Western Ghats ESA Mapping Overlaps with Notified Forests and ESZs
Source:The Hindu ↗
हे का महत्त्वाचे आहे
The article highlights the spatial overlap between proposed ESAs and pre-existing protected areas in the Western Ghats, directly addressing policy implementation bottlenecks, Centre-State friction, and balancing local livelihoods with biodiversity conservation.
सारांश
Recent mapping exercises in Western Ghats districts of Karnataka indicate that much of the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) heavily overlaps with existing notified forests, Protected Areas, and Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs). This finding provides crucial context for policy debates surrounding conservation versus development, mitigating anxieties of local populations regarding overlapping regulatory burdens.
मुख्य मुद्दे
- Mapping studies in Western Ghats districts of Karnataka reveal that a significant portion of the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) overlaps with already notified forests, Protected Areas, or existing Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs).
- The findings help address local apprehensions and resistance regarding additional restrictions on livelihoods and land use in non-forest/private lands within the proposed ESA.
- The Western Ghats remain a critical biodiversity hotspot, balancing developmental aspirations with ecological conservation under frameworks recommended by the Kasturirangan and Gadgil committees.
महत्त्वाच्या संज्ञा
Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification
Areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to protect fragile ecosystems from industrial and developmental degradation by restricting certain activities around Protected Areas.
UPSC context
GS Paper III (Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation). Tests understanding of environmental governance, regulatory frameworks, and balancing development with ecology.
Gadgil Committee Report
A 2011 expert panel report headed by Madhav Gadgil that recommended designating the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area with stringent restrictions on mining and development.
UPSC context
GS Paper III (Biodiversity and Conservation). Tests knowledge of landmark environmental committees, biodiversity governance, and developmental challenges in ecologically sensitive zones.
Kasturirangan Committee Report
A 2013 high-level working group report chaired by K. Kasturirangan that recommended designating about 37% of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area using satellite imagery.
UPSC context
GS Paper III (Conservation). Frequently asked in prelims and mains regarding Western Ghats conservation frameworks, remote sensing applications, and environmental policy debates.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
The nodal central government ministry in India responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing environmental and forestry policies, including wildlife protection and ESA notifications.
UPSC context
GS Paper II & III. Tests institutional frameworks, environmental laws, and central governance mechanisms for biodiversity management.
पूर्वपरीक्षा सापळा
The Kasturirangan Committee recommended bringing the entire Western Ghats region under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) category.
Aspirants often assume that the Kasturirangan Committee recommended bringing 100% or 60% of the Western Ghats under the ESA, whereas it recommended roughly 37%.
संबंधित स्थिर संकल्पना
What are the key differences between the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee reports on the Western Ghats?
- Gadgil Scope:: Advocated designating 100% of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive, dividing it into three ESZ zones with a complete ban on mining.
- Kasturirangan Scope:: Proposed bringing only ~37% of the Western Ghats under ESA, focusing primarily on natural landscapes and excluding inhabited cultural landscapes.
- Governance Model:: Recommended a bottom-up decentralized governance approach through Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at local levels.
आंतर-विषय नमुने
Western Ghats ESA vs. Forest Rights Act
The Western Ghats ESA debate mirrors land-use conflicts in Schedule V and VI areas, where tribal rights and conservation frameworks intersect.
GIS Mapping in Federal Environmental Governance
Spatial mapping technology resolves federal friction between MoEFCC directives and state-level implementation realities in biodiversity hotspots.
Kasturirangan vs Gadgil recommendations + ESA overlap with existing PAs is a high-yield statement-based UPSC Prelims target.
संबंधित PYQ · 2
संबंधित PYQ · 2
- 2016PrelimsGS1
'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to
- 2017PrelimsGS1
From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats?
