Conservation Reserves and Community Reserve

Conservation Reserves and Community Reserve

• Conservation reserves and community reserves are terms denoting protected areas in India under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved and protected forests of India.
• Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India, but used for subsistence by communities, and community areas if part of the land is privately owned.
• These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 − the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
  • It added two new categories under Sections 36A to 36D of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to strengthen participatory conservation outside traditional protected areas.
• Amendments to the Wildlife protection act in 2003, provided a mechanism for recognition and legal backing to the community initiated efforts in wildlife protection.
• It provides a flexible system to achieve wildlife conservation without compromising community needs.
• These categories were added because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land and land use.
• These categories roughly correspond to IUCN Category V (conservation reserves) and VI (community reserves) protected areas.

Key Differences: Community Reserve vs. Conservation Reserve

Objectives: Community Reserve & Conservation Reserve

Examples: Conservation Reserves & Community Reserve

The Examples for Conservation Reserves in India include:

1. Kutch Desert Wildlife Conservation Reserve, Gujarat: Acts as a buffer zone for the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.
2. Tsarap Chu Conservation Reserve, Himachal Pradesh: India’s largest conservation reserve, located in Spiti Valley.
3. Tiruppadaimarathur Conservation Reserve, Tamil Nadu: The first conservation reserve declared in the country.
4. Jawai Bandh Forests Conservation Reserve, Rajasthan: Declared by the Rajasthan government in 2012.

The Examples for Community Reserves in India include:

1. Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve, Punjab: A pioneering wetland reserve known for its biodiversity, this was the first Community Reserve in India.
2. Senchal Community Reserve, West Bengal: Located near Darjeeling, this reserve involves local communities in managing forests and wildlife.
3. Ziro Community Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh: Focused on conserving the unique agro-biodiversity of the Apatani plateau through traditional rice-fish cultivation.
4. Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary, Nagaland: Managed by the Angami tribe to protect species like the Blyth’s Tragopan.
5. Boriya-Kharadi Community Reserve, Maharashtra: Established by the local panchayat to help increase the population of the Great Indian Bustard.

Tillari Conservation Reserve

• The Maharashtra Government has declared 29.53 sq km area of Dodamarg forest range in Sindhudurg district as ‘Tillari Conservation Reserve’. (Jul 2020)
  • Tillari is the seventh wildlife corridor in the state to be declared as a ‘conservation reserve’.
  • The area covering nine villages in the forest range is known to serve as a corridor and even as a habitat for the population of tigers and elephants moving between the three states of Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
  • It connects the Mhadei sanctuary in Goa and Bhimgad in Karnataka.
  • It has semi-evergreen forests, tropical moist deciduous forests, and a number of unique trees, butterflies, and flowers.

List of Indian Conservation Reserves

Government Initiatives: Community Reserves & Conservation Reserves

Several Government initiatives serve as a pathway to promote and support the Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves in India. A few of them are:

1. Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002: Introduced legal framework for declaring community and conservation reserves.
2. National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2014: Promotes community-led conservation as part of biodiversity governance.
3. National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031): Emphasizes landscape-level management and integration of local communities.
4. Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) Scheme (MoEFCC): Provides financial support for reserve creation and management.
5. Green India Mission (GIM): Encourages restoration of degraded ecosystems, including those managed as community reserves.
6. UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme: Supports community-led biodiversity projects, especially in the Northeast.