Side Event

PA Governance in India – where do we stand in terms of tenure, relocation, and possibilities of coexistence?

Organizer
Kalpavriksh

Date and Time
11 October 2012 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

The CBD has had a deep impact on Indian legislation as various rights based acts regarding the use and ownership of biodiversity and forests were born out of the convention and subsequently increased the opportunities for collaborative governance and management of biodiversity rich areas. The changes in governance that these pieces of legislations could create have been most contentious within Protected Areas (PAs). This side event will discuss the current situation of governance within PAs, in the light of the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006 or Forest Rights Act (FRA). The side event will focus on the implementation of the FRA, or the lack thereof, within two particular kinds of PAs – Critical Tiger Habitats and Critical Wildlife Habitats, and also analyse the state of recognition of community forest rights (CFR) in PAs. A discussion on the potential conflicts between conservation objectives and the implementation of FRA in PAs will create a deeper understanding of the issues regarding governance in PAs.