Protected Area Network - Environment for UPSC CSE PDF Download

1. Protected Areas (Pa)

The modern protected area network in India expanded after the adoption of the National Policy for Wildlife Conservation, 1970 and the enactment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. These measures, together with centrally sponsored conservation programmes, led to a rise in the number and extent of protected areas. From an initial base of 5 national parks and about 60 wildlife sanctuaries, the network grew to comprise 669 Protected Areas, covering about 4.92% of the geographical area of the country. Major conservation initiatives that strengthened the network include Project Tiger, Project Elephant and specialised programmes such as crocodile conservation and breeding projects.

2. Types of Protected Areas - overview

• National Park (NP) - areas notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act for protection of ecosystems, fauna, flora and geomorphological features. Activities that interfere with wildlife or habitat are generally prohibited.
• Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) - areas notified to protect particular species or wildlife communities; certain regulated human activities may be permitted subject to conditions.
• Conservation Reserve and Community Reserve - categories introduced to provide legal protection to landscapes, community lands and buffer areas that link PAs; they encourage community participation in conservation.
• Biosphere Reserves - large areas identified to promote conservation together with research, education and sustainable development; they can include national parks and sanctuaries within their zones but are designated under a different legal and institutional framework.
• Tiger Reserves - areas under the centrally sponsored tiger conservation programme that combine core (no-use) and buffer (management-permitted) zones to conserve tiger populations and their habitat.

Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS)

Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, a State Government may declare any area to be a wildlife sanctuary if it considers that the area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance for the protection, propagation or development of wildlife or its environment. Sanctuaries may be created for a particular species or for broader habitat protection.

What is a National Park (NP)?

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 also provides for the declaration of national parks by State Governments. National parks are declared in areas of high ecological, geomorphological or natural significance and offer a higher degree of protection. The Act itself does not explicitly define the difference in conservation value between a national park and a sanctuary, but the legal regime and restrictions differ in practice.

Differences between a National Park and a Wildlife Sanctuary

• National parks generally enjoy a greater degree of protection than wildlife sanctuaries.
• Certain activities that may be regulated in sanctuaries, such as grazing, collection of minor forest produce and some forms of resource use, are typically prohibited in national parks.
• Wildlife sanctuaries can be created to conserve particular species or limited habitats, whereas national parks are usually designated to conserve larger ecosystems and their biodiversity.
• The Central Government also has powers to declare national parks and sanctuaries under specified conditions.

General provisions for declaration, rights and management

Declaration of a protected area by the State Government

• Initial notification: A State Government may, by notification, declare its intention to constitute any area within or outside reserve forests as a sanctuary or national park if it believes the area has adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance and requires protection to preserve wildlife or the environment.
• Final notification: After the initial notification and after the period allowed for claiming rights has elapsed, the State Government may issue a final notification specifying the limits of the area and declaring it a sanctuary or national park from a specified date.

Declaration by the Central Government

• The Central Government may, when satisfied that an area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance to protect or develop wildlife or its environment, declare it a sanctuary or national park by notification.

Boundaries

• The notification declaring a protected area must specify, as nearly as possible, the situation and limits of the area.
• When territorial waters are included, the limits shall be determined in consultation with the Chief Naval Hydrographer of the Central Government after taking measures to protect the occupational interests of local fishermen.
• No alteration of the boundaries of a sanctuary or national park shall be made except on the recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife.
• The 1991 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act provided for the inclusion of territorial waters in areas notified as sanctuaries for the protection of off-shore marine flora and fauna.

Settlement of rights

• The State Government must make alternative arrangements for supply of fuel, fodder and other forest produce to persons affected, in respect of rights recorded in government records.
• The State Government appoints an officer as a Collector under the Act to inquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of rights of any person in or over the land included in the area to be notified.
• After a notification for declaration is issued, no new right shall be acquired in, on or over the land comprised within the notified limits except by succession (testamentary or intestate).

Claim of rights

• Where a person claims a right in or over any land included in the proposed protected area, the Collector shall pass an order admitting or rejecting the claim, in whole or in part.
• If a claim is admitted in whole or in part, the Collector may:
• Exclude the land in question from the limits of the proposed sanctuary or national park.
• Proceed to acquire such land or rights, with compensation as provided under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, except where the owner or holder of rights agrees to surrender rights to the Government in return for compensation by agreement.
• Allow, in consultation with the Chief Wildlife Warden, the continuation of any right of any person in or over land within the limits of the sanctuary or national park.

Entry into the protected area

• No person shall enter or reside in a sanctuary or national park except under the conditions of a permit, except the following:
• A public servant on duty.
• A person who has been permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden or an authorised officer to reside within the limits of the sanctuary or national park.
• A person who has a legal right over immovable property within the limits of the sanctuary or national park.
• A person passing through the sanctuary or national park along a public highway.
• Dependents of persons referred to in the above categories.

Institutional and administrative aspects

Management of protected areas requires coordination between State Forest/Wildlife Departments and central agencies. Key institutions involved include the Chief Wildlife Warden at the State level, the National Board for Wildlife at the central level, and specialised project-level management for programmes such as tiger and elephant conservation. Governance includes notification, settlement of rights, demarcation of boundaries, preparation of management plans, anti-poaching measures and measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Conservation challenges and social dimensions

Protected areas are essential for biodiversity conservation, but establishing and managing them involves social, economic and ecological challenges. Important issues include the settlement of customary rights and livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, ensuring ecological connectivity between PAs (for example, corridors for wide-ranging species), addressing invasive species, and balancing conservation with sustainable development in buffer zones. Community participation, clear legal procedures for rights and compensation, and transparency in management are central to long-term success.

Conclusion

A well-designed protected area network-comprising national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, reserves and biosphere reserves-provides the backbone for in-situ conservation of India's biodiversity. Legal frameworks such as the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, institutional mechanisms including the National Board for Wildlife, and targeted conservation programmes have all strengthened this network. Effective protection, however, depends on careful settlement of rights, scientific management, community engagement and inter-agency coordination to reconcile conservation objectives with human needs.