Dehradun, March 21 Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday, led discussions on proposals across sectors such as roads, drinking water supply, defence, irrigation and infrastructure near protected areas at the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, an official said.
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife is a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and advises the Union government on matters related to conservation and protection of wildlife and forests, the official said in a statement.
"During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for strengthening the use of geospatial technologies, remote sensing and AI/machine learning-based tools in forest fire management, wildlife conservation and decision support systems," an official of the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.
The Committee also reviewed progress on the decisions taken in the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife and noted the status of key national initiatives relating to species recovery, habitat management and institutional strengthening.
Union Minister Yadav, who chaired the committee meeting, also deliberated on the issues of environmental flows in the Chambal for sustaining riverine species such as dolphins, gharials and other aquatic fauna, particularly during lean seasons.
The Committee also discussed conservation of grasslands and rangelands, highlighting their importance for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, dryland resilience and pastoral livelihoods.
"It was observed that these ecosystems remain under-recognised in planning frameworks and require ecosystem-specific restoration approaches, improved mapping, and integration with national commitments such as Land Degradation Neutrality," the statement said.
The issue of dependence of nomadic and pastoral communities on Protected Areas was also deliberated.
The Committee noted the ecological and livelihood linkages of pastoral systems and emphasised the need for balanced approaches for conservation goals while considering traditional practices and socio-economic dependencies.
"During the meeting, conservation status of wild water buffalo was discussed, and the committee recommended a comprehensive conservation action plan for wild water buffalo," the statement added.
--IANS
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