(Prelims: Environment & Ecology)
(Mains, General Studies Paper- 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment) |
Reference
Kerala has topped the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) for 2020-2025 conducted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Management Effectiveness of National Parks and Protected Areas.
About Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)
- MEE score is calculated based on a comprehensive assessment of various factors including performance of protected areas and management over time.
- During the 2020-2025 cycle, the Ministry evaluated 438 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Key Findings
- Top Performing State: Kerala has topped the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) for its effective management practices. There are a total of 21 protected areas in Kerala.
- Kerala is the only state to receive a ‘very good’ rating with 76.22% marks.
- It was followed by Karnataka (74.24%), Punjab (71.74%) and Himachal Pradesh (71.36%) which received a ‘good’ rating.
- Top Performing Union Territories: Chandigarh topped the list with a score of 85.16%, while Ladakh (34.9%) was placed in the ‘poor’ category.
- Top Performing Parks: Eravikulam National Park (ENP) in Kerala and Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir topped among Protected Areas (PA) with a MEE score of 92.97%.
- Other Parks: Mathikettan Shola National Park in Kerala was among the other well-managed sites with a score of 90.63%.
Recommendations for protected areas
The report makes several recommendations for protected areas, including:
- Incorporating areas around Kottayam Division into protected areas
- Improving ecotourism facilities
- Removal of exotic and invasive species
- Getting support from scientific institutions, NGOs and local conservationists for ecological monitoring and awareness-raising
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Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam National Park (ENP) is one of the 39 sites in the Western Ghats that were declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2012 for its outstanding universal value.
- Spread over 97 sq km, the park covers a large continuous tract of shola-grassland biome in the higher regions of the southern Western Ghats.
- It is home to the last remaining population of the Nilgiri tahr and about 20 species of ungulates, including the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthus kunthianus). Neelakurinji blooms once every 12 years.
Mathikkattan Shola National Park
- Spread over 12.82 sq km, Mathikkattan Shola National Park is an important elephant corridor and the only known habitat of the unique Galaxy Frog.
- The assessment report mentioned that very little information is available about the Galaxy Frog and systematic ecological monitoring is not currently in place.
Dachigam National Park
- It is located 22 km from Srinagar. It was declared a national park in the year 1981. It is named after the relocation of 'ten villages'.
- The park is famous for Hangul (Kashmir deer). Other animals found include leopard, palm civet, jackal, red fox, musk deer, black bear, brown bear, marten and Himalayan mongoose. The birds found include Monal pheasant and Blue magpie.
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