The Case of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Camel Pastoralism in Rajasthan (India)

Ilse Köhler-Rollefson,Hanwant Singh Rathore

doi:10.3390/su132413914

Abstract

The Indian forest management system introduced during colonial times has led to the progressive loss of the grazing rights of the country’s pastoralists, culminating in the abolishment of grazing fees and replacement with grazing fines in 2004. This scenario has had a negative knock-on effect on the conservation of many of the livestock breeds that pastoralists have developed in adaptation to local environments and that are the basis of the country’s food security. This paper illustrates the dilemma with the example of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Rajasthan that represents the traditional monsoon grazing area for local camel, sheep and goat pastoralists. Raika herders have engaged in a long-standing but losing legal battle with the state for their continued seasonal access to this area. This situation contributes to the rapid decline of the camel which is an iconic part of Rajasthan’s desert identity, a major attraction for tourists and was declared state animal in 2014. The aims of the forest department to conserve wild animals and those of pastoralists and camel conservationists could easily be integrated into a more equitable governance system as is endorsed by Aichi Target 11 of the CBD Strategic Plan 2011–2020. However, deeply engrained concepts about nature being separate from (agri-)culture, as well as unequal power structures, stand in the way.

Highlights

India prides itself on being a mega-biodiversity country and has established 104 National Parks and 566 Wildlife Sanctuaries, which together cover about 5% of its geographical area [1]
The socio-economic and legal developments around the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary were observed over the 30-year period from 1991 to the present, first in the context of a research project on camel management practices by one of the authors (IKR), later through a series of support and advocacy projects for Raika pastoralists who depend on access to the forest during the monsoon season when agricultural fields are cultivated
These projects were conducted under the auspices of the NGO Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) led by the second author (HSR) and set up in response to appeals for veterinary help by the Raika during initial fieldwork The size of the local camel population using the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) for monsoon grazing was monitored by means of household surveys in irregular intervals

Summary

Introduction

India prides itself on being a mega-biodiversity country and has established 104 National Parks and 566 Wildlife Sanctuaries, which together cover about 5% of its geographical area [1]. Conservation concepts have evolved from an earlier fortress approach to the recognition that successful governance of protected areas requires consultation and active involvement of all stakeholders, including the communities that depend on the conserved areas for their livelihoods. One of the main stakeholder groups in protected areas in India are its diverse groups of pastoralists who live and work throughout the country [4]. They have traditionally depended on forest grazing for at least part of the year, especially during the monsoon season. Herding groups that include the Gaddi and the Van Gujjars in the Himalayas, the

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