Biodiversity: Threats & Its Conservation

• Biodiversity conservation ensures the preservation of ecological and genetic diversity, maintains the continuity of food chains, enables the sustainable utilisation of resources, and guarantees a constant flow of ecosystem services and goods.
• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets the protection of 30% of global land and sea by 2030 (30×30 target) to strengthen global biodiversity efforts.
• A recent study published in PLOS Biology (February 2025) highlights a critical gap, expanding protected areas alone is insufficient for safeguarding biodiversity, especially for tropical mammals, as human activities beyond protected areas continue to drive biodiversity loss.

Key findings of the study

1. Extinction filtering: Species sensitive to human disturbances disappear, leaving behind only those capable of surviving in degraded landscapes, even within protected zones.
2. Global scope of analysis: The study examined 239 mammal species across 37 tropical forests on three continents (Asia, Africa, and the Americas), using nearly 560,000 camera-trap images and satellite data on land-use changes.
3. Direct impacts of human activity: Mammal diversity decreases by 1% for every 16 people per sq. km living near protected areas, highlighting the negative influence of human population density.
4. Effects of deforestation and habitat fragmentation: Forest loss and fragmentation outside protected zones directly reduce mammal populations within protected areas, disrupting ecosystem stability.

Major Threats to Tropical Mammals

• Forest loss and fragmentation: Breaks habitats into isolated patches, causing shrinking populations, reduced genetic diversity, and local extinctions (10 million hectares lost annually – FAO, 2023).
• High human population density: Accelerates habitat degradation, making sensitive species vanish and leaving only adaptable generalists (40% of the global population in the tropics – UNEP, 2023).
• Extinction filtering effect: Creates uniform, less resilient ecosystems, weakening natural recovery from environmental changes (1 million species threatened with extinction – UN Report, 2023).
• Climate change impacts: Alters habitat suitability, food availability, and breeding patterns due to temperature rise and rainfall changes (1.2°C rise in tropical regions – IPCC, 2023).
• Agricultural expansion: Reduces habitat availability, increases human-wildlife conflict, & forces species into fragmented areas (90% of global deforestation driven by agriculture – Global Forest Watch, 2023).
• Poaching and illegal wildlife trade: Reduces populations of key species, destabilizing ecosystems, and threatening biodiversity ($23 billion annual trade – UNODC, 2023).

Strategic Reforms to Strengthen Wildlife Conservation

• Establish wildlife corridors: Connect fragmented habitats to ensure safe animal movement and genetic exchange (E.g., Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong corridor).
• Promote sustainable land-use planning: Enforce strict zoning laws, regulate urban expansion, and encourage eco-friendly agriculture (E.g., Agroforestry in Madhya Pradesh).
• Strengthen community-based conservation: Involve local communities through financial incentives, eco-tourism initiatives, and traditional knowledge integration (E.g., Joint Forest Management).
• Expand and enforce buffer zones: Minimize human-wildlife conflicts by securing zones around protected core habitats and regulating resource use (E.g., Periyar Tiger Reserve).
• Leverage technology for monitoring: Use AI tools, satellite imagery, camera traps, and drones for effective real-time tracking (E.g., Nagarhole National Park).
• Implement strict anti-poaching measures: Strengthen surveillance and legal action to curb illegal wildlife trade (E.g., Special Tiger Protection Force, India).
• Promote habitat restoration projects: Reforest degraded areas and restore ecosystems to enhance biodiversity (E.g., Aravalli reforestation, Haryana).

Way Forward: A Holistic Approach to Biodiversity Conservation

• Integrate conservation into national development plans: Align growth with sustainability through initiatives like the National Biodiversity Mission and Green Credit Programme to incentivize eco-friendly practices.
• Strengthen international cooperation: Collaborate under global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), and LiFE Mission (Lifestyle for Environment) for shared resources and innovation.
• Promote ‘Development as a Mass Movement (Jan Andolan)’: Involve citizens through campaigns like Mission LiFE and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to foster grassroots environmental responsibility.
• Leverage technology for conservation: Utilise AI, drones, and GIS mapping under initiatives like Digital India and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau’s e-surveillance systems for better wildlife protection.
• Encourage sustainable business practices: Enforce green policies through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and initiatives under the Circular Economy Action Plan for waste reduction and resource efficiency.
• Expand habitat restoration and afforestation: Scale up programs like Amrit Dharohar (for wetlands conservation) and MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) to enhance ecosystem resilience.

  Reference: DownToEatrh | PMF IAS: Environment Book | PMF IAS: Biodiversity Conservation

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 87

Q. Despite the expansion of protected areas, biodiversity loss continues unabated. Critically analyze the limitations of protected areas in ensuring wildlife conservation and suggest strategic reforms for adopting a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation in India. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

Approach

• Introduction: Briefly introduce the answer by defining the limitations of protected areas in biodiversity conservation.
• Body: Discuss the major threats to tropical biodiversity in India and suggest a comprehensive strategy.
• Conclusion: Write a way forward and conclude by highlighting the need for collective efforts.