National Wildlife Health Policy: Safeguarding India's Biodiversity
UPSC Prelims
Current affairs
Latest Update
Gajendra Singh Godara
May 1, 2025
4
mins read
The National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) is an initiative by the Government of India, spearheaded by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). This policy aims to establish a structured framework for safeguarding wildlife populations, emphasizing both captive and free-ranging animals. It integrates wildlife health monitoring with public health and domestic animal health management to prevent zoonotic diseases and strengthen conservation efforts. The One Health approach underpins this policy, recognizing the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health.
Objectives of the National Wildlife Health Policy
The NWHP is designed with specific objectives to bolster India's wildlife health framework:
Enhanced Disease Surveillance: Implement comprehensive monitoring systems across terrestrial, marine, and avian ecosystems to detect and manage wildlife diseases promptly.
Research and Development: Promote research initiatives focused on wildlife diseases and health management strategies to improve conservation efforts.
Diagnostic Infrastructure: Establish new diagnostic laboratories and a centralized National Wildlife Health Database to streamline disease reporting and data analysis.
Key Components and Institutions
The NWHP encompasses several critical components and institutions to achieve its objectives:
National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W): Established in Junagadh, Gujarat, NRC-W serves as a central hub for investigating wildlife mortalities, disease diagnostics, and treatments.
Wildlife Health Information System: A proposed system to streamline disease surveillance, facility-level reporting, and spatial-temporal data, enhancing coordination among various sectors.
Satellite Diagnostic Labs: Plans to set up diagnostic laboratories near key forest habitats to improve wildlife disease detection and response.
Alignment with National Conservation Frameworks
The NWHP aligns with existing national conservation strategies to ensure a cohesive approach:
National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-31): The National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) is India's third wildlife conservation roadmap, emphasizing ecosystem preservation, climate resilience, and species conservation. It outlines 103 conservation actions and 250 projects, focusing on habitat restoration, species recovery, and sustainable human-wildlife coexistence. The NWHP supports the NWAP by integrating wildlife disease surveillance and response mechanisms to mitigate health-related threats to biodiversity.
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:This act serves as India's primary legal framework for wildlife conservation, regulating the protection of endangered species, poaching prevention, and the establishment of protected areas such as National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves. The NWHP operates within this legal framework, ensuring that wildlife disease management aligns with the conservation policies outlined in the Act.
Importance of the One Health Approach
The One Health approach is central to the NWHP, recognizing the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health:
Zoonotic Disease Prevention: By monitoring wildlife health, the policy aims to prevent diseases that can transmit from animals to humans.
Integrated Health Efforts: Promotes collaboration across sectors to address health threats comprehensively.
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The National Wildlife Health Policy represents a significant step towards integrating wildlife health into India's broader health and conservation strategies. By adopting a One Health approach, the policy aims to safeguard biodiversity, prevent zoonotic diseases, and promote sustainable coexistence between humans and wildlife.
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