Guwahati: Assam’s Kaziranga National Park is facing pressure from changes in the areas around it, with the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Heritage Outlook warning that these factors could affect the park’s long-term ecological health.
The assessment comes at a time when the Assam government is proposing to reduce the park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). The existing zone extends up to 10 km, while the proposed limit was initially stated as 1 km and later as 1 to 3 km.
Conservation groups have opposed the proposed reduction, saying it could make it easier for industrial activities to expand in the Karbi Anglong hills near the park. They have also expressed concern about increased construction of tourism-related facilities.
The forested hills of Karbi Anglong beyond NH-37 are important for Kaziranga’s wildlife during floods, when animals move to higher areas. The hills also form part of the same connected ecological landscape as the national park and provide additional habitat.
The area had earlier seen extensive stone mining and quarrying. Some protection was restored after intervention by the Supreme Court.
Conservationists fear that weaker safeguards could put additional pressure on Kaziranga. The IUCN assessment has also identified unplanned infrastructure, commercial construction and tourism facilities near the park as concerns.
Changes in land use around the park could also affect wildlife corridors, including routes connecting Kaziranga with the Karbi Anglong hills that animals use during seasonal floods, according to the assessment.
The report further warned that changes in climate patterns could intensify monsoon floods, increasing risks to wildlife and park infrastructure.
The IUCN’s 2025 Conservation Outlook, finalised on October 11, 2025, rated Kaziranga as “Good with Some Concerns”. It also recognised anti-poaching efforts and stable rhino numbers as positive aspects.
However, the assessment listed habitat fragmentation caused by encroachment, invasive species such as Mikania micrantha and Eichhornia crassipes, growing tourism infrastructure, livestock grazing and the continued threat of rhino poaching among the park’s key concerns.
The report called for conservation measures that can respond to changing conditions, greater cooperation with local communities and planning that considers the wider landscape around Kaziranga.
It also identified other potential threats, including changes in the demographic and economic profile of the local population, tensions with communities, human-wildlife conflict, illegal fishing, tourist pressure, riverbank erosion and the proposed expansion of the Kaziranga elevated highway.
The assessment said many of these pressures are linked to human activities and could have long-term effects on the site. Climate change could further increase some of these pressures and add to the challenges facing Kaziranga.