COLLAPSE OF THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AND AN UNDECLARED WAR WITH NATURE

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THE CONTEXT: Wayanad is in a state of undeclared war as seen with the rising human-wildlife conflict in the district. There are two recent tragic events in Wayanad, one involving a wild elephant killing a farmer to death and another incident where an elephant herd killed an ecotourism guide at Kuruvadweep Islands. These events have triggered protests and strikes in Kerala.

HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT:

• Human-wildlife conflict is when encounter between humans and wildlife lead to negative results, such as loss of property, livelihoods, and even life. Defensive and retaliatory killing may eventually drive these species to extinction.
• Human-wildlife conflict is recognised as a global concern in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
• These encounters not only result in suffering for both people and wildlife immediately impacted by the conflict but they can also have a global reach, with impact on groups such as sustainable development agencies and businesses.
• The scope of the issue is significant and truly global, but, it has not been able to be addressed at the necessary scale.

WHY IS HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT ON THE RISE?

• As human populations and demand for space continue to grow, people and wildlife are increasingly interacting and competing for resources, which can lead to increased human-wildlife conflict.
• Along with other threats, human-wildlife conflict has driven the decline of once-abundant species and is pushing others to the brink of extinction.
• If not effectively managed, human-wildlife conflict has the potential to negatively affect these activities and conservation much more broadly.

MORE ON THE NEWS:

• Following the tragic incident, the government has announced the formation of a high-level panel comprising officials from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and rapid response teams.
• However, first, an effort from the Forest, Revenue, and Tourism departments is required to assess the situation and chalk strategies by recognising the fragility of the region.
• Second, a statutory body is required to coordinate the issues spread across the three south Indian States under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Third, the Forest Conservation Act should be enforced with a Free and Prior Informed Consent principle which is recognised as a critical process of stakeholder engagement to prevent degradation.

ISSUES:

• Onus of responsibility: The responsibility that comes with being a part of the wildlife should not be overlooked, as wildlife experts feel that if the natural balance is not restored, this will be catastrophic for western ghats.
• Reduced corridors for wildlife: A study report titled Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India, conducted by Wildlife Trust of India, identified 88 elephant corridors in 2005. As per the report, 24% of the corridors were under reserve forest and 76% under forest, agriculture, tea gardens, and human settlements. However, recent data on similar corridors have shown reduced corridors for wildlife. It indicates the loss of ecological connectivity and habitat, and the resultant confinement of wildlife to fragmented forests forcing their raids to the surrounding areas.
• Increasing number of deaths: In Wayanad alone, the official data has documented 51 human deaths due to wildlife attacks during the last 10 years. This number surged to a total of 98 fatalities, encompassing 8,873 attack incidents in the fiscal year 2022-23, with 27 of those deaths attributed to elephant attacks.
• Loss for agricultural sector: These attacks have also inflicted significant damage on Kerala’s agriculture sector. Over the period from 2017 to 2023, there were 20,957 cases of crop loss due to incursions by wild animals, leading to the death of 1,559 domestic animals, primarily cattle.
• Destruction of natural ecosystem: The clearing of forest lands for non-forest use marked the beginning of the destruction of natural ecosystems and this was further accentuated by the provision of contract farming agreements to claim uncultivated land. The move led to an agrarian crisis that highlighted drastic changes in the topographical atmosphere and landscape accompanied by a price crash indicating a weakened ecosystem.
• Monoculture plantation: The trend of monoculture plantations and the usage of pesticides and insecticides depleted the soil. This disturbance was evident in the diminished yield of cash crops and diseases, impacting the plantations despite favourable market prices. Further, it worsened by quarrying and deforestation activities for the expansion of monoculture plantations and the tourism industry. Today, 36,000 hectares out of the 1 lakh hectares of Wayanad forests are monoculture plantations.
• Rise in tourism industry: The tourism industry has expanded to bustling destinations towards the forest edges and wildlife corridors. The economic consequences of the destruction of the environment, the ecotourism in the region, invasive species, and wild animals, combined with the violation of all standards, have led to the degradation of Wayanad’s ecology.
• Invasive species: Non-native trees planted inside the forests have denied food and water for the animals which is resulting in the evacuation of animals from the forest areas as the interiors are turning to barren lands.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Awareness: The communication and interaction between the forest department and the locals has to be improved so that they can be sensitized about the issues and animals.
• Wildlife corridors: Corridors allow animals to freely move from one habitat patch to another without crossing human-caused barriers which can put animals, and potentially humans, in danger. Wildlife corridors needs to be increased and upgraded including barriers, guarding and early-warning systems as well as managing tensions between stakeholders involved in these situations.
• Community Participation: Effective planning and implementation of such measures requires consideration of good principles in community led-conservation, in collaboration with the communities affected.
• Increase in Protected areas: To conserve the animals and avoid any human-animal interaction more protected areas need to be developed by the Government.
• Proper investigation: The recent Operation Jumbo parade captured nine elephants and two were released to Kerala with radio collars installed, without adequate surveillance and no watchers to follow. This has to be investigated first and the government needs to extend its efforts to ensure proper monitoring, continuous conservation, and public awareness. It is high time for the Kerala forest department to implement strategies to protect and revive the forests in the State.

THE CONCLUSION:

In order to reduce human-wildlife conflict, we must reassess the relationship and especially the direct interactions between people and wildlife to improve our coexistence in the future. Such human-wildlife conflict management strategies can create opportunities and benefits not only for biodiversity and impacted communities, but for sustainable development and the global economy at large.

UPSC PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q. Examine the reasons for rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict. Suggest some possible measures to tackle this problem of modern age. (2019)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. The human-animal conflict which has intensified in Wayanad indicates a scramble for resources in the degraded ecology of the Western Ghats. Comment.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/collapse-of-the-ecological-balance-and-an-undeclared-war-with-nature/article67870645.ece