Ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ)

Why in news:

• Recently there were protests in Kerala and some other regions due to the aforesaid zones.

What are Ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ)?

• Eco-Sensitive Zones(ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas(EFAs) are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

• The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of "shock absorbers" to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
• They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-sensitive Zones.
• ESZs are regulated by central government through the Min. of Environment, Forests and Climate change (MoEFCC).
• The Ministry came out with new guidelines for the regulation of such areas in 2011.
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not mention the word "Eco-Sensitive Zones".
• Ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ) are intended to safeguard ‘protected areas’ — national parks and wildlife sanctuaries — by transitioning from an area of lower protection to an area of higher protection.

Extent of ESZ:

• An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
• Moreover, in case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 kilometres width, these should be included in the Eco-Sensitive Zones.
• Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.