The Environment Ministry has released the names of the 14 tiger reserves that had received the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS), an accreditation tool agreed upon by tiger range countries.

Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS)

• CA|TS has been agreed upon as an accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) and has been developed by tiger and protected area experts.
• Officially launched in 2013, it sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages the assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas.
• CA|TS is a set of criteria that allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation.
• The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), an international NGO working on tiger conservation, and World Wildlife Fund India are the two implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation Authority for CATS assessment in India.

Which are the 14 reserves?

The 14 tiger reserves which have been accredited are:

• Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam,
• Satpura, Kanha and Panna in Madhya Pradesh,
• Pench in Maharashtra,
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar,
• Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh,
• Sunderbans in West Bengal,
• Parambikulam in Kerala,
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka and
• Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu

Significance

• CATS accreditation is a global recognition of good tiger governance.
• This recognition means a lot in the context of adaptation to climate change, sustainability of ecosystem services, and safeguarding disruption of zoonotic cycles, through an umbrella species approach.
• The aspects monitored for accreditation include the importance and status of a reserve, management, community participation, tourism, protection, habitat management, and tiger populations.