Panel orders study on dependence of grazing communities on forests inside national parks, Pg2

Key Highlights:

• The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life (SCNBWL) has instructed the Wild Life Institute of India (WII) to conduct a study on the dependence of pastoralist communities on forests inside national parks and sanctuaries.
• The study will focus on states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The SCNBWL highlighted difficulties faced by pastoralist communities in accessing grazing rights inside national parks and sanctuaries.
• India has an estimated 13 million pastoralists across 46 groups.

Detailed Insights:

• The study aims to examine the nature and extent of dependence of communities on protected areas, legal issues, and socio-economic and ecological aspects.
• Pastoralists contribute to the livestock economy by producing dairy, meat, wool, and leather.
• Rangelands, crucial for pastoralist livelihoods, cover 121 million hectares in India, from the Thar desert to the Himalayas.
• The SCNBWL emphasized the need for institutionalizing access arrangements for seasonal movement of pastoralists to ensure protected areas are not compromised.
• The WII will submit a detailed project report (DPR) and seek funding under the national CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).

Key Concepts Involved:

• Pastoralism: A way of life based on raising livestock and moving them to different grazing areas.
• National Park: An area strictly reserved for the protection of wildlife and where activities like grazing are restricted.
• Rangelands: Grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat.

NBWL