In Kaziranga, Indo-French partnership bears fruit

In Kaziranga, Indo-French partnership bears fruit

Subject :Environment

In the news-

• The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) for which the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.

Measures to be taken under the Indo-French initiative at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam-

• Artificial highlands where animals can escape during floods;
• engagement with local communities and alternate livelihood training for them
• biodiversity conservation- reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land,
• wildlife management ( 457sq km Kaziranga National Park)
  • The illegal timber trade is one of the main reasons for the degradation of forests around the reserve.
• The “protection strategy” adopted by Kaziranga involves setting up 223 anti-poaching camps across the park.
• There are 35 six-seven-foot tall embankments or highlands that have been constructed in various areas around the park, that animals can climb onto and seek refuge during the annual flooding.
• The project has also developed infrared-based early warning systems, triggered by elephant footfall, to either scare off herds from human habitat or warn villagers.

About Kaziranga national park-

• Kaziranga National Park is one of India’s oldest reserve areas.
• It is located in Golaghat and Nagaon, in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam in northeast India.
• The park is administered by the forest department of the Assam State Government.

History of Kaziranga National Park

• Mary Curzon took the initiative to declare the area ‘protected’, with her husband Lord Curzon after she failed to spot a single rhinoceros in the area.

• The park also has elephants, swamp deer, wild water buffalo, etc. It also has a wide range of flora.
• It also has 15 threatened species of fauna. It is also a breeding ground for many species of big cats like leopards and Bengal tigers.
• The park has about 2413 rhinos.
• In March 2020, Kaziranga National Park was selected as one among the 17 Iconic Tourist Sites of the country by the Indian Government.
• The National Highway 37 passes through the parking area.
• The Kaziranga National Park has 250 plus seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running through it.
• Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.

International Status:

• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
• It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.