21 March 2014, Mongabay news - India has stepped up forest conservation efforts in recent years, with a major  project underway to establish a large swath of uninterrupted habitat through the  designation of additional protected areas and expanding those already under  protection. If realized, these areas would converge to become Asia's largest  unbroken protected forest, encompassing approximately 15,000 square kilometers  (5,790 square miles) over three states.

The southwest state of Karnataka  is leading efforts, declaring protections for nearly 2,600 square kilometers  (1,000 square miles) of forest since 2012. In addition, Karnataka has worked  with adjoining states Tamil Nadu and Kerala to connect 8,766 square kilometers  (3,386 square miles) of previously protected areas.
Southern India is home to the Western Ghats, a region of hilly rainforest that  skirts the western coast. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and  considered one of the world's eight top biodiversity "hotspots," with an  estimated 1,800 species that are found nowhere else. Much of the current  expansion project targets areas of the Western Ghats, and would provide  migration corridors vital for wide-ranging animals such as Bengal tigers  (Panthera tigris tigris) and Indian elephants (Elephas maximus  indicus). Migration corridors reduce the chances of human-wildlife conflict  and make it easier for populations to mix, thereby bolstering genetic diversity  and long-term chances of survival.

Conservation in India can be a tricky  issue. In addition to a plethora of unique species, the country is also  inhabited by more than 1.2 billion people, making the protection of vital forest  areas a delicate balancing act. While most people live in densely-populated  cities, many also live in small towns and villages scattered throughout India's  wildernesses. When these areas are issued high-level protection by India's  Forest Department, the people who live within them are often displaced.  Additionally, designation of protected areas is often done by the Indian  government at a national level, a process that often mires projects in  bureaucratic limbo.
However, Karnataka has found ways around both these problems. It is overseeing  forest protection expansion at a state level, thus allowing the project to  proceed more quickly. It is also allowing communities already residing in the  affected areas to remain there while blocking heavy industry activity such as  mine and dam development.

"In comparison [to industry development],  existing villages do not pose any serious threat to conservation," former forest  official BK Singh told the BBC.

Once completed, the unbroken forest expanse would contain 15 major  watersheds and stretch more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Karnataka's  northern border with Goa to its southern borders with Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  Next steps include expanding forest protection near the Karnataka-Kerala border  and connecting fragments of forest preserves in the Western Ghats highlands.

Source: http://news.mongabay.com/