Forest and Wildlife

Which one of the following States/Union Territories has the highest percentage of forest area to the total geographical area?

[amp_mcq option1=”Arunachal Pradesh” option2=”Lakshadweep” option3=”Nagaland” option4=”Mizoram” correct=”option2″]

Lakshadweep, a Union Territory, has the highest percentage of forest area to its total geographical area among the options listed, based on official forest survey reports.

While Mizoram is the state with the highest percentage of forest cover, Lakshadweep, being a UT, has an even higher percentage due to its small land area and dense tropical vegetation on its islands.

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the forest cover percentage for the options are approximately: Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Lakshadweep (90.33%), Nagaland (73.90%), and Mizoram (84.93%).

Consider the following statements about National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) of India for 2017-2031 :

• 1. This is the Third National Wildlife Action Plan.
• 2. The NWAP is unique as this is the first time India has recognized the concerns relating to climate change impact on wildlife.
• 3. The NWAP has ten components.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”1 and 2 only” option3=”2 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option2″]

Let’s evaluate the statements about the National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) 2017-2031:
1. This is the Third National Wildlife Action Plan. This statement is correct. The previous plans were 1983-2001 and 2002-2016.
2. The NWAP is unique as this is the first time India has recognized the concerns relating to climate change impact on wildlife. This statement is correct. The Third NWAP explicitly includes climate change and its impact on wildlife and habitats as a key theme for the first time.
3. The NWAP has ten components. This statement is incorrect. The Third NWAP is structured around 17 themes. While these themes cover various aspects of wildlife conservation, they are not typically referred to as “ten components”.
Based on the analysis, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect.

– India’s National Wildlife Action Plans guide conservation efforts.
– The current plan (2017-2031) is the third such plan.
– The third NWAP is significant for including climate change impacts.
– The plan is organized into themes, not specifically ten components.

The 17 themes of the Third NWAP cover areas such as strengthening protected area network, landscape-level conservation, conservation of threatened species, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, climate change adaptation, coastal and marine ecosystem conservation, ecotourism, research, capacity building, public awareness, etc.

With regard to ‘Project Tiger’, which one of the following statements is not correct?

• (a) It was launched in India in the year 1973.
• (b) The objective of the Project is to preserve the habitats and tigers therein as natural heritage.
• (c) The Project emphasized to ensure viable population of tigers in India.
• (d) There are no Tiger Reserves in north-eastern part of India.

[amp_mcq option1=”(a)” option2=”(b)” option3=”(c)” option4=”(d)” correct=”option4″]

Project Tiger is a conservation programme launched in India to protect the Bengal tiger. Let’s examine each statement:

– (a) It was launched in India in the year 1973. This statement is correct. Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973.
– (b) The objective of the Project is to preserve the habitats and tigers therein as natural heritage. This statement correctly describes a key objective of Project Tiger.
– (c) The Project emphasized to ensure viable population of tigers in India. This is also a core objective, aiming to maintain a healthy and sustainable tiger population.
– (d) There are no Tiger Reserves in north-eastern part of India. This statement is incorrect. The North-Eastern region of India has several significant Tiger Reserves, including Manas, Nameri, Orang, Pakke, Namdapha, Buxa (partially in Northeast/East), Kamlang, and Dampa.

Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). It has significantly contributed to the increase in India’s tiger population since its inception. The presence of tiger reserves in diverse geographical regions, including the Northeast, is vital for the species’ survival across its range.