Report of the Working Group on Wildlife, Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Animal Welfare for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-20012

Abstract

The Working Group Report on Wildlife, Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge, and Animal Welfare for the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) emphasizes the urgent need to strengthen conservation efforts in India in the face of increasing human pressures, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and poaching. Since the 1970s, India has developed a Protected Area network and flagship projects like Project Tiger and Project Elephant, but these measures remain inadequate to sustain ecological processes and genetic diversity at landscape levels. The report reviews existing schemes and highlights challenges in fund utilization, especially for activities like relocation of villages from protected areas, ecodevelopment, and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, noting a decline in expenditure under these critical actions in the Tenth Plan. A new scheme, Protection of Wildlife Outside Protected Areas (PWOPA), is recognized as essential for supporting conservation in non-PA habitats and addressing gaps in national conservation efforts. Recommendations include enhanced funding, flexible allocation norms for States, and more efficient devolution of funds to field agencies. The report stresses the importance of integrating traditional knowledge, providing alternative livelihoods for communities historically engaged in hunting, and mainstreaming conservation into broader governmental and community planning. Strengthening institutions such as the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Crime Bureau, Wildlife Institute of India, and National Zoological Park is crucial for effective implementation. The Eleventh Plan seeks to create a holistic, landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation by combining habitat development, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, community participation, and strategic research, ensuring the protection of India’s rich biodiversity while promoting sustainable development and animal welfare.