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  • Capacity Building Programme on Conservation and Management of Natural Capital in Transportation Projects in South Asia at Wildlife Institute of India from 15th-19th July, 2019

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    A one-week Asian Development Bank supported training workshop to build capacity for conserving and managing natural capital during the planning and implementation of transportation projects in South Asia was held at WII, Dehradun from 15th July to 19th July, 2019.

    The key objective of the training workshop was to support the capacity building of individuals and organizations working in the implementation of Green Linear Infrastructure projects in the transportation sector in South Asia.

    Transportation infrastructure projects invariably involve considerable amount of land diversion and long-term investments. These projects also have the potential to cause severe impacts to the environment and wildlife. To counter these adverse effects of developments, it is imperative to enhance capacity to address the negative impacts of linear infrastructure projects on biodiversity and harmonize conservation with development goals.

    In this context, Asian development Bank has partnered with Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on the project ‘Protecting and Investing in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific’. Building capacity to promote ecologically friendly and sustainable road and rail development projects in Asia forms an important component of this project.

    Shri. Parveen Pardeshi, Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai while inaugurating the programme highlighted the need to harmonize conservation concerns with developmental imperatives. Dr V.B. Mathur, Director, WII, emphasised that capacity constraints in planning green transportation projects remain one of the biggest challenges for avoiding and mitigating potential impacts of road, rail and other transport infrastructure across South Asia. He said that the outcome of the programme would help guide responsible development in consonance with conservation of natural capital.

    Twenty participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka representing sectoral development agencies for roads and highways, railways as well as from development banks attended this programme.

    Last Updated: July 19, 2019

  • 1st Master’s Course in Heritage Conservation and Management inaugurated at Wildlife Institute of India on 1st July, 2019

    The UNESCO Category 2 Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (UNESCO C2C at WII), inaugurated the Master’s Course in Heritage Conservation and Management on 1st July 2019. In an inaugural function, graced by Chief Guest, Dr Nitin Kumar Pethani, Vice Chancellor of Saurashtra University, and Guests of Honour, Dr G.C. Bhimani, Saurashtra University, and Dr Ravindra Singh, Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, the first batch of students were ushered in. In his welcome address, Dr G.S. Rawat, Dean, Faculty of Wildlife Science, WII, expressed his pleasure that ten enthusiastic, motivated students from diverse backgrounds have been selected for this course (see profile: link http://wii.gov.in/msc_student_heritage) and wished them the best for the term of their stay at WII. Dr V.B. Mathur, Director, WII, in his opening remarks explained on how the UNESCO C2C developed the course in line with the education mandate of the Centre. He emphasised that this course is interdisciplinary in nature and advances the sustainability science through the prism of heritage and will train students to evolve into competent heritage professionals. He added that the course is designed to combine theoretical and methodological integration of ecological sciences, social sciences, humanities and heritage studies. The students of the 1st Batch of Master’s Course in Heritage Conservation and Management were introduced by the Course Director, Dr Malvika Onial. Dr G.C. Bhimani welcomed the students of both the courses and enlightened the audience on the importance of the day of 1st July in history as the beginning of Van Mahotsav in our country every year. Subsequently, Dr Ravindra Singh expressed his hope for the students to successfully complete their course and contribute to natural and cultural heritage conservation. Finally, Dr Nitin Kumar Pethani emphasized the need and importance of this course in enhancing the capacity for heritage protection and management.  

    		 
     
     

    Last Updated: July 18, 2019

  • Report of anthology of nature writing titled “Wild Treasures: Reflections on Natural World Heritage Sites in Asia”

    On the occasion of World Heritage Day 2019, 18th April, the UNESCO Category 2 Centre on World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (UNESCO C2C at WII) organised the release of an anthology of nature writing titled “Wild Treasures: Reflections on Natural World Heritage Sites in Asia” at WII, Chandrabani, Dehradun. The anthology, published in collaboration between Aryan Publishers and UNESCO C2C at WII, focuses on areas of exceptional natural value, around Asia, identified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO and is edited by Prerna Singh Bindra, Dr. Sonali Ghosh and Anuranjan Roy. It ties together vignettes from the past by stalwarts like Salim Ali on Bharatpur & Frank Sydney Smythe on the Valley of Flowers; renowned authors like Amitav Ghosh on the Sundarbans and writings by researchers, conservationists, and officials currently in the field, thereby highlighting the present conservation status and challenges facing these landscapes. The Chief Guest at the function, Dr. Sanjeev Chopra, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie spoke of the importance of the conservation of nature without which we would lose the concept of beauty. Guest of Honour, Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, Former Director, Bombay Natural History Museum, Mumbai, stressed to the packed hall of students, researchers, faculty and book lovers of the need to pursue knowledge and not fame.   


    Last Updated: April 30, 2019

  • Release of UNESCO C2C Natural Heritage Bulletin - 2019

     

    The Spring 2019 (January-March, 2019) Issue of the Natural Heritage Bulletin published by UNESCO C2C at WII was formally released during the 7th Annual Coordination Meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage related Category 2 Institutes & Centres held on 22-23 April 2019 at the Arab Regional Centre - World Heritage (ARC-WH) Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain.​"

    Download E-Bulletin (3.33 mb)

    Last Updated: April 24, 2019

  • Release of Publications and Inauguration of the “Pravasi Ganga Prahari” programme, Interpretation Centres “Ganga Tarini”, “Ganga Darpan” on 27th February 2019

    An event “Clean Ganga Movement” was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on 27th February 2019, at Dr. D.S. Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan. Hon’ble Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affair, Government of India, Shri Arun Jailtely, was the Chief Guest of the event. The event was presided by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport Highways & Shipping, Government of India. The dignitaries on the dais included Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minster of State Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, Dr. Satya Pal Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Human Resources Development, Government of India, Smt. Hema Malini, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Smt. M.C. Mary Kom, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Shri U.P. Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Trichur Brothers – Shri Srikrishna Mohan and Shri Ramkumar Mohan, Shri Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson, Central Board for Film Certification, Shri Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga.

    The “Pravasi Ganga Prahari programme and its website ("https://nmcg.nic.in/pravasigangaprahari.html”), the floating interpretation centre at Varanasi “Ganga Tarini” and interpretation centre at Sarnath “Ganga Darpan” were inaugurated by Shri Arun Jaitley. Pravasi Ganga Prahari programme aims to actively engage non-resident Indians, foreigners and global citizens as “Pravasi Ganga Praharis” through activities that would assist NMCG’s efforts in Ganga conservation. “Ganga Darpan” an interpretation centre has been setup in the premises of Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, Sarnath, while “Ganga Tarini” is a floating exhibition in Varanasi. These centres showcase the Ganga River as an integral part of our lives since ancient times. These interpretation centres will sensitize people about the role of aquatic biodiversity in keeping the Ganga River clean and the threats faced by the Ganga River and its biodiversity. These centres will serve as knowledge and activity centres.

    Afterwards the publications “Biodiversity Profile of Ganga River”, “Conservation Reference Guide Rescue and Rehabilitation of Freshwater Turtles and Crocodilians”, “Pravasi Ganga Prahari brochure”, were released by the dignitaries on the dais. The book “Biodiversity Profile of Ganga River” provides information on the distribution and abundance of select aquatic species of Ganga River based on intensive sampling of 32 sites, from Harshil in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal. While the conservation guide presents concise and practical information on the protocols and processes for the scientific and ethical handling of freshwater turtles and crocodilians in distress. This guide will be helpful in following the appropriate procedure and addressing emergent situations scientifically.

    These interpretation centres and publications are significant output of the project “Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation” funded by the National Mission for Clean Ganga. During this event the dignitaries appealed for clean Ganga through actions and also by monetary contributions to the Clean Ganga Fund.

    Last Updated: March 12, 2019

  • Professional Development Programme for Environment Regulators begins at Wildlife Institute of India

    A Two-week Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) sponsored ‘Professional Development Programme (PDP) for Enhancing EIA effectiveness’ is being conducted at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun from 25th February to 8th March, 2019.

    Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a management tool used by decision-makers, regulators and stakeholders to understand the potential environmental, social and economic impacts of proposed development projects. Experience from EIA review suggest that there are some inherent gaps when it comes to incorporating biodiversity concerns in impact assessments.

    In this context, the Professional Development Programme (PDP) has been designed for MoEFCC officials involved in reviewing EIA reports and engaged in environmental decision-making. The programme is intended to significantly contribute to the professional development of these officials so that biodiversity concerns are mainstreamed in the decision making for enhancing the effectiveness of EIA as a tool against a background of rapidly declining natural heritage.

    Shri N. Ravi Shanker, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand while inaugurating the programme highlighted on the need to harmonize conservation concerns with developmental imperatives. Dr V.B. Mathur, Director, WII, emphasised that capacity constraints in EIA remain one of the biggest challenges for straightforward and clear recommendations as an outcome of EIA appraisals. He said that the outcome of the programme would help guide responsible development in consonance with conservation of natural resources.

    28 officials from MoEFCC, State Forest Departments and Pollution Control Boards are participating in this programme.

    Last Updated: February 26, 2019

  • One-week compulsory training course for Indian Forest Service Officers on “Management of Coastal and Marine Biodiversity in India: Challenges and Prospects” On 4-8 February, 2019 at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

    One week refresher training course for Indian Forest Officers on “Management of Coastal and Marine Biodiversity in India: Challenges and Prospects” was inaugurated at Andaman & Nicobar Islands  on 4th February, 2019 by Mr. Tarun Coomar, Principal Secretary (E&F) and PCCF, and Mr D.M. Shukla, PCCF(WL) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This one week course is being organized from 4- 8th February 2019 by Wildlife Institute of India in association with Department of Environment & Forest, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  The course was attended by 29 IFS officers from 15 state cadres. An officer from the Indian Coast Guard is also participating in this programme. Inagural function was attended by various departments including the Zoological Survey of India.

    The training was initiated with a comprehensive introduction to the coastal and marine biodiversity conservation in India by Dr. K. Sivakumar, Course Director. He has also elaborated upon the CAMPA funded- Species Recovery Programme. Dr. Alok Saxena presented a synopsis of the rich biodiversity of Andaman & Nicobar Islands with crucial insights about the impacts of tsunami in 2004. He also shared multiple images taken at the field to describe the threats to the marine biodiversity of the region and post-tsunami recovery of coral reefs and mangroves in the islands. The last session of the day was taken by Dr. Sivakumar on the 3rd National Wildlife Action Plan. The participants interacted with the resource persons on various aspects on marine biodiversity management in India between the sessions on the first day. It is planned to visit the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (MGMNP), Wandoor, Jhansi Rani Marine National Park and Baratang mangrove forests on coming days.

    In India, there are multiple governance frameworks and structures that administer the coastal and marine environment. While these are intended to have positive outcomes, overlapping jurisdictions, contradictory mandates and limited coordination hinders multiple agencies from working effectively in coastal India. Management agencies in India are still having limited understanding about management of multiple use coastal and marine areas. Given this scenario, the challenge lies in reconciling livelihood needs and development vis-a-vis conservation. Therefore, this course was conducted to address the following issues:

    • How effective are administrative/ governance/ legal frameworks for conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity and are these frameworks promoting integration of biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement?
    • What are the existing and potential threats for conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity?
    • What are the current policy and governance challenges to coastal and marine biodiversity conservation? What is the role of community in the governance and management of marine protected areas and ecologically sensitive coastal areas?

    Last Updated: February 7, 2019

  • 70th Republic Day Celebrated at Wildlife Institute of India

    The 70th Republic Day was celebrated at the Wildlife Institute of India on 26th January, 2019. Dr. V.B. Mathur, Director hoisted the National flag. Addressing the Institute faculty, staff & researchers he said that the Institute had performed various tasks assigned by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India very successfully. Recently, MoEFCC had assigned the responsibility of both planning and implementing ‘Professional Development Scheme for Environment Regulators’. He said that International agencies viz. National Geographic and Asian Development Bank are now collaborating with WII for many projects in India in the field of wildlife and environment conservation.

     

    He also distributed Certificate of Appreciation to the WII staff viz. Shri Mahesh Tyagi, S.T.O, Engineering Cell and Ms. Poonam Pal, Researcher, Ganga Programme for providing excellent services to the Institute.


    Last Updated: February 5, 2019

  • Celebration of World Ozone Day, 2018 at WII- ENVIS Centre on 14 September, 2018

    The ENVIS Resource Partner at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun on “Wildlife and Protected Areas”, celebrated World Ozone Day on 14th September, 2018. As part of the celebrations, a documentary titled “The Antarctic Ozone Hole - From Discovery to Recovery, a Scientific Journey” was screened along with two other short video clips from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). One was the message from the Executive Director of UNEP- Erik Solheim and the other clip was based on the theme “Be Cool and Save the Ozone Layer”. The documentary is an investigative journey through the history and science of the ozone layer and the actions taken to address this major environmental threat.

     

    It seeks out explanations and answers from the scientists closest to the issue. Be Cool and Save the Ozone Layer clip is a wakeup call for the world to address the issue of using energy deficient appliances and the increasing temperature. Erik Solheim in his message stressed on the importance of Montreal Protocol and how all the communities around the world are working to protect Ozone Layer and also how Kigali Amendment will see nations reduce HFCs by more than 80% by the next 30 years and replace them with more planet-friendly alternatives.

     

    Awareness posters on the Ozone Day were also displayed at the Institute auditorium. The event was attended by WII Faculty, Diploma Trainees, Researchers, M.Sc Students and other staff and was highly appreciated.

     

    Ozone Day Quiz: An interactive quiz was also conducted amongst the attendees based on the documentary screened and the following were declared winners. A token of appreciation was awarded to them.

    1. Sakshi Rana

    2. Bhawna Dhawan

    3. Upma Manral

    4. Naveen Chandra Joshi

    5. Suraj Kumar Dash

    6. Uddalak Tathagato Bindhani

    Last Updated: September 25, 2018

  • Workshop on “Academic Ethics”, 8th September, 2018

    The Institute organized a half a day workshop and discussion on “Academic Ethics”. This workshop was part of the institutes initiative in maintaining the highest level of academic integrity, by sensitizing and engaging its researchers and faculty in discussions regarding scientific ethics. This workshop was attended by over 175 researchers and faculty of the institute.

    Dr. Maria Thaker, who is a faculty at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore tackled issues related to scientific ethics and plagiarism. The discussions enabled researchers to deliberate on what plagiarism is, what is considered data fudging or massaging and other ethical breaches that are generally made knowingly or unknowingly. This was followed by a short demonstration of plagiarism detection software, which the institute subscribes to, “iThenticate”, by Mr. Anand Bajpai, Area Manager, Turnitin. This enables researchers and faculty to achieve and maintain ethical standards for publications that are directly or indirectly result from the research/ projects conducted by the institute. The two sessions were followed by an interactive session, where several interesting questions on the moral codes involved in doing scientific research, the nitty-gritties of what is considered plagiarism, and how to avoid these slip-ups was brought up by the researchers.

     

    Last Updated: September 9, 2018

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