ABSTRACT
Conservation and development both have their own moral agendas. Conservation is motivated by the desire to save non-human species, primarily because of the perceived responsibility of humans to safeguard life on earth. This chapter outlines five key challenges for conservation and development that India will need to grapple with over the course of the twenty-first century. Five challenges are: meeting the Sustainable Development Goals; effective use of protected area designations; moderating human–wildlife interactions; recognising community-conserved areas; and using market-based instruments. Some of these challenges have been around since Indian Independence, but many have added new dimensions since the wave of neoliberalism in post-1990s India. Community-conserved areas in India have a long history, much longer than that of the formal protected areas network. These areas, albeit small in their geographical extent, are far more numerous than formal reserves. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
