INTEGRATING COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION AND LAND TENURE RIGHTS FOR SUSTAINABLE BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

AUTHOR – KUZHALI.S, STUDENT AT SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY

BEST CITATION – KUZHALI.S, INTEGRATING COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION AND LAND TENURE RIGHTS FOR SUSTAINABLE BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (3) OF 2024, PG. 515-523, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT:

In light of India’s changing sociocultural, economic, and environmental situation, this research article examines the complex interactions between community-based conservation initiatives and tenurial rights. Securing land and property rights is essential for reducing poverty, promoting gender equality, maintaining social stability, and ensuring sustainable resource usage. The study highlights the dynamic nature of the land tenure system and how it provides a foundation for community living.

This essay looks at how India’s land tenure system has changed throughout time. It emphasises on the pre-independence Zamindari, Mahalwari, and Lyotwari systems, emphasising the role middlemen played in exploitation and the post-independence land reform programs implemented to grant greater responsibility to actual farmers. The historical context also includes prehistoric Indian land tenure systems, which show transitions from communal to private ownership. In parallel, the study looks at India’s conservation history, from the creation of game parks during colonial times to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 following the country’s independence. Concerns like the commoditisation of the environment and the eviction of indigenous communities are brought to light by the evaluation of fortress conservation and neoliberal approaches to conservation.

The study concludes by highlighting the possibility of combining CBC and tenurial rights to create a fair and long-lasting strategy for managing biodiversity in India. This proposed model seeks to reconcile the dual imperatives of conservation and community well-being by recognizing the continuum of ownership forms and utilizing indigenous knowledge. It also provides a way ahead for inclusive and effective environmental policy in the Indian context.

Keywords: Tenure rights, Community-based conservatism, Environment, Wildlife