Despite objections, Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone curtailed, India’s biodiversity-rich zones also ‘hotspots’ of human impacts

Despite objections, Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone curtailed - The Hindu

Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), which provides a regulated buffer zone around protected areas, will remain at 168.84 sq.km. despite thousands of citizens formally objecting to the reduction of nearly 100 sq. km. as compared to the original proposal. In the 33rd ESZ Expert Committee meeting of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) held on February 28, members recommended finalisation after ‘detailed deliberations’ of the November 5 draft notification which declared an ESZ area of 168.84 sq.km. around BNP. As reported previously in The Hindu, this represents a 37% reduction from the first draft notification issued in 2016 which had marked an ESZ area of 268.9 sq.km.  

Read More: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/despite-objections-bannerghatta-national-parks-eco-sensitive-zone-curtailed/article26537428.ece 

India’s biodiversity-rich zones also ‘hotspots’ of human impacts - The Hindu 

 Human impacts on species occur across 84% of the earth’s surface, finds a study published on March 13 in PLOS Biology, an international journal dedicated to biological science. Southeast Asian tropical forests — including India’s biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, Himalaya and the north-east — also fall in this category; India ranks 16th in such human impacts, with 35 species impacted on average. 

Read More: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/indias-biodiversity-rich-zones-also-hotspots-of-human-impacts/article26514203.ece