Forest dept, NGOs join hands for IUCN tiger project

NAGPUR: The state forest department and leading NGOs in the region will join hands to prepare a concept plan for tiger corridor conservation under International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) integrated tiger habitat conservation programme (ITHCP).
The decision was taken in a preliminary meeting in the city last Tuesday. It was attended by chief wildlife warden Sarjan Bhagat while wildlife conservation NGOs Satpuda Foundation, Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT) and wildlife wing officials were present.Interestingly, chief conservators (CCFs) of territorial circle in Vidarbha were conspicuous by their absence.
IUCN helps the world find solutions to pressing environment and development challenges. It is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries.
The meeting in the city was part of the second call for proposals under ITHCP from eligible participants. First round was completed in October last. “The forest department along with NGOs will prepare a common concept plan to safeguard corridors under the IUCN project,” said Bhagat.
The first call for concepts last year, resulted in a number of responses from tiger countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam. The proposals shortlisted under the first call are currently being finalized.
ITHCP was initiated by IUCN in 2014 with funding from German government. It funds projects on the conservation of wild tiger populations, their habitats and on the sustainable development of livelihoods of human communities living in and around key tiger habitats. “The programme seeks to invest in projects that involve improving management of tiger habitats, tackling tiger-human conflicts, increasing anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts and engaging and actively involving local communities in tiger conservation,” said Bhagat.