Eco-Sensitive Zones

In News

• Recently there were many criticisms that rose around Supreme Court’s order to declare all places within a kilometre (km) around  ‘protected areas (PA) as eco-sensitive zones (ESZ).

The Court order:

• Supreme court has directed all states to have a mandatory 1-km ESZ from the demarcated boundaries of every protected forest land, national park and wildlife sanctuary.
• It also stated that no new permanent structure or mining will be permitted within the ESZ.
  • The order will not affect farming. 
  • Guidelines list the activities prohibited in an ESZ, such as commercial mining, saw mills, commercial use of wood, etc., apart from regulated activities like the felling of trees.
• If the existing ESZ goes beyond a 1-km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, then such extended boundary shall prevail.
• It held the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Home Secretaries of States responsible for the compliance of the judgment.

Criticisms:

• Doubts on the methods used:
  • The order is criticised for not using a scientific basis for the declaration.
  • According to experts, an ESZ should only be declared evolved through participatory planning exercises. 
• Settlements around protected areas:
  • One km area around a PA is likely to have low-income housing colonies, historical monuments and livelihood use areas like river floodplains.
    • In case of Kerala, there is the presence of high density of human population near the notified protected areas.
• Topographical differences:
  • There are several habitat types like mountains, grasslands, forests, and oceans. But the order does not mention that.
    • In the case of Sundarbans, the whole area is eco-sensitive. It is difficult to enforce a 1 km boundary in marine space which is interconnected.
  • The destruction of nature in the name of development cannot be allowed to continue.

Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

• The Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), GoI around Protected Areas, National Park and Wildlife sanctuaries. 
• Range:
  • All identified areas around Protected Areas and wildlife corridors to be declared as ecologically fragile under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (National Wildlife Action Plan, 2002-2016).
  • Eco-sensitive Zone could go up to 10 Kms around Protected Area s. 
  • In cases where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are even beyond 10 Kms width. 
  • Further, Eco-sensitive zones may not be uniform all around and it could be variable in width and extent.
• Prohibited activities: 
  • Activities like industries that cause pollution Commercial mining, saw mills, establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances are all prohibited.
• Regulated activities:
  • Activities like the felling of trees, the establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc., widening of roads.
• Permitted activities:
  • Activities like ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, and adoption of green technology for all activities are permitted.

Significance of Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

• Conservation:
  • ESZs help in in-situ conservation, which deals with the conservation of an endangered species in its natural habitat. 
    • For example, the conservation of the One-horned Rhino of Kaziranga National Park, Assam.
  • They minimize forest depletion and man-animal conflict. 
• Buffer zone:
  • The protected areas are based on the core and buffer model of management, through which local area communities are also protected and benefit.
  • ESZs are created as “shock absorbers” for the protected areas, to minimize the negative impact on the “fragile ecosystems” by certain human activities taking place nearby. 
  • These areas are meant to act as a transition zone from areas requiring higher protection to those requiring lesser protection.
• Mitigating climate change:
  • Biodiversity and climate change are interconnected. The creation of SEZs may help in reducing the rise in temperature.
• Significance of Recent Judgement:
  • It can lead to more sustainable development.
  • Tribal rights will also be protected with the recent judgement i.e., their culture, diversity etc will be preserved.

Way Ahead

• It is important to consider ESZs on a case-to-case basis instead of giving the same limit for all the protected areas.
• The declaration of protected areas should be a participatory planning process.
• The Centre needs to come up with a plan to incentivise farmers for sticking to green practices in Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs).
• Communities living around Protected Areas in several states should promote the conservation of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs).
• There is a need for rethinking the impacts of the environmental policies at the local level and prospects of local participation.