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Independent tiger experts have questioned the management evaluation process of tiger reserves, in which 40% of the reserves were found to be in “very good” state, saying most of the evaluators were from the forest bureaucracy. The National Tiger Conservation Authority --- the body
mandated to protect tigers --- in 2010 had constituted nine committees to evaluate management of 39 tiger reserves across India.
At the first meeting of the committees, two independent wildlife experts, Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection Society of India and Biswajit Mohanty of Wildlife Society of Orissa had resigned from the evaluation committees protesting against nomination of large number of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officials in the committees.
HK Chaudhury, retired principal conservator of forests, headed the committee to evaluate tiger habitats in his home state of Assam and north-east. CK Shreedharan, a retired IFS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was chairperson of the committee to review performance of tiger reserves in south states including Tamil Nadu.
Another two IFS officers --- H Sen and AK Bhardwaj– were nominated as independent experts as they were on deputation to Wildlife Institute of India. IFS officers Rajeev Sharma from West Bengal cadre and RK Dogra from Tamil Nadu cadre were asked to evaluate tiger reserves outside their cadre states.
“With so many IFS officers in the committee it cannot be called an independent evaluation,” said tiger and wildlife expert Valmik Thapar.
The decision to nominate so many IFS officers also went against the idea of independent evaluation mooted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005, after tigers vanished from Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan.
“The PM wanted the evaluation to be done by a committee of National Board for Wildlife rather than a government agency,” Thapar said.
The measuring of management effectiveness of tiger reserves released on Thursday rated 15 of the 39 tiger reserves evaluated as very good. Another 12 reserves were rated good and eight satisfactory. Only four tiger reserves got poor rating.
In similar exercise in 2006 of 28 tiger reserves, nine were rated very good and 10 as good. Another even got satisfactory rating and two as poor.
“The evaluation indicates and overall improvement in management of tiger reserves,” the report said.
VB Mathur, Dean at Dehradun based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), defended the evaluation process saying it was totally independent as no change was made in the report even after receiving objections from reserve managers. “We followed an international well settled protocol for evaluation and integrity of the nine evaluation committees,” he said.
Thapar, however, wanted revamp of the entire process saying no IFS officers should be part of the evaluation committees.
“The committees should have people from outside the government having experience in different fields such as sociology, conservation and wildlife protection,” he said.
Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority, which constituted the committees, did not answer to calls or text messages.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Experts-question-independence-of-evaluation-of-tiger-reserves/Article1-727434.aspx
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tiger conservation does not stop with numbers, warn experts-PTI
CHENNAI: The latest national tiger estimation showing a 20 per cent increase in the number of big cats to 1706 from 1411 is cause for cheer, but leading experts and conservationists say the next focus should be on protecting its habitats and retaining their continuity and overall ecological quality.
"Though the latest national tiger population estimation shows an increasing trend, we need to focus on protection of tiger habitats, retaining habitat contiguity and the overall ecological quality of tiger habitats," says Ravi Chellam, a scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India.
TheAll India Tiger Estimation - conducted every four years - in 2010 showed a 20 per cent increase over the figure in 2006 which was 1411.
Notwithstanding the increase in the numbers, experts feel the big cats are constantly under threat due to development related infrastructure expansion into tiger habitats.
"Though we still have a few large tiger habitats, expansion of infrastructure into tiger habitats like laying of railway lines and roads have a very negative impact on their habitat as well as on direct mortality of animals and also increased human access to these habitats," says Chellam.
"Data only shows the number of tigers left in the wild, but it is other deeds like conserving habitats and preventing their fragmentation and restoring connectivity that will ensure the tiger population survives and proliferates in the long run," he said.
Tamil Nadu along with Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka leads in tiger density, says the estimation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/tiger-conservation-does-not-stop-with-numbers-warn-experts/articleshow/9429788.cms
"Though the latest national tiger population estimation shows an increasing trend, we need to focus on protection of tiger habitats, retaining habitat contiguity and the overall ecological quality of tiger habitats," says Ravi Chellam, a scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India.
TheAll India Tiger Estimation - conducted every four years - in 2010 showed a 20 per cent increase over the figure in 2006 which was 1411.
Notwithstanding the increase in the numbers, experts feel the big cats are constantly under threat due to development related infrastructure expansion into tiger habitats.
"Though we still have a few large tiger habitats, expansion of infrastructure into tiger habitats like laying of railway lines and roads have a very negative impact on their habitat as well as on direct mortality of animals and also increased human access to these habitats," says Chellam.
"Data only shows the number of tigers left in the wild, but it is other deeds like conserving habitats and preventing their fragmentation and restoring connectivity that will ensure the tiger population survives and proliferates in the long run," he said.
Tamil Nadu along with Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka leads in tiger density, says the estimation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/tiger-conservation-does-not-stop-with-numbers-warn-experts/articleshow/9429788.cms
Manpower crisis, poor infrastructure plaguing most NE tiger reserves'
Jul 29, 2011, 11.36pm IST
GUWAHATI: Except Kaziranga, majority of the tiger reserves in the northeast are suffering either from inadequate manpower or poor infrastructure.
The latest report on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves in India prominently highlighted that inadequate staff, no proper buffer zone, poor conservation, infrastructure and untimely release of funds as some of the weaknesses in many tiger reserves of the region.
Kaziranga has found place in the "very good" category along with 13 other tiger reserves across the country. Manas in Assam, Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh and Dampa in Mizoram were in the category of "good" along with eight other tiger reserves of the country in this category. Only Nameri in Assam and Namdapha in Arunachal were included in the "satisfactory" category along with four other tiger reserves of the country.
While Kaziranga has no such issues of inadequate manpower or poor infrastructure, the MEE has pointed out that Pakke, Namdapha, Nameri and Dampa suffers from shortage of field staff. Pakke suffers not only from inadequate frontline staff, but also from poor infrastructure and untimely release of funds. The MEE said the 500-MW power project adjacent to Pakke is likely to pose a threat to the tiger reserve whose strength lies in being free from human habitation and well protected by rivers on three sides.
Similarly for Dampa, the MEE said, only a handful of regular field staff (four foresters and seven forest guards) are manning the reserve. "Field protection and even office management is being done by temporary staff," the report said. .
For Namdapha and Nameri, it categorically pointed out that inadequate staff and poor infrastructure were the major shortcomings along with the problem of encroachment. In case of Nameri, "there is a severe shortage of field staff" and most of the existing field staff are in the age group of 40 to 48 years."
The MEE said while 84 families of Lisu tribe have settled in five villages within the core area of Namdapha, there was a manifold increase in encroachment and population in villages adjoining the forest lands of Nameri. Although Manas has been spared from inadequate manpower, MEE has noted that the tiger reserve still has to deal with poor infrastructure.
"Manas has 38 anti-poaching camps in the core area and none in the buffer. The camps are inadequately equipped in terms of arms and ammunition, living facilities for the staff and communication," said the report.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-29/guwahati/29833442_1_tiger-reserves-dampa-management-effectiveness-evaluation
GUWAHATI: Except Kaziranga, majority of the tiger reserves in the northeast are suffering either from inadequate manpower or poor infrastructure.
The latest report on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves in India prominently highlighted that inadequate staff, no proper buffer zone, poor conservation, infrastructure and untimely release of funds as some of the weaknesses in many tiger reserves of the region.
Kaziranga has found place in the "very good" category along with 13 other tiger reserves across the country. Manas in Assam, Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh and Dampa in Mizoram were in the category of "good" along with eight other tiger reserves of the country in this category. Only Nameri in Assam and Namdapha in Arunachal were included in the "satisfactory" category along with four other tiger reserves of the country.
While Kaziranga has no such issues of inadequate manpower or poor infrastructure, the MEE has pointed out that Pakke, Namdapha, Nameri and Dampa suffers from shortage of field staff. Pakke suffers not only from inadequate frontline staff, but also from poor infrastructure and untimely release of funds. The MEE said the 500-MW power project adjacent to Pakke is likely to pose a threat to the tiger reserve whose strength lies in being free from human habitation and well protected by rivers on three sides.
Similarly for Dampa, the MEE said, only a handful of regular field staff (four foresters and seven forest guards) are manning the reserve. "Field protection and even office management is being done by temporary staff," the report said. .
For Namdapha and Nameri, it categorically pointed out that inadequate staff and poor infrastructure were the major shortcomings along with the problem of encroachment. In case of Nameri, "there is a severe shortage of field staff" and most of the existing field staff are in the age group of 40 to 48 years."
The MEE said while 84 families of Lisu tribe have settled in five villages within the core area of Namdapha, there was a manifold increase in encroachment and population in villages adjoining the forest lands of Nameri. Although Manas has been spared from inadequate manpower, MEE has noted that the tiger reserve still has to deal with poor infrastructure.
"Manas has 38 anti-poaching camps in the core area and none in the buffer. The camps are inadequately equipped in terms of arms and ammunition, living facilities for the staff and communication," said the report.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-29/guwahati/29833442_1_tiger-reserves-dampa-management-effectiveness-evaluation
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