Wildlife Conservation In India: Challenges, Frameworks, And Future Directions
Mrs. Kaveri Borah, Research Scholar, Department of Law, Mahatma Gandhi University, Meghalaya
ABSTRACT
Wildlife conservation has emerged as one of the most critical environmental priorities of the twenty-first century, especially in biodiversity-rich countries such as India. The accelerated pace of habitat destruction, climate change, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and rapid industrial expansion has placed immense pressure on ecological systems. India, which harbors nearly 8% of the world’s biodiversity, faces acute challenges in protecting its flora and fauna despite its extensive legal and institutional frameworks. The present research paper examines wildlife conservation from a multidisciplinary perspective, evaluating ecological dynamics, policy evolution, socio- economic factors, and conservation technologies. It also investigates the effectiveness of flagship conservation policies—including the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Project Tiger; Project Elephant; and community-based conservation models—to understand their impacts and limitations. Through a critical analysis of ecological data, field-based studies, and governance mechanisms, this paper argues that wildlife conservation must transition from protection-centric approaches to holistic, landscape-level, community- participatory, and technologically augmented strategies. The study concludes by proposing policy reforms and research priorities that can strengthen India’s conservation regime in the decades ahead.
Keywords: Wildlife Conservation, Poaching, Habitat loss, Biodiversity.
