level, but to work with landscapes. A new US initiative shows the way. (Editorial)