Kaziranga Project

Why in News?

• Recently, India and France are collaborating on Kaziranga Project.

Highlights

• The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).
• The Assam government, with the support of AFD, launched the APFBC in 2012, to restore forest ecosystems, protect wildlife and enhance the livelihood of the forest-dependent communities.
• The project conceptualised the reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land and the training of 10,000 community members in alternate livelihoods by 2024.
• Agence Française de Developpement (AFD) of France has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.
• It Is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha).
• It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain
• It was declared as a National Park in 1974.
• It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km.
• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
• It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International
• It is the home of the world’s most one-horned rhinos.
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
• Much of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the ‘big four’ species – Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo.
• Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.