Status Review of Namdapha National Park, India: Need for Strengthening Community-Conservation Linkages

Abstract

The North East India is among the most significant global hotspots of biodiversity, and state of Arunachal Pradesh covers 32% of total area of the region. In comparison to the other neighbouring states and countries, large areas of the State of Arunachal Pradesh are under intact forest cover that provides unique opportunity to conserve biodiversity within the protected areas. This paper analyses the status of biodiversity and management of Namdapha National Park, which is also a Tiger Project and is under the active consideration of Biosphere Reserve Status. The Park falls among the select relict rainforest patches of high global significance, and has been identified as an epicenter of high endemism and biodiversity with over 1119 plants and 1399 faunal species in an area of 1985 km2 (elevation variation 200-4570 m above sea level). It also provides unique habitats to four Wild Cats (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Clouded Leopard) and only Ape (Hollock Gibbon) in India, thus conservation of this Park has larger implications not only for India but for whole of the South-east Asian countries. There has been communities living around the Park, a few settlements within the Park area are of major concern for the conservation of biodiversity. Besides, grazing, hunting, and NTFPs collections, particularly in the fringe areas, are other major threats to the biodiversity of the Park. The management suffers due to lack of proper infrastructure, enough manpower and trained personnel, which has been a major constraint in recent times. The paper highlights the need of strengthening community conservation linkages by educating people and addressing the issues of settlement, NTFP collection and hunting involving local communities in the management of Park around its buffer zone I addition to building capacity of Park management staff. Preparing comprehensive eco-development programmes for different areas and communities in and around the Park is an important issue to address long-term management of the area.