Min bodies to draft policy on human-wildlife conflict

The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), in its last meeting on January 25, deliberated on a host of policy issues and formed two committees to draw up a policy framework to prevent human-wildlife conflict. It also discussed conservation of wildlife outside national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. NBWL decided that linear development projects should invariably contain a master plan for wildlife, according to the minutes of the meeting.

Professor R Sukumar, an independent member of NBWL's standing committee, proposed during the meeting that there should be a wider consultation on the issues of human-wildlife conflict and landscape level conservation. He pointed out that in recent years, conflict has escalated due to fragmenting habitats, land use change outside forests and adverse climate events. NBWL decided to form a committee to hold consultations with stakeholders and submit a report to the Environment Ministry on the issue within two months.

The committee will be chaired by additional director general of forests (wildlife), a scientist of Wildlife Institute of India, representative of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), two principal chief conservators of forest of states where human-wildlife conflict is high and Inspector General of Forest (wildlife).

As discussed in the meeting, fragmented wildlife habitats and land use changes has driven up the human-conflict in many parts of country. Official data showed that tigers had killed 92 people between 2014 and May 2017 while 1,557 had been killed by elephants between 2014-15 and November 2017.

NBWL formed a similar expert committee to prepare a policy document on landscape scale conservation to shift from protected area centric conservation. Studies by NTCA and non-profit organisations showed that for long-term conservation of tigers and elephants, there was a need to protect wildlife habitats outside national parks and tiger reserves.