Jodhpur, June 26 -- Over the past 45 years, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) has undergone a dramatic environmental transformation - losing 63.55% of its water bodies, witnessing a 42.83% decline in shrubland, and experiencing a rise in built-up areas, according to a recent study. The study, titled "Forest Fragmentation and Human-Wildlife Conflict: Assessing the Impact of Land Use Land Cover Change in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, India", was conducted by Bhanwar Vishvendra Raj Singh and Khushbu Kulhari from the department of geography, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, in collaboration with Amit Kumar Batar from the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan, Vivek Agrawal from Northumbria University, UK, and Anjan Sen from the Delhi School of Economics. It was published in Environment Research Communications on June 17. According to the study, the researchers used Landsat satellite imagery from 1975 and 2020, remote sensing techniques, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis, and conflict data to understand the spatiotemporal transformation in the reserve and its consequences for wildlife and local communities. "The results reveal a significant decline in dense forest by 13.81% and shrubland by 42.83% in the Core Zone, along with a sharp reduction in water bodies by 63.55%, all of which indicate increasing habitat fragmentation, environmental stress, and water scarcity. In contrast, built-up areas expanded exponentially by 7183.18%, highlighting the rapid encroachment of urban development," said Bhanwar. "The most concerning trends include a 13.81% decline in dense forest and the disappearance of over half the water bodies in the reserve's Core Zone. These environmental stressors are directly pushing wildlife into human settlements, leading to frequent and sometimes deadly encounters," he further said. "Some mountain ranges have witnessed many leopard and tiger conflict incidents, particularly during times of acute summer water scarcity." The study stated a noticeable change in land use patterns over recent decades, indicating an encroachment of human activities near RTR boundaries. "These changing patterns affect natural habitats, making it essential to balance development with habitat protection. While NDVI analysis showed some localised improvement in vegetation health, particularly within Ranthambore National Park, areas like Kaila Devi Sanctuary experienced a decline in vegetation density. This imbalance, the researchers suggest, underscores the uneven impact of conservation efforts and highlights the need to restore degraded zones," it said. The study also pointed to the role of infrastructure development - such as roads and tourism facilities - in fragmenting wildlife corridors, further intensifying stress on species such as tigers, leopards, bears, and crocodiles. "These changes point to severe habitat degradation and rising human-wildlife conflict in one of India's most iconic protected areas. Even though the Buffer Zone recorded a 42.07% increase in dense forest due to afforestation and regeneration efforts, the simultaneous 325.35% growth in urban expansion and 56.92% drop in water resources paints a grim picture of competing pressures on biodiversity conservation," the researchers said. After analysing the human-wildlife conflict records from 2001 to 2016, the researchers found that conflict incidents were highly concentrated in areas witnessing the sharpest changes in land use. "Leopards were the most frequent source of conflict due to their adaptability and proximity to human-modified landscapes, while tigers, due to territorial needs and a declining prey base, frequently strayed into farmlands and settlements in search of food and water. Such transformations in a protected reserve not only fragment wildlife habitats but also increase the likelihood of encounters between humans and wild species," they said. The study also warned of long-term hydrological instability due to the disappearance of wetlands and water bodies, especially in semi-arid landscapes like Ranthambore. This water scarcity forces both herbivores and carnivores to move out of their natural ranges, increasing competition and disrupting ecological balance. Despite the concerning data, the authors pointed out some positive developments by the administration. "Forest regeneration in parts of the Buffer Zone, improved NDVI scores in select regions, and community-led conservation efforts have shown that recovery is possible. However, they warn that without integrated policy measures, these gains may soon be reversed," they said. Among the key recommendations were restoring degraded forest corridors, promoting sustainable water harvesting, imposing stricter land-use regulations to check urban encroachment, and expanding community participation in conflict mitigation and conservation. "Ranthambore is more than just a tiger reserve-it is a living landscape where human and wildlife destinies are intertwined," Singh added. "If we do not address the pressures of urban expansion and environmental degradation now, we risk losing not only biodiversity but also the socio-ecological balance that sustains millions." In response to the concerning data, Ranthambore field director Anoop KR said: "It won't be fair to comment on this study as we are yet not aware of this particular study and its methodology. However, there was barely any shrinking of water bodies noticed in Ranthambore in the last few years. Sometimes, they shrink at depth which is taken care of by the forest department from time to time, but water bodies have barely shrunken area-wise."...