India needs strategy for conserving landscapes humans, wildlife share: Study | Hindustan Times
A new study by eighteen scientists led by Bengaluru's NCBS and other conservation NGOs, including WCS-India, and academic institutions conducted a study that found that India needs a biodiversity strategy that includes conserving landscapes that humans and wildlife share since only 15% of the country's top conservation priority areas are covered under the protected area network. The scientists have identified sites of high conservation priority that include those representing key and rare natural habitats.
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Supreme Court panel seeks curbs on tourism in wildlife hubs | Times of India
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in India has called for a review of guidelines for establishing zoos and safaris in tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. The CEC, appointed by the Supreme Court, wants to discourage tourism in wildlife habitats, and has withdrawn all approvals for such facilities, except for animal rescue activities. The move follows a probe into a safari case in Uttarakhand, where the panel criticised the Union environment ministry for loopholes in the guidelines.
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Excess herbivores moved to tiger areas in Telangana | Times of India
The Telangana state forest department has started relocating excess wild herbivores from zoos and parks to tiger areas in the state due to low prey base in tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. 20 spotted deer, six peafowls, and 13 sambar deer have been relocated in 3 months. 400 spotted deer will soon be shifted to tiger areas. The forest department stated that managing the increasing wild herbivore population in the state's zoological parks and deer parks is difficult.
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Budget 2023-24: Experts hail Centre’s mangrove restoration scheme but stress on scientific implementation | Down to Earth
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new initiative for mangrove plantations along the coastline and on saltpan lands in her budget speech on February 1, 2023. Experts hailed the move, calling it an essential step in the fight against the climate crisis. But they stressed that the initiative should be carried out scientifically. The MISHTI, ‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes,’ comes after India joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate launched during COP 27.
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Centre launches Periyar river conservation project | The Hindu
The Central government has initiated a program to protect the 244-kilometre Periyar river in the state of Kerala. Dubbed the "Periyar River Basin Conservation Project," this integrated effort is being carried out by the government of India. The program will begin by collecting scientific data on the Periyar river and determining the sources that contribute to its flow. Afterwards, the sources of pollution will be identified, and steps will be taken to reduce them.
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