Periyar Tiger Reserve gets top rank in management review

Periyar Tiger Reserve gets top rank in management review

Subject: Environment

Section: Paces in news 

Context: Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala is the best-maintained of all tiger reserves in the country, according to the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) carried out by the Centre.

More on the News:

• Periyar reserve has obtained an MEE score of 94.3%, it is followed closely by the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Bandipur in Karnataka and Nagarhole in Karnataka.
• The government has been using the MEE to assess tiger reserves across the country since its inception in 2006.
• The MEE results also suggested an overall improvement in the management effectiveness of the tiger reserves.
• There has been continuous improvement with the subsequent cycles of evaluation in MEE scores of tiger reserves in India. The overall mean MEE score in the second cycle in 2010 was 65%, 69% in third cycle in 2014, and 70% in fourth cycle of evaluation in 2018 and 77.92% in present assessment.

Management Effectiveness Evaluation

• Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) is a methodology used to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas and their management. The MEE is carried out to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a protected area management system and to identify areas that need improvement.
• The MEE is conducted by a team of experts who review the management practices of the protected area and determine how well they are achieving the objectives of the protected area.
• The MEE methodology was developed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and has been widely adopted by many countries around the world. The MEE is conducted using a set of standard criteria that are used to evaluate the management of the protected area.
• There are 30”Headline Indicators” developed under six elements of MEE framework suitable in Indian context for evaluation.
• The MEE process involves a site visit to the protected area by the evaluation team, who meet with the protected area management staff, local communities, and other stakeholders. The team reviews documents, conducts interviews, and visits key sites within the protected area to assess its management effectiveness.
• The results of the MEE are used to develop action plans to improve the management of the protected area. The MEE also provides a baseline for monitoring and evaluating the progress of management improvements over time.
• At present, the country has 998 Protected Areas – including 106 National Parks, 567 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 105 Conservation Reserves and 220 Community Reserves — covering 1,73,629 sq km or 5.28% of India’s geographical area.
• Of these 53 tiger reserves, however, only 51, covering a total area of 73,765 sq km, were evaluated as two newly declared tiger reserves, Ramgarh Visdhari and Ranipur, have not been included in the current cycle of MEE.

Periyar Tiger Reserve

• Periyar Tiger Reserve is a protected area in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats and is named after the Periyar River that flows through the area.
• Flora: The reserve is rich in tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, and grasslands. It is home to a wide variety of flora, including over 2000 species of flowering plants.
• Fauna: The reserve is home to a large number of endangered species, including the Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, gaur, sambar deer, barking deer, Nilgiri langur, and lion-tailed macaque.
• Birdlife: Periyar Tiger Reserve is also a haven for birdwatchers, with over 265 species of birds, including the great Indian hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, blue-winged parakeet, grey-headed bulbul, white-bellied tree pie, and Nilgiri wood pigeon.
• Periyar Lake: The Periyar Lake is an artificial lake that was created by the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River. The lake is an important source of water for the animals in the reserve, and it is also a popular tourist attraction.
• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve and covers an area of 777 square kilometers. It is notable as an elephant reserve.
• Tribal communities: The reserve is home to a number of tribal communities, including the Mannans, Paliyas, and Uralis. These communities have lived in the area for centuries and have a deep knowledge of the forest and its flora and fauna.

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