Annual Report 2015–16
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 ASHOKA TRUST FOR RESEARCH IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 Coverpage Image: Fishermen in Vembanad, Kerala continue to practice sustainable fishing. © Shaji Cherthala ASHOKA TRUST FOR RESEARCH IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Contents 04 GOVERNING BOARD 05 ADVISORY BOARD 06 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 07 DIRECTOR’S DESK 08 RECOGNITIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 09 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 10 Centre for Environment and Development Water, Land and Society Forests and Governance Climate Change Mitigation and Development 1. Critically Endangered Sociable Lapwing Spotted 16 Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation in Kutch, Gujarat. © Ovee Thorat Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Planning 2. Roarchestes chalazodes. © Surya Narayanan Landscapes, Livelihoods and Conservation 3. Parakeets: Blossom headed parakeets spotted at Papikonda National Park, Andhra Pradesh. Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing © Vikram Aditya 1 23 COMMUNITY CONSERVATION CENTRES Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre Vembanad Community Environmental Resource Centre Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple and the Male Mahadeshwara Community Conservation Centres 26 ATREE EASTERN HIMALAYA/NORTHEAST INDIA INITIATIVE 32 ACADEMY FOR Conservation SCIENCE 2 AND SustainaBILITY STUDIES 34 PUBlications Journal Articles Books Book Chapters 3 Popular Articles Conference Proceedings 40 OUR TEAM 42 FUNDING PARTNERS 43 FINANCIALS Governing Board Advisory Board ** Dr. K. S. Bawa mS. Pheroza J. GoDreJ * Dr. K. ViJayraGhaVaN Chairman of the Governing Board, ATREE and Founder, Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai, India Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of Distinguished Professor, Department of Biology, India, New Delhi, India University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA Representative OF Tata TRUSTS Mumbai, India Dr. raGhaVeNDra GaDaGKar ** Dr. K. N. GaNeShaiah S.N. Bose Research Professor and JC Bose National Dean, Post Graduate Studies (Retired), Professor, School DR S Natesh Fellow, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bengaluru of Ecology and Conservation, University of Agricultural Formerly, Senior Advisor (Scientist H), Department of and President, Indian National Science Academy, Sciences, Bengaluru, Hon Fellow JNCASR, Bengaluru, India Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi New Delhi, India ** Dr. r. Uma ShaaNKer mr. raJ KhoShoo * Dr. amita BaViSKar Professor, Department of Crop Physiology and School Senior Vice President, Siemens, Product Lifecycle Associate Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, of Ecology and Conservation, University of Agricultural Management, California, USA New Delhi, India Sciences, Bengaluru, India mS. ShrUti ShiBUlal * Dr. NaVroz K. DUBaSh ** mr. DarShaN ShaNKar Director, Innovations Investment Management India Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, Chairman, Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, India New Delhi, India Advisor, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, Bengaluru Foundation for Revitalization of Dr. chaNDraSheKar hariharaN * Dr. Gita SeN Local Health Traditions, Bengaluru, India Chairman, Biodiversity Conservation India Limited, Distinguished Professor and Director, Ramalingaswami Bengaluru, India Centre on Equity and Social Determinants of Health, ** Dr. SUriNDer m. SehGal Public Health Foundation, Bengaluru, India President, Sehgal Family Foundation, Iowa, USA, mr. raNJit BarthaKUr Chairman of Board of Trustees, Institute of Rural Founder Trustee, Balipara Foundation, India mS. KalPaNa Sharma Research and Development, Gurgaon, India Independent Journalist/Columnist, Mumbai, India Dr. KartiK ShaNKer ** mS. rohiNi NileKaNi Director, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Dr. raVi choPra Chairperson, Arghyam Foundation, Cofounder and Environment, Bengaluru, India Director, Peoples’ Science Institute, Dehradun, India Director, EkStep, Bengaluru, India Dr. BeJoy K. thomaS * Dr. S. P. SiNGh ** Dr. GaNeSaN BalachaNDer (Faculty representative), Fellow, Ashoka Trust Former Vice Chancellor, Advisor, State Planning Consortium Director, Consultative Group for for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Commission, Government of Uttarakhand, International Agricultural Research Bengaluru, India Dehradun, India mS. Seema PaUl Ms. Seema Paul Managing Director, The Nature Conservancy, Washington DC, USA **also serve as Trustees * also serve on the Faculty Advisory Committee 4 | ATREE Annual Report 2015–16 | 5 conservation and sustainability studies. The programme ATREE’s programmes focus on biodiversity and President’s currently enrolls more than 50 doctoral students—many Director’s ecosystem services, water and landscapes, and cut among whom are women students and students from across sectors including conservation, governance, Message Northeast India. As is evident from the publications listed Desk livelihoods and energy. With a new programme in in this report, ATREE students are breaking new ground. Climate Change Mitigation and Development, and interdisciplinary initiatives in the water and health Indeed, ATREE continues to be recognised for its work. sectors, ATREE is addressing critical contemporary ATREE has consistently maintained its ranking as a challenges by carrying out cutting-edge research in these ATREE completed its 20th year of leading environmental think-tank in Asia, and is each Though I joined as Director only in areas. With field centres in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple operations this year. To celebrate year ranked among the top 20 in the world. ATREE’s February, 2016, I feel like I have Sanctuary, Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and this significant anniversary, a faculty and students continue to win many awards as been part of the organisation in Vembanad wetland ecosystem, and an active Eastern series of events has been planned noted in this report. some way or the other over the Himalaya initiative, we have an opportunity to make both for the next few months. These years. Having been associated with local impacts as well as to provide models and insights include symposia, conferences and As our environmental challenges continue to mount, ATREE before as Fellow, Associate for large scales. workshops on water, biodiversity, institutions like ATREE will become more and more Director, Adjunct Fellow, and and climate change, with relevant. They will have a special role to play in friend/collaborator, it is hard to While ATREE has done well as a knowledge generating development, governance, and meeting growing challenges, and must enlarge both keep a dispassionate distance. institution, there is much to be done in translating that policies as cross-cutting themes. the scope of their activities and the regions they cover. to policy and action. As an academic myself, I recognise Indian institutions must also play a greater role in Today, ATREE has multiple that it can be hard to step outside one’s comfort zone Twenty years may not seem like shaping regional and global discourses on humanity’s identities, which allows it to occupy (some would call it an ivory tower) and confront the real a long time. However, we are very relationship with nature and addressing issues of equity a somewhat unique space. First, it world. Nevertheless, we are as a community determined proud of what we have achieved in in the use of natural resources in India and beyond. is an applied research institution to meet that challenge together. this time, we have transformed the that generates inter-disciplinary nature of environmental research New challenges will demand greater creativity, more knowledge to address issues It remains my firm belief that the key to enduring in India by integrating concepts and programmatic innovation, and wider impact. ATREE related to environmental change, including in our relationship with the principles of the natural and social should be prepared to be creative, innovative and conservation and sustainable environment, lies in the values we promote as a society. sciences, while addressing needs impactful. One measure of the impact is the increase development. It is a think tank that Much of academia in India, like the rest of our society, and concerns of local stakeholders. in number and diversity of outputs described in the next addresses policy relevant issues to remains severely hierarchical and restrictive, even in We have tried to keep in mind key few pages. influence change in society. And it many of our esteemed elite and national institutions. national or global imperatives, in is an academic institution, with a order to link knowledge generation We thank our donors who have been responsible for faculty of over 20 Fellows and a But the most creative science and solutions come from directly with policy and governance. our remarkable success. In this particular year, we are PhD programme with over 40 freedom, to think, act, and be inspired. This is essential We have developed a number of particularly grateful to Rohini Nilekani, the Shibulal students, working on a range of to achieve one of our main goals, to create future innovative tools and approaches for family, Tata Trusts, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and diverse topics in the social and environmental scholars and leaders. The issues that we environmental research, and have International Development Research Center (IDRC) for natural sciences. With graduate level work on are no laughing matter, but there is no reason successfully engaged the civil society their generous support. Many others are acknowledged course work cutting across these that we should not have fun while