Guwahati: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has raised concerns about the long-term ecological health of Kaziranga National Park, citing increasing pressure from development, tourism, changing land use, and climate-related threats in the surrounding landscape.
The warning assumes added significance following Assam government’s recent move to reduce the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), which was earlier set at 10 km. The revised boundary has been reported to extend between 1 km and 3 km in different areas.
Conservationists have opposed the reduction, arguing that a narrower ESZ could leave areas around Kaziranga more exposed to commercial and industrial activity. Particular concern has been expressed over the Karbi Anglong hills, where increased quarrying, mining and construction could affect the wider ecosystem connected to the national park.
The hills beyond National Highway 37 are especially important for Kaziranga’s wildlife during the annual floods. They provide higher ground where animals can take refuge and also form part of the broader habitat used by wildlife moving beyond the park.
The landscape around Kaziranga has already faced pressure from stone extraction and quarrying. Conservation groups have pointed to the ecological connection between the park and the forested Karbi Anglong hills and warned that further degradation could disrupt wildlife movement and reduce the availability of safe flood refuges.
The IUCN assessment also highlighted development and tourism-related pressures around the park. Construction of resorts, commercial establishments and other tourism infrastructure without adequate planning can place additional strain on habitats and alter areas used by wildlife.
Changes in land use outside the protected area could also affect important wildlife corridors. According to the assessment, routes connecting Kaziranga with the Karbi Anglong hills are particularly significant during seasonal floods, when animals leave low-lying areas of the park in search of safer ground.
Climate change is another growing concern. The IUCN noted that changing climate patterns could intensify monsoon flooding, creating additional risks for wildlife as well as infrastructure within and around the park.
The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2025, finalised on October 11, 2025, classified Kaziranga National Park as “Good with Some Concerns.” The assessment recognised the park’s progress in anti-poaching efforts and noted that its rhino population remains stable.
At the same time, the report identified several continuing pressures, including habitat fragmentation caused by encroachment, invasive plants such as Mikania micrantha and Eichhornia crassipes, uncontrolled tourism-related development, livestock grazing and the continuing threat of rhino poaching.
The assessment also pointed to broader challenges, including demographic and economic changes in surrounding communities, human-wildlife conflict, tensions involving local communities, illegal fishing, tourism pressure, riverbank erosion and the proposed expansion of the Kaziranga elevated highway.
The IUCN said many of these pressures are driven by human activity and could have lasting consequences for the World Heritage Site. Climate change, it added, could worsen existing threats while introducing additional pressures on Kaziranga’s ecological systems.
The report called for conservation planning that extends beyond the boundaries of the national park, with greater community participation, adaptive management and coordinated planning across the wider landscape to protect Kaziranga’s ecological integrity and outstanding universal value.