Tiger conservation in Asia is set to receive a major boost with the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) flagging off the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) for protected areas. However India has been relying on management effectiveness evaluation of tiger reserves (MEE) across the country.
The CA|TS is a comprehensive scheme which provides an incentive to those responsible for tiger conservation to improve the effectiveness of management and contribute to the goal of doubling the number of tigers by 2022. It was launched at the First Asian Park Congress (APC) in Sendai, Japan in November 2013. At a time when tiger numbers in Asia have taken a significant beating, the role of CA|TS will be vital for tiger protected areas in Asia. This is because this system will set basic parameters and thus upgrade the existing practices in the country.
The Global Tiger Forum has requested their member tiger reserve countries to help establish their National Review Committees and initiate the process of registering their best tiger protected areas for CA|TS. Once registered, the protected area will be on course to gain accreditation and recognition for its excellent management and support for tiger recovery.
SP Yadav, Joint Director NTCA and Secretary General GTF India said on phone from New Delhi, “I would advocate for other countries to adopt CA|TS, but in India we have been following MEE which is a robust methodology for tiger evaluation and has reaped benefits in conserving tiger population in the country.” In 2010, the TRCs agreed to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. As part of the efforts to find new ways to accelerate recovery, a set of Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) for protected area management have been developed and form the basis for an accreditation scheme aimed to demonstrate effective protected area management for tigers.
The Global Tiger Forum has been working closely in the development of this scheme along with Tigers Alive Initiative (TAI)-WWF and IUCN and WCPA. However, India has independently assessed the effectiveness of 28 tiger reserves in 2005-06 and took this process forward, by extending this evaluation in 2010-11 to all 39 tiger reserves. “The outcomes of this assessment are encouraging and despite all odds, our park managers and front line staff are putting up a valiant effort to conserve our natural heritage. Seeing their good work we have decided to carry out this evaluation process further in 2014,” said Yadav.
The best example to this is Nepal. While we are celebrating and immersing ourselves deep into zero poaching success of Nepal, a rare feat to witness in present times, when much of the world is facing a global wildlife crisis, threatened by the illegal wildlife trade. It is noteworthy to mention here that, Nepal as a country has also been the first TRC to have adopted and implemented CA|TS.
Chitwan National Park, is also home to the country’s largest number of wild tigers. The tiger population in Chitwan, has increased from 91 (71-147) in 2009 to 120 (98-1,390) in 2013, an increase of 63 per cent in three years. “CA|TS has worked for Nepal but on the other hand we have yielded good results from MEE. I am not against any certification process but an indigenous methodology, which we have adopted is working for us and hence, we are not going for any other certification. India is adept enough to conserve its natural heritage and hence it is very unlikely that an external certification will be required by us,” said Yadav. Meanwhile, India is still notches away from accepting CA|TS as it is self sufficient to conserve its tiger population without any external intervention.