Conservation of Great Indian Bustard

In April 2024, the Supreme Court of India passed a verdict recognising the right to protect against the damaging effects of climate change as a distinct fundamental right in the Constitution.

This was the first time India’s top court made such a significant decision to recognize and address the impacts of climate change on individuals and communities. 

Interestingly, the verdict was made in a case which involved two bird species, the great Indian bustard and the lesser florican.

Birds in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan face several challenges because of pollution, climate change, predators, invasive species, and power transmission lines.

Now, the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has approved an amount of Rs 77.05 Cr for five years for the Conservation Action Plan for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican.

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) is one of the Government of India’s schemes to compensate for the loss of forest land, improve the quality of forests, enrichment of biodiversity, and improve wildlife habitat. 

A programme titled, ‘Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of the Great Indian Bustard – an Integrated Approach’ was sanctioned with funding support from the CAMPA in 2016 with an outlay of Rs. 33.85 crores. The Programme has achieved success in:

1. Establishing conservation breeding facilities for the Great Indian Bustard at Sam and Ramdeora, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
2. Securing partial founder population of Great Indian Bustard.
3. Commencing captive breeding of Great Indian Bustard from the founder population in Conservation Breeding Centre.
4. Advancing ecological knowledge on Great Indian Bustard with the aid of range-wide surveys, telemetry, intensive population, behavioural, and habitat monitoring, and molecular research.
5. Using this information and advocacy to guide actions for habitat improvement.

The Conservation Action Plan for the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican aims at ex-situ and in-situ conservation for Great Indian Bustard and lesser Florican.

The action plan provides for a GIB survey, development and implementation of artificial insemination techniques, habitat improvement, measures for protection from predators, community participation in conservation and awareness generation, telemetry and tracking of wild populations etc.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Wildlife Institute of India and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, United Arab Emirates to undertake collaborative work aimed at the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard.