Biodiversity & Environment
Pre-Summit of Tiger Range Countries
- 11 Aug 2022
- 7 min read
For Prelims: Conservation Status of Tiger, Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS), Global Tiger Summit, Project Tiger
For Mains: Importance of Tiger Conservation and related Initiatives, Reasons for Loss of Biodiversity
Why in News?
India has hosted the Pre-Summit meeting of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs).
- The Tiger Range Countries Summit is scheduled to be held at Vladivostok, Russia on 5th September 2022.
- In January 2022, the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger conservation was held.
- India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority has also decided to introduce guidelines for the reintroduction of tigers that can be used by other Tiger Range Countries.
What are the Highlights of the Meeting?
- The meeting was attended by 12 tiger range countries except for China and Indonesia.
- There are 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC): India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR (People's Democratic Republic), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Viet Nam, China and Indonesia.
- India is committed to bringing all potential tiger habitats within the country under the tiger reserve network.
- The meeting aims to finalise the declaration on tiger conservation to be adopted at the Summit.
What is the Significance of Tiger Conservation:
- Vital in Regulating Ecological Processes:
- Tigers, the top predators in the ecosystem, are vital in regulating and perpetuating ecological processes.
- Forests are known to provide ecological services like clean air, water, pollination, temperature regulation etc.
- Tigers, the top predators in the ecosystem, are vital in regulating and perpetuating ecological processes.
- Maintaining Food Chain:
- It is a top predator which is at the apex of the food chain and keeps the population of wild ungulates (primarily large mammals) in check.
- Thus, Tiger helps in maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed.
What is the Conservation Status of Tiger?
- Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.
What is the Indian Scenario in Tiger Conservation?
- India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 Sq Km area in 18 States.
- India is home to approximately 75% of the wild tigers at global level.
- India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022.
- 17 Tiger Reserves in the country have got CA|TS international accreditation and two Tiger Reserves (Sathyamangalam and Pilibhit) have got International Tx2 Award.
- India is having bilateral agreements and MoU with several Tiger Range Countries and is working very closely with Cambodia, for technical assistance towards bringing back wild tigers.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Q. Consider the following pairs: (2014)
- Dampa Tiger Reserve : Mizoram
- Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim
- Saramati Peak : Nagaland
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (c)
Exp:
- Dampa Tiger Reserve cum Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Western Mizoram. It has tropical forest with unique and endangered wild animals. Hence, pair 1 is correctly matched.
- Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the southeast corner of Tripura. It is home to many animals like elephants, sambar, buffalo, and numerous reptiles. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly matched.
- Having an altitude of 3841 m, Saramati is the highest peak in the State of Nagaland. The peak is located on the Nagaland-Myanmar border. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.
- Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q. Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (2020)
(a) Corbett
(b) Ranthambore
(c) Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
(d) Sundarbans
Ans: (c)
Exp:
- Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH), also known as core areas of tiger reserves, are identified under the WildLife Protection Act, 1972 based on scientific evidence that “such areas are required to be kept as inviolative for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or such other forest dwellers”.
- The CTHs are notified by the state government in consultation with the expert committee constituted for the purpose.
- Area of the Core/Critical Tiger Habitat
- Corbett (Uttarakhand): 821.99 sq. Kms
- Ranthambore (Rajasthan): 1113.36 sq. Kms
- Sundarbans (West Bengal): 1699.62 sq. Kms
- Nagarjunsagar Srisailam (part of Andhra Pradesh): 2595.72 sq. kms
- Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (2017)
(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
(d) Security of National Highways
Ans: (b)
Exp:
- M-STrIPES is a step taken by the Indian government’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2010 for modernizing the infrastructure and field protection, besides launching ‘Monitoring system for Tigers’ Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPES)’ for effective field patrolling and monitoring.
- The system’s objective is to strengthen patrolling and surveillance of the endangered Bengal Tiger. Forest guards in tiger reserves are equipped with personal digital assistants and GPS devices to capture data relating to tiger sightings, deaths, wildlife crime and ecological observations while patrolling.
- Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
