What is the purpose of the eco-sensitive zone?
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) are designated areas established with the primary purpose of protecting the environment from degradation caused by human activities and serving as a vital buffer for sensitive ecosystems.
Understanding Eco-Sensitive Zones
Eco-Sensitive Zones are specific areas notified by the government around Protected Areas, National Parks, and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Their creation aims to manage and regulate activities that could negatively impact the fragile ecological balance of these highly biodiverse regions.
Core Objectives of Eco-Sensitive Zones
The establishment of ESZs fulfills two critical environmental objectives:
Preventing Environmental Degradation
The foremost purpose of an ESZ is to protect the environment and prevent its degradation due to anthropogenic activities. This means regulating or prohibiting certain human-induced activities that could lead to pollution, habitat destruction, or loss of biodiversity. By controlling development and industrial activities in these sensitive areas, ESZs help maintain ecological integrity and environmental health.
Serving as a Buffer for Protected Areas
ESZs also serve to create a crucial barrier or shock absorber for specialized ecosystems, particularly those found within Protected Areas (PAs) like National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. These zones act as a transition area, mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization and industrialization that often occur at the periphery of highly protected natural habitats. By creating this buffer, ESZs help:
- Reduce disturbances: Minimize noise, light, and pollution spillover into the core protected areas.
- Conserve biodiversity: Provide a wider area for wildlife movement and habitat connectivity.
- Lessen human-wildlife conflict: Regulate land use to prevent encroachment and subsequent conflicts, ensuring both human and wildlife well-being.
Promoting Sustainable Development
While primarily focused on protection, ESZs also aim to foster sustainable development practices in the surrounding regions. This involves promoting activities that are compatible with environmental conservation, such as eco-tourism, organic farming, and rain-water harvesting, ensuring that local communities can thrive without compromising the ecological health of the area.
