Indo-French Partnership on Kaziranga Project

• 05 Dec 2022

Why in News?

India and France are collaborating on Kaziranga Project.

• Agence Française de Développement (AFD) of France has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.

What is Kaziranga Project?

• The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).
  • The Assam government, with the support of AFD, launched the APFBC in 2012, to restore forest ecosystems, protect wildlife and enhance the livelihood of the forest-dependent communities.
• The project conceptualised the reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land and the training of 10,000 community members in alternate livelihoods by 2024.

What are Key Facts about Kaziranga National Park?

• Location:
  • It is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha).
  • It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
• Legal Status:
  • It was declared as a National Park in 1974.
  • It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km.
• International Status:
  • It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
  • It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
• Biodiversity:
  • It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos.
    • Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
  • Much of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the 'big four' species - Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo.
  • Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.
• Rivers and Highways:
  • National Highway 37 passes through the park area.
  • The park also has more than 250 seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running through it.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Q. Consider the following pairs: (2013)

	National Park	River flowing through the Park
1.	Corbett National Park	Ganga
2.	Kaziranga National Park	Manas
3.	Silent Valley National Park	Kaveri

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) None

Ans: (d)

Exp:

• Jim Corbett National Park: River Ramganga, a tributary of river Ganga is the primary source of water for the park. Tributaries of Ramganga are Khoh, Kolhu and Mandal rivers. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched.
• Kaziranga National Park: It is a park hosting around two-third of total world’s one-horned rhinoceros and is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra forms the northern and eastern boundaries of it, whereas the Mora Diphlu forms the southern boundary. Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly matched.
• Silent Valley National Park: Located in Kerala, the park’s entire stretch drains from north to south by River Kuntipuzha. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
• Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Source: IE