Upgradation and Expansion of Zoos in PPP Mode

• 06 Oct 2020

Why in News

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is formulating a policy for the up-gradation and development of Zoos in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) across the country to encourage interaction between wildlife and humans, and help people observe and understand wildlife behaviour more closely.

• Wildlife Week, 2020 is also being celebrated. Wildlife Week is celebrated every year in India between October 2 and 8.
  
  • It started in the year 1952 with the notion to preserve fauna of the country.

Key Points

• A report of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)- The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) titled “Economic valuation of ecosystem services, National Zoological Park, New Delhi’ was also released.
  
  • The study was first of its kind in India.
  • It pegs the total annual economic value of the ecosystem services (biodiversity conservation, employment generation, carbon sequestration, education, and research, recreational and cultural) of the zoo.
• The Minister also gave away the CZA-Prani Mitra awards to encourage the zoo officers and staff towards working for captive animal management and welfare.
• Zoological Parks
  
  • Zoos or Zoological parks are facilities used for ex situ conservation of animals.
    
    • Ex-situ conservation is the technique of conservation of organisms outside their natural habitats through different techniques like captive breeding, aquarium, botanical garden, and gene bank.
    • The process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat is commonly known as in situ conservation. It includes National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, community reserves, sacred groves etc.
  • The Zoos in India are managed as per the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and guided by the National Zoo Policy, 1998.
  • The Government of India established the Central Zoo authority in the year 1992 to oversee the functioning of Zoos in the country and to control mushrooming of ill-planned and ill-conceived Zoos.

Central Zoo Authority

• The CZA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was constituted in 1992 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Members: It is chaired by the Environment Minister and has 10 members and a member-secretary.
• Objective: The main objective of the authority is to complement and strengthen the national effort in the conservation of rich biodiversity.
• Functioning: The authority provides recognition to zoos and is also tasked with regulating the zoos across the country.
  
  • It lays down guidelines and prescribes rules under which animals may be transferred among zoos nationally and internationally.
  • It coordinates and implements programmes on capacity building of zoo personnel, planned breeding programmes, and ex-situ research.

The Energy and Resources Institute

• TERI is a non-governmental research institute in New Delhi that specializes in the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development.
• Established in 1974, it was formerly known as the Tata Energy Research Institute.

Source: PIB