New Positive Developments in Tiger Conservation : Could prove decisive in the last battle to save the Tiger and India’s Wilds (Part 1)

Over the past month or so, the Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF) has seen two very welcome happenings for all those who have a little understanding of environmental issues in India. The first positive happening is that, at the recent meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, chaired by the Prime Minister, it has been decided that a seperate department of Wildlife within the ambit of the Ministry of Environment and Forests would be created. Conservationists and nature activists had been long demanding this move, since over a decade. This critical decision, taken primarily on part of the Prime Minister, would bring in new focus on matters pertaining to wildlife in this country. The need for this landmark decision was long standing, as the MoEF was not having a clear focus on wildlife related issues. It was an overburdened ministry, with little grants from the union budget. Wildlife, was one among the multifarious issues the mnistry had to deal with.

Now, it is hoped that there would be a seperate administrative team and additional funds dedicated to wildlife conservation under the new department. The decisive move, though, would only bear fruit if the department for wildlfe would function with a revolutionary vigour and exceptional bureaucraric efficiency. The clock is fast ticking for India's wildlife and we can't afford to have the age-old bureaucratic malaises cripple the new born department, which possibly holds the key to India's future.

The department's role would be critical for our country's future, as through the protection of key wildlife habitats we would be able to ensure water security, sequester carbon naturally, and give our citizens a good and healthy environment to live in. I over-emphasise this point because, to most people's ignorance, over 300 rivers originate from our Tiger Reserves. In addition, there are critical Himalayan habitats, which give origin to most of our famous rivers, these habitats also are highly critical for regulating the climate of the subcontinent. Then, there are the mangroves of the Sunderbans. the Rainforests of the Western Ghats and the North East, which are supra critical for carbon sequestration and in influencing the Subcontinental climatic regime. All of these regions, among others, are also home to highly endangered species of wild flora and fauna.

Through the successful running of the conservation programmes for these endangered wildlife species, we not only save these species from extiction, but also protect vast forest areas designated for their protection. Thus, by conserving flagship species like the Tiger, One horned Rhino, Gangetic Dolphins, etc. we ensure the protection of the habitats which these magnificent aimals inhabit and therefore, we ensure both tangible and intangible benefits for ourselves as well.

The new department has its task cut out in this regard and it is upto it to ensure all those tangible and intangible benefits, our environment can give us, by protecting wild biodiversity, that is...