What is the recommended eco-sensitive zone for Bannerghatta National Park?

Scientists recommend a 5km eco-sensitive zone covering 1,768.4sqkm and over 400 villages around Bannerghatta National Park.

How has forest cover changed around Bannerghatta National Park?

Forest cover in the BNP landscape significantly declined from 50.4% in 1973 to 29.2% in 2015 due to anthropogenic pressures and urbanization.

What activities are proposed to be regulated around Bannerghatta National Park?

The study calls for strict regulation of activities within four categories of ecologically sensitive regions, including a ban on quarrying and mining in ESR-1 and ESR-2 zones.

Home / Environment / IISc Cries Foul: Bannerghatta Park Faces Ecological Crisis

IISc Cries Foul: Bannerghatta Park Faces Ecological Crisis

6 Feb

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Summary

Scientists recommend a 5km eco-sensitive zone around Bannerghatta National Park.
Forest cover in the BNP landscape declined from 50.4% in 1973 to 29.2% in 2015.
IISc study proposes strict regulation of activities across four ecologically sensitive regions.

IISc Cries Foul: Bannerghatta Park Faces Ecological Crisis

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have proposed a 5km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), encompassing 1,768.4sqkm and over 400 villages. This recommendation stems from observed forest degradation and rapid urbanization posing significant ecological risks to the park. The proposal categorizes the buffer zones into four ecologically sensitive regions (ESRs) requiring distinct levels of regulation.

Detailed assessments using remote sensing and field studies from 2015, with projections to 2027, revealed alarming transformations in BNP's buffer zones due to unplanned urban growth. Forest cover within the BNP landscape has drastically reduced from 50.4% in 1973 to 29.2% in 2015.