SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION PROGRAMME ON ENVlRONMENTAfLY SOUND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIN THEHUMID TROPICS WORKlNG PAPERS N"16, 1996 - UNITED NATIONS THE THIRD WORLD EDUCATIONAL, UNITED NATIONS ACADEMY OF UWHCU MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE IJNIVERSIN SCIENCES - SCIENTIFIC AND PROGRAMME CULTURAL ORGANIZATION The Working Paners series is a publication of the South-South Co-operation Programme for Environmentally Sound Socio-Economic Development in the Humid Tropics. The series aims to disseminate the results of the research on Biosphere Reserves on such topics as (i) the prevailing conservation and resource-use patterns and, (ii) the ways of ~improving the traditional practices and orientation for applied research aimed at a more Iintensive and sustainable use of the biodiversity to provide a better livelihood to the local 1population in the buffer and transition zones. On more general issues, the Working Papers are also are an attempt to identify key problems that will become areas of concentration for I international co-operation. I The map on the front page has been produced by using a commercial software programme. The boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by UNESCO or the United Nations. Neither do the ideas and opinions expressed in the Workina Papers series, which are solely engaging their authors. The Workina Papers series is published as necessary either in English, French or Spanish depending of the language used by the author. 0 Permission to reproduce any material of the Workina Papers series will be given without any previous authorisation, provided that full reference to the author, title, series title, date, institution editor and place of publication are given. All correspondence should be addressed to the administrative editor. Edited by : UNESCO Division of Ecological Sciences South-South Co-operation Telephone : 33 - (1) 45.68.41.46 Programme Telefax : 33 - (1) 40.65.98.97 7 place de Fontenoy E-mail : m.clusener-godt Q unesco.org 75 700 PARIS (FRANCE) ~~~~~~~‘~~~~~ , ), ‘C .I _ lgnacy SACHS Miguel CLbENER-GODT Michel Le Berre ECOLEDESHAUTESETUDESEN UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, UNIVERSITE CLAUDE SCIENCES SOCIALES (EHESS) SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL BERNARD LYON 1 (UCBL 1) Centre de Recherches sur le Bresil ORGANISATION (UNESCO) lnstitut d’Analyse des Systemes Contemporain (CRBC) Division of Ecological Sciences Biologiques et Socio-Economiques 54 Bd. Raspail South-South Co-operation Programme (IABSE), Socioecologie et 75 270 PARIS Cedex 06 1 rue Miollis Conservation FRANCE 75 732 PARIS Cedex 15 43, Bd. du 11 novembre 1918 FRANCE 69622 VILLEURBANNE Cedex Telephone : 33 - (1) 49.54.20.85 Telephone : 33 - (1) 45.68.41.46 FRANCE Telefax : 33 - (1) 45.48.83.53 Telefax : 33 - (1) 40.65.98.97 Telephone : 33 - 72.43.12.48 Telefax : 33 - 72.43.12.47 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’kducation, la scienceet la culture ERRATA 1) The present Working Documentwas jointly done with the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) and thus the senior author would be Dr. V. S. Vijayan, the Director of SACON whose name has unfortmately been left out in the presentpublication. 2) This work was sponsoredby the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies and published by the sameagency in 1995 as part of a book titled (( Protecting EndangeredNational Parks 1). 3) The photographs used have been provided by Dr. R. Prabhakar who is presently working with the Institute of Rural Management,Anand (IRMA). 1 The Biosphere Reserves or similar managed areas that are joining the South-South Cooperation Programme, are requested to produce an overview of their covering area containing first hand information on its conditions and urgnrg problems. These reports will be primarily used as background materials for the comparative projects agreed upon in the programme of activities established at the Chiang Mai meeting, held in May1994. For more details please report to the newsletter South-South Persnectives (IN” 1, October 1994 [28 pp.], UNESCO, Paris [France]). Given the rich information value of these reports, there are being made available to a wide audience. They may be obtained by contacting UNESCO/MAB Secretariat, Division of Ecological Sciences. For other documents available in the series, see the back-cover Working Paper Ng 16,1665, UNESCO (South-South Cooperation Programme), Paris (France) The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), a representative area of the Western Ghats (India) covers 5670 sq. km. It was set up in 1986 as the first Biospher Reservein India. Out of a great topographic and vegetation types diversity, the NBR is characterized by a great biodiversity : more than 3700 plant species and 684 vertebrate species (among which 156 are endemic) have been registered. Several hundred of plant species have medicinal, industrial or food uses. The human diversity is also great as the 2 millions of people living inside the NBR are divided in more of 30 communities. The author lists management deficiencies and threats occurring in the NBR area. Present day problems of the tribals living in the NBR are also listed including destruction of habitat and implementation of welfare. The chemical pollution affecting the NBR both from agricultural and industrial development are analyzed. Recommendations for better management and protection of the NBR are given as well as the most recent action plans for the effective management of the Reserve. 3 La Reserve de Biosphere de Nilgiri (NBR), est une zone representativedes Ghats Occidentaux (Inde) qui occupe plus de 5670 km2. Elle a etC creee en 1986 et est la premiere Reservede Biosphere en Inde. En plus dune diversite topographique &leveeet de nombreux types de vegetation, la Reservede Biosphere de Nilgiri se caractk-ise par une importante biodiversite : on y a recense plus de 3700 espbcesde plantes et 684 especesde vertkbres (dont 156 sont endemiques).. Plusieurs centaines d’especes de plantes ont des usages medicinaux, industriels ou alimentaires. La diversite humaine est egalement elevee et les 2 millions de personnesvivant dans la Reservede Biosphere de Nilgiri sont r&parties en plus de 30 commnnautks. L’auteur d&it les carences de gestion et les menaces qui interviennent dans le domaine de la Reserve de Biosphere de Nilgiri. Les problemes actuels des communautes tribales vivant dans la Reserve de Biosphere de Nilgiri sont egalement recenseesy compris les destructions d’habitat et la misc en oeuvre de politique d’amelioration de la vie. La pollution chimique affectant la Reserve de Biosphere de Nilgiri par suite des developpements agricoles et industriels sont analyses.Des recommandations pour ameliorer la gestion et la protection de la Reserve de Biosphere de Nilgiri sont don&es ainsi que les plus recentsplans d’action pour la gestion efficace de la Reserve. RJ. R4NJIT DANIELS works at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Working Paper NC16,1995, UNESCO (South-South Cooperation Programme), Paris (France) 4 1. THE NILGIRl BIOSPHERE RESERVE - AN OVERVIEW .............................. 5 1 .l . Origins ........................................................................................... .5 1.2. Manaoement .................................................................................. 6 1.3. Obiectives of Biosohere Reserves.. ............................................ .7 1.4. Geography.. ................................................................................... 8 1.5. Vegetation ...................................................................................... 8 1.6. Biodiversity ................................................................................... .9 1.7. Human divers@. ......................................................................... 12 1.8. Documentation.. .......................................................................... 13 2. CURRENT STATUS OF THE NBR .............................................................. 14 2.1. Manaoement deficiencies.. ......................................................... 14 2.2. Threats ......................................................................................... 14 3. STATUS AND PRESERVATION OF THE TRIBALS OF NBR.. .................. 17 3.1. Tribal occuoation and wav of life ............................................... 17 3.2. Present dav oroblems of Tribals in NBR ................................... 18 4. CHEMICAL POLLUTION IN THE NBR ........................................................ 19 4.1. Industrial develoument in the towns located in and around the NBR ................................................................................................ 19 4.2. Pesticide contamination in NBR.. .............................................. 23 5. STATUS OF PROTECTED AREAS WITHIN THE NBR.. ............................ 24 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE NBR-............................................................................ 25 6.1. A review of recommendations made in the cast ..................... .25 6.2. More recent action blans ............................................................ 28 6.3. A proposed action blan for effective management of the NBR ..................................................................................................... 28 7. REFERENCES.. ........................................................................................... .30 8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.. ............................................................................