Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Editors Harry V. Andrews Vasumathi Sankaran Project Team Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team Harry Andrews Rauf Ali Rom Whitaker Indian Institute of Public Administration Shekhar Singh Vasumathi Sankaran Tara Gandhi Prabhakar Rao Raman Mehta Vishaish Uppal Fauna & Flora International Chris Magin Supported by UK Government's Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species © ANET, IIPA and FFI Contacts in Participating Institutions Harry Andrews Director Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team (ANET) Post Box No. 1, Junglighat P.O., Port Blair 744 103, India Tel: +91 (0) 3192 80081 Also care of: Madras Crocodile bank Trust Box No. 4, Mahabalipuram 603104, India Telefax: +91 (0) 98410 31256 Email: [email protected] Shekhar Singh Project Director Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi 110 002, India Telefax: +91 (0) 11 6178048 Email: [email protected] Chris Magin Senior Protected Areas Specialist Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Great Eastern House, Tenison Road Cambridge, CB1 2TT, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1223 579487 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 461481 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fauna-flora.org Supported by UK Government's Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species DEFRA Darwin Initiative Secretariat DEFRA, Floor 4/A2, Ashdown House 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7944 6205 Fax. + 44 (0) 20 7944 6239 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.nbu.ac.uk/darwin Citation: Andrews, Harry and Vasumathi Sankaran Eds. (2002. Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. ANET, IIPA and FFI. New Delhi. Abbreviations A&N Andaman and Nicobar ANI Andaman and Nicobar Islands ANIFPDC Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation CARI Central Agricultural Research Institute CRZ Coastal Regulation Zone Cum, m3 Cubic meter EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone FD Forest Department GBH Girth at breast hight GDP Gross domestic product Ha Hectares IDA Island development Authority Km Kilometre MoEF Minsitry of Environment and Forests (Government of India) p.a. Per annum UNDP United Nations Development Programme Table of Contents 1. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................... 6 2. PHYSICAL PROFILE .........................................................................................10 2.1. Geography ................................................................................................................. 10 2.2. Geology ..................................................................................................................... 12 2.3. Climate ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.4. Biogeography ............................................................................................................ 13 a) Biogeographic History ............................................................................................. 13 b) Biogeographic Classification ................................................................................... 14 c) Ecosystems ............................................................................................................... 16 d) Fauna and Flora ....................................................................................................... 18 3. SOCIAL PROFILE .............................................................................................26 3.1. The Indigenous People .............................................................................................. 26 a) Sentinelese ............................................................................................................... 27 b) Jarawas ..................................................................................................................... 29 c) Great Andamanese ................................................................................................... 31 d) Onges ....................................................................................................................... 33 e) Shompens ................................................................................................................. 35 f) Nicobarese ................................................................................................................ 36 3.2. The Settlers................................................................................................................ 37 a) Convicts ................................................................................................................... 37 b) Refugees................................................................................................................... 38 c) Mainlanders .............................................................................................................. 38 d) Ex-Servicemen ......................................................................................................... 40 e) Karens ...................................................................................................................... 40 4. LAND USE AND ECONOMY .............................................................................41 4.1. Land Use ................................................................................................................... 41 4.2. Economy ................................................................................................................... 42 a) Forestry .................................................................................................................... 42 b) Fisheries ................................................................................................................... 46 c) Agriculture ............................................................................................................... 48 d) Tourism .................................................................................................................... 50 5. GOVERNANCE .................................................................................................51 5.1. Administration .......................................................................................................... 51 5.2. History ....................................................................................................................... 52 a) Pre-Colonial Phase ................................................................................................... 52 b) Colonial Period ........................................................................................................ 52 c) Post-Independence ................................................................................................... 55 5.3. History of Forest Management ................................................................................. 56 a) Andaman Canopy Lifting Shelterwood System ...................................................... 57 b) Silvicultural System for Mangrove Forests ............................................................. 58 c) Wildlife Protection ................................................................................................... 59 5.4. Planning .................................................................................................................... 59 a) State Plan Schemes .................................................................................................. 60 b) Centrally-Sponsored Schemes ................................................................................. 66 6. THREATS TO THE ENVIRONMENT .................................................................69 6.1. Impacts Due to Agriculture and Habitation .............................................................. 69 6.2. Coastal Erosion Due to Sand Mining ........................................................................ 72 4 6.3. Impacts Due to Fisheries ........................................................................................... 73 6.4. Impacts Due to Forestry Operations ......................................................................... 73 6.5. Impacts Due to Tourism ............................................................................................ 75 6.6. Impacts Due to Waste Disposal ................................................................................ 76 6.7. Inadequate Protected Area Coverage ........................................................................ 77 6.9. Introduction of Alien Species.................................................................................... 78 6.10. Development Activities ........................................................................................... 79 6.11. Poaching of Flora and Fauna................................................................................... 79 6.12. Other Factors ........................................................................................................... 79 7. FUTURE PRIORITIES .......................................................................................81 7.1. Protected Area Related Priorities .............................................................................. 81 a) Strengthening the PA Network ................................................................................ 81 b) Improving PA Management....................................................................................