Conservation of Tiger (Panthera tigris) and its Habitats - Experiences of Co-existence of People and Protected Area from Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India

Understanding the significance of Tiger in the ecosystem, Government of India launched 'Project Tiger' in 1973 for the conservation of tiger and its habitat. By the end of year 2000, 27 Tiger Reserves were established in the country. One of the major constraints or issues confronting conservation in the Tiger Reserves can be attributed to the existence of human population in and around the reserves. These Reserves with the status of Sanctuary or National Park are traditionally following the conventional model of exclusionist Protected Area (PA) management which stresses on coercion and policing as the dominant tool for biodiversity conservation. However, consistent with the National Forest Policy, 1988, the PAs have gradually started addressing the livelihood needs of the local communities and soliciting their support for conservation. Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), Kerala, is an example of the successful co-existence of park and people. The tiger reserve along with its adjoining forest areas form an exceptionally rich rainforest landscape. However, mega developmental threats and subsistence dependency of local people had threatened the long-term conservation of PTR. The implementation of India Ecodevelopment Project (IEP) between 1996 and 2004 opened a new vista of PA management, which goes hand in hand with the protection of the PA and livelihood security of the local people. One of the most important contributions of the project has been the evolution of various Community Based Ecotourism Programmes (CBEP) with strong focus on park protection and visitor experience providing sustained livelihoods to about 2000 including indigenous families and rehabilitated forest offenders. Involvement of the local people in pilgrimage management has resulted in safeguarding the ecological sanctity of Sabarimala apart from generating valuable income for forest dependent communities. The project has resulted in the improved planning and protection of the PA Area, reduction in resource use by local people, improvement in habitat health, building social capital among local communities and creation of institutional mechanisms for sustaining the achievements. In order to ensure the post project sustainability, the Government of Kerala has established a semi autonomous Trust named Periyar Foundation with the objective of supporting biodiversity conservation and community welfare initiatives of PTR and adjoining landscape. An eco development surcharge levied on visitors to the PA is being pooled into the operational fund of the Foundation. In nut shell, a new system of decentralized and self-reliant PA management system is evolving in PTR wherein the interest of the biodiversity of the PA is integrated and mainstreamed with the livelihood security of the local people in the landscape.