ECO SENSITIVE ZONES (ESZ)
KEY POINTS-
- ECOSENSITIVE zones are areas within 10kms around protected areas, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. They are also known as ecologically fragile areas.
- ESZS are notified by MoEFCC(Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), the government of India under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
- In places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even area beyond 10km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.
- The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries so as to minimize the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.
- The MoEFCC has come out with new guidelines to create eco-sensitive zones(ESZs) around protected areas to prevent ecological damage caused due to developmental activities around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- The new ESZ guidelines, declared that these areas act as "shock absorbers " to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
- The guidelines include many activities that could be allowed, promoted, and regulated.
- The ministry has asked all states to constitute a committee comprising the wildlife warden, an ecologist, and a revenue department official of the area concerned to suggest the requirement of an eco-sensitive zone.
- The area has been classified as prohibited, restricted with safeguards and permissible.
- The guidelines said activities, including commercial mining, setting of sawmills and industries causing pollution, commercial use of firewood and major hydropower projects are prohibited in such areas.
- It also prohibits tourism activities like flying over protected areas in an aircraft or hot air balloon and discharge of effluents and solid waste in natural water bodies or terrestrial areas.
- Felling of trees, drastic change in agriculture system and commercial use of natural water resources, including ground water harvesting and setting up of hotels and resorts are the activities regulated in the areas.
- Activities permitted in the area include ongoing agriculture and horticulture practices by local communities, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, adoption of green technology and use of renewable energy sources.
- To minimize the impact of urbanization & other developmental activities, areas adjacent to protected areas have been declared eco-sensitive zones.
- They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
- ESZs help in in-situ conservation, which deals with the conservation of an endangered species in its natural habitat, for example, the conservation of the One-horned Rhino of Kaziranga National Park, Assam.
- ESZs minimize forest depletion and man-animal conflict. The protected areas are based on the core and buffer model of management, through which local area communities are also protected and benefited.
THREATS & CHALLENGES TO ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES-
- Activities like the construction of dams, roads, and urban and rural infrastructures in the ESZ, create interference, negatively impact the environment and imbalance the ecological system.
- For instance, the construction of roads may lead to the cutting down of trees which would further impact, soil erosion thereby destroying the habitats of the species preserved under the ESZ.
- By failing to recognize the rights of Forest communities and curbing poaching of animals, legislations like the environmental Protection Act 1986, and wildlife protection act 1972, undermine the ESZz in favour of developmental activities.
- As the pressure of tourism is rising, the government is developing new sites and gateways to the ESZ.
- The tourists leave behind garbage like plastic bags, bottles etc., which leads to environmental degradation.
- Exotic species like Eucalyptus, Acacia and their plantations create a competing demand on naturally occurring forests.
- Biodiversity and climate change are interconnected, like rising in temperature have Gener land, water, and ecological stress on the ESZs.
- Burn techniques used in agriculture, the pressure of increasing population and the rising demand for firewood and forest produce, etc, exert pressure on the protected areas.
WAY FORWARD-
- Conservative techniques and awareness about the over-exploitation of resources and its adverse impacts should be propagated among the masses.
- Afforestation and deforestation of degraded forest, regeneration of lost habitats, and reducing climate change impacts by promoting carbon footprints and through education are needed.
- Government, civil societies and stakeholders are largely required to collaborate with each other for balancing sustainable development with development.
