CONSERVATION
Bird book
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`The main aim of the inventory, as cited, "is to document and protect a network of sites which covers all the habitats and species".'
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PAUL NORONHA
Don't buy that bird: An estimated one million birds are involved in trade.
THIS massive and comprehensive tome tells us almost everything we need to know about 465 precious places in the country — officially protected or not — which are vital to conserve for the type of bird life they harbour. Brought out by the Indian Bird Conservation Network, along with the Bombay Natural History Society and BirdLife International (with part-sponsorship from the Royal Society For the Protection of Birds, U.K. and other organisations), and compiled and edited by M. Zafar-ul Islam and Asad R. Rahmani, the book has impeccable credentials. It is well organised, comprehensive, crammed with information and excellently produced, and well worth the apparently hefty price tag.
The main aim of the inventory, as cited, "is to document and protect a network of sites which covers all the habitats and species. Given that birds are good indicators of overall biological diversity, most Important Bird Areas (IBA) will also be important for other animals and plants, particularly those under great threat."
The broad picture
It kicks off by giving us a broad picture and background of the country and its biodiversity, with information on bio-geographic zones, vegetation, the avifauna, and the various habitats that we are blessed with. There is background information on wildlife legislation and policies, the Wild Life Protection Act, the Protected Area system and international conventions of which we are participants. Some "burning issues" are discussed in chapters that cover the bird trade, the devastating impact of mining (often illegally, but with blessings of the government) in eco-sensitive areas, the special problems faced by IBAs in the northeast states and the role of (especially) rural communities in the protection of important bird areas.
A thorough and clear explanation and justification is given regarding the objectives and methodology used for the study, such as the criteria (standardised and internationally agreed) under which bird species as well as these important bird areas have been selected. Perceived limitations of the study have also been clarified — for instance, the site-based approach may not be suitable for species, which are thinly but widely distributed, like the Great Indian Bustard.
The main part of the book gives the low down on all the 465 sites selected, state-wise. Each state is introduced, with a general description and more specifically of its avifauna, land use and the threats and conservation issues. Each IBA is then "debriefed" as it were, with information on location, ownership, physical features and habitats, protection status and criteria under which it was selected being provided.
The statistics
The analyses of the IBAs have produced interesting findings. Of the 465 sites, as many as 425 have "globally threatened" species, and 205 hold restricted range species. Ninety-nine host biome-restricted assemblages and 136 fit the congregatory category. Many sites fit more than one category. The key habitats hosting threatened species (which, therefore need the maximum protection) are wetlands, followed by forests, grassland and scrubland.
By far, the most major threat to the IBAs is from human settlements and encroachment, thanks to the enormous pressure on land because of population. Intensive agriculture (green revolution type) also poses grave threat in 321 IBAs as does deforestation and illegal logging (106), unsustainable exploitation - hunting, fishing, wildlife-trade — (259), overgrazing (193) and firewood collection (117). Tourism is a problem in 87 of these IBAs.
The chapter on bird trade by Abrar Ahmed has sobering facts on offer, enough to discourage anyone from ever keeping a bird in a cage. Of the 1225 odd species in India, over 450 have been documented in international and domestic bird trade, and recent studies have shown that over 370 species are still caught. The top favourites are parakeets, munias, weavers, buntings and the Blue Rock Pigeon, and the top 10 species account for 75 per cent of indigenous trade. A minimum of one million birds is involved, not including those that fail to make it to the markets (because they die en route).
Mining threatens as many as 90 protected areas (and over 50 IBAs), writes Neeraj Vagholikar of Kalpavriksh and hundreds of other ecologically sensitive areas, and certainly needs to be reined in. Manju Menon and Neeraj Vagholikar discuss the special issues afflicting the northeastern states (which have 886 out of the 1225 bird species of the country), where dams, and large-scale development projects are proving a major threat to fragile ecosystems. Ashish Kothari and Neema Pathak (also of Kalpavriksh) hold out hope that the key to conservation lies with the communities living in and around these IBAs and provide happy examples where this has happened and continues to happen, as well as warning of conditions under which this might not happen.
Springboard for conservation
This book should provide a major springboard for the conservation of birds and their habitats in India. Of the 465 Important Bird Areas it covers, 198 do not have official protection, and in a country as vast and varied as ours there are bound to be many hundreds more, waiting to be discovered. And this is what the Indian Bird Conservation Network should now train its binoculars on. If along with communities involved, it can turn conservation into a national movement, we can breathe a little easier.
The only two minor quibbles I have is that it seems that the "old" common names of the birds have been used (for example, white-backed as against white-rumped vulture) and the maps giving the location of the individual IBAs are too small and anonymous to be of any practical use. Otherwise, it is wonderful and heartening to see the huge effort that has gone in to produce this momentous high quality publication.
Important Bird Areas in India: Priority Sites For Conservation, compiled and edited by M. Zafar-ul Islam and Asad R. Rahmani, IBCN, BirdLife International, BNHS, p.1133, Rs. 3000.
RANJIT LAL
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