Healthy tiger populations convert to large forests, which in turn promote greater carbon storage
Posted Date – Friday, 4/14/23 at 12:30pm
Healthy tiger populations convert to large forests, which in turn promote greater carbon storage
Hyderabad: The increase in tiger numbers – from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 in 2022 – is certainly cause for celebration, but we need to look beyond the numbers and focus on areas of concern. As India marks the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, its flagship program to protect the species, conservation efforts face the double challenge of protecting wild tigers and increasing their numbers beyond the carrying capacity of designated protected areas. This requires a co-existing policy that coordinates conservation efforts with support for local communities. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent All India Tiger Estimates (2022) report, while tiger populations are on the rise overall, states such as Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and tiger population declines in the Western Ghats. The Siberian tiger population is genetically unique and should be a top priority for conservation efforts in the country due to its low population size and unique ancestry. Conservation planning and execution are needed to ensure ecologically viable economic development. Because the land has long borders with neighboring countries, transboundary tiger conservation strategies will help maintain these isolated populations. In 2006, tigers roamed about 93,000 square kilometers; by 2018, that figure had dropped to 89,000 square kilometers. This means there is now better protection inside tiger reserves, but tiger habitat is shrinking.
Estimates for 2018 show that some 1,923 tigers (65 percent) were found within the confines of the reserve; the remainder roamed outside in the contiguous forest, which is home to both wildlife and humans. Healthy tiger populations translate into large forests, which in turn promote greater carbon storage. Currently, there are 53 tiger reserves covering an area of more than 75,000 square kilometers, or about 2.4 percent of India’s geographic area. A 2006 national estimate found 1,411 tigers in the country; in 2010, the number rose to 1,706; by 2014 it reached 2,226, and in a fourth round in 2018 it reached 2,967. There is a need to change conservation strategies to maximize benefits for local communities. The way conservation efforts are currently done is exacerbating conflict between animals and local communities. In many cases, tribes relocated from the park and luxury tourism effectively took over the same area. This only increases alienation and conflict. Homeland tourism owned and operated by local communities should be encouraged so that people become true conservation partners and have an equal stake in tigers and their future. More than half a century after Project Tiger was launched, conservation policy must move beyond the Band-Aid model. Justice for flora and fauna must be fused with the dignity and justice of those who live nearby.
