In recent news, a collaborative initiative between India and France, known as the Kaziranga Project, has caught the public’s attention. The French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) has earmarked a funding of €80.2 million from 2014-2024 for this venture.
About the Kaziranga Project
The Kaziranga Project is an integral aspect of a broader conservation scheme coined the Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC). The Assam government, with the backing of AFD, kick-started the APFBC in 2012. Its primary objective being to rejuvenate forest ecosystems, safeguard wildlife, and enrich the living condition of the forest-dependent communities. To realize this goal by 2024, the project has laid out plans to reforest 33,500 hectares of land and train 10,000 community members in alternative livelihoods.
Key Facts about Kaziranga National Park
Situated within the State of Assam, Kaziranga National Park spans a vast area of 42,996 hectares. This park is the single largest untouched region in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. It received its National Park status in 1974 and was declared a tiger reserve in 2007, boasting a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km (core area: 430 sq. km).
Kaziranga earned international recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 while BirdLife International identifies it as an Important Bird Area. It houses the world’s most extensive population of one-horned rhinos; Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, also located here, has the highest density of one-horned rhinos globally.
Much conservation emphasis in Kaziranga is aimed at protecting the ‘big four’ species – Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger, and Asiatic water buffalo. Additionally, it is home to 9 out of the 14 primate species found in the Indian subcontinent.
Rivers and Highways in the Park
Kaziranga National Park is intersected by National Highway 37. It has more than 250 seasonal water bodies, with the Diphlu River flowing through it.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)
An interesting aspect of this park was highlighted in a previous year question (2013) of the UPSC Civil Services Examination – “Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? (a) Corbett National Park: Ganga, (b) Kaziranga National Park: Manas, (c) Silent Valley National Park: Kaveri”. The correct answer was none (option d). Exp: Jim Corbett National Park’s primary source of water is the Ramganga, a tributary of the river Ganga. The Kaziranga National Park is surrounded by the Brahmaputra River forming its northern and eastern borders. The Mora Diphlu forms the southern border. Finally, the Silent Valley National Park located in Kerala, drains from north to south by the River Kuntipuzha and is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
The collaboration between India and France on the Kaziranga project holds immense promise for better conservation of biodiversity, protection of endangered species and sustainable development of forest-dependent communities.
Last Modified: February 20, 2024