Context
- The Union Environment Minister inaugurated the WWF Global Conservation Conference at Jaipur, Rajasthan.
About the Conference
- The conference was organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and brought together representatives from more than 100 countries.
- The conference focused on wildlife conservation, ecological coexistence and community participation in conservation efforts.
- India highlighted its approach of combining scientific research, conservation policies and community-led initiatives for protecting biodiversity.
India’s Conservation Progress
- The number of protected areas increased from around 750 to more than 1,000 over the last decade.
- The number of tiger reserves increased from 47 to 58, while elephant reserves increased from 30 to 33.
- The number of Ramsar sites increased from 24 to 101 during the same period.
- India has also undertaken species-specific conservation programmes for tigers, elephants, rhinos, Asiatic lions and cheetahs.
Key Conservation Initiatives
- Scientific Monitoring: Pan-India population estimation of species such as tiger, elephant, dolphin, lion and snow leopard supports habitat improvement and corridor conservation.
- Great Indian Bustard: Conservation breeding programmes are being undertaken in Rajasthan for the critically endangered species.
- Oran Conservation: Community-led protection of sacred groves, known as Orans, contributes to biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality.
- Grassland Conservation: India is focusing on the conservation of grasslands along with woodlands and wetlands.
- International Commitments: India is a party to major global agreements such as CITES, CMS, CBD and the Ramsar Convention.
Significance
- Promotes global cooperation for biodiversity and wildlife conservation.
- Highlights the importance of local communities and traditional conservation practices in achieving conservation goals.
- Strengthens the integration of scientific research, habitat protection and landscape-level conservation.
- Supports the goal of achieving coexistence between people and wildlife.
Conclusion
The WWF Global Conservation Conference highlighted the need for global action, scientific conservation and community participation to achieve long-term biodiversity protection and human–wildlife coexistence.
| Important CTC From this aricle – World Wide Fund for Nature, tiger reserves |