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NATURE WORLDWIDE: GENERAL WORLD INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT, WICE
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MADHYA PRADESH NATURE AND COUNTRYSIDE
INDIA'S MOST FORESTED STATE
Dear web visitor, let me briefly introduce myself on this page. My name is Daan Vreugdenhil, director of WICE. In the beginning of this year, the Minister of Tourism and rural dev., Mr. Ajay Singh of Madhya Pradesh and the World Bank, invited WICE to advise on the management of the National Parks and Reserves in his state. I had the great honour to be hosted by the Government and make some of the most exciting trips in my life. This coming from me should not be taken lightly; I have been in more than 70 countries of the world, often visiting and advising on national parks. This visit was very different from many others. As a student some 30 years ago, I had studied the literature on conservation in India. It was hopeless! The Indian Rhino down to just over a hundred animals, the tiger on decline, just everything was being wiped out. And guess what? The Rhino is now over 400 animals and increasing. Similar numbers for the Asian Lion. The tigers are holding their own at some 3000 animals. Elephants are managed at a population of 2000. The country has a great number of national parks and even far greater numbers of wildlife reserves and national forests, all of them holding a mix of different hoofed animals and great predators, which include wolves and leopards. Madhya Pradesh plays a crucial role in conserving nature in India: It has the country's largest national park and many other parks and reserves. Together, its parks, reserves and national forests, make up 22% of India's forested area. Now, is nature in India out of the woods? No of course not. But India is making progress. I am sure they will lose some important nature and poaching will pose a major threat for many years to come. But the situation is NOT hopeless, on the contrary, India does make progress, and YOU can go there and actually see it. YOU WILL LOVE IT! But it was not only the wildlife that exited me so much. I was very impressed by the Indians. What a hospitable people, and what a determination to overcome its poverty, its deeply rooted social differences and its still lingering analphabetism. And what a great history and culture. On the next page, you will see some of my impressions. I will be going back in November to take my vacation in India and Madhya Pradesh. This time I will take several members of my family with me. With all my professional travel, I can assure you I only go on vacation to the best places. Go and see India and make sure that Madhya Pradesh is a good part of your itinerary!
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WICE is a worldwide non-government non-profit organization that contributes to the conservation of nature. While it works on a many issues related to the conservation of nature and the protection of the environment, it is particularly committed to the conservation of national parks and other protected areas.
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