India's Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Context

• India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries, home to over 7% of the world’s biodiversity. Wildlife conservation plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and sustainable development.

• The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by the Prime Minister, is the apex advisory body for conservation policies and projects.

• On his visit to Gir National Park, Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 7th meeting of the NBWL and announced several key initiatives to enhance wildlife protection and habitat conservation.

• These measures focus on species conservation, habitat management, technological interventions, and community participation.

Major Announcements in Wildlife Conservation

1. First-Ever Riverine Dolphin Estimation

• PM Modi launched India’s first comprehensive report on riverine dolphin populations.

• Key findings:

  • Total dolphin population: 6,327

  • Survey coverage: 8,500 km across 28 rivers in 8 states

  • State-wise ranking: Uttar Pradesh (highest), followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam

• Conservation measures:

  • Promotion of community participation in dolphin protection

  • Exposure visits for school children to raise awareness

2. Strengthening Asiatic Lion Conservation

• 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation will be conducted in 2025 to monitor conservation progress.

• Barda Wildlife Sanctuary will be developed for:

  • Prey augmentation to support lion dispersal

  • Habitat restoration to reduce human-wildlife conflicts

• Use of technology:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital documentation to track population trends

  • Expansion of conservation strategies to other national parks

3. Expansion of Cheetah Reintroduction Program

• India’s cheetah reintroduction project, started in Kuno National Park, will now extend to:

  • Gandhisagar Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh)

  • Banni Grasslands (Gujarat)

• Objectives:

  • Strengthen biodiversity restoration efforts

  • Establish a sustainable cheetah population

4. New Wildlife Protection Measures

National Referral Centre for Wildlife

• Foundation stone laid in Junagadh for India’s first referral centre focused on:

  • Wildlife disease management

  • Health monitoring of endangered species

  • Advanced veterinary care research

Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation

• To be set up at SACON, Coimbatore to address:

  • Rapid Response Team deployment

  • AI-driven surveillance for wildlife movement tracking

  • Community training programs for conflict prevention

Use of Remote Sensing and AI

• Geospatial mapping, AI, and machine learning will be used for:

  • Forest fire detection and control

  • Wildlife movement monitoring

  • Human-animal conflict mitigation

5. Strengthening Conservation of Endangered Species

Gharial Conservation Project

• Aimed at reviving declining gharial populations, which have suffered due to habitat loss and pollution.

National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan

• Focus on population recovery and habitat protection for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.

• Measures include:

  • Protection from power lines

  • Expansion of breeding programs

Tiger Conservation Beyond Protected Areas

• Special initiative to support tiger conservation outside protected reserves.

• Emphasis on:

  • Mitigating human-wildlife conflict in buffer zones

  • Ensuring habitat connectivity for tiger dispersal

Leveraging Technology for Conservation

• Remote sensing and AI to monitor wildlife movement and manage conflicts.

• Collaboration between Forest Survey of India (FSI) and BISAG-N for:

  • Advanced forest fire detection using space technology

  • Real-time tracking of ecological changes

• AI-driven documentation of traditional conservation knowledge to preserve indigenous ecological practices.

Role of Local Communities in Conservation

• PM Modi highlighted the sixfold increase in community reserves in the last decade.

• Government aims to expand this model by:

  • Empowering tribal and rural populations in wildlife conservation

  • Enhancing eco-tourism infrastructure to balance conservation with economic development

• Improved accessibility to wildlife sanctuaries to promote sustainable tourism and local livelihoods.

Conclusion

• The announcements made by PM Modi represent a significant step forward in India’s wildlife conservation strategy.

• Focus areas include:

  • Species protection and habitat restoration

  • Technology integration in conservation

  • Community-driven conservation initiatives

• These measures align with India’s commitment to biodiversity preservation and ecological sustainability, reinforcing its position as a global leader in wildlife conservation.