Annual Report 2010– 2011 Photo credits (Facing page) Clockwise from top Text credits ATREE staff Seema Purushothaman Kavitha A Editing Samuel Thomas, Gladwin Joseph, Bhaskar Acharya Dheeksha Rabindra, Meetu Desai Seshadri K S Copy editing Sandesh Kadur A. D. Chitralekha Anirban Datta-Roy Design and illustration Siddappa Setty Salil D. Sakhalkar, Sixth Sense, Bengaluru Ramesh Kannan 05 President’s Message 08–22 Research 36–44 Outreach 08 Centre for Environment 06 From the Director’s Desk 36 Action research in the Eastern Himalayas and Development 08 Land, Water and Livelihoods 40 Small grants 12 Forests and Governance 43 Policy 14 Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation 44 TN Khoshoo Memorial Awards 14 Ecosystems and Global Change 20 Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being 46 Publications 23-34 Education 48 Honours and Recognitions 23 Academy for Conservation Science 49 People and Sustainability Studies 23 Doctoral programme 57 Collaborators and Partners 24 Certificate courses 61 25 Environment and conservation Financial Statement education 28 Capacity building 31 Community-based Conservation Centres Annual Report 03 2010 2011 Annual 04 Report 2010 2011 President’s Message The challenge for ATREE is to produce interacting with policymakers on the one knowledge that can be quickly applied hand and conservation community on to problems arising from interactions the other. Action-oriented research, among society, nature and development. and work with local community-based We can address this challenge by organisations in the Eastern Himalayas generating knowledge that can result in are beginning to have a significant actions to improve the environment and effect. Our interdisciplinary doctoral guide sustainable development, by programme in conservation and impacting developmental and sustainability science continues to make environmental policies, and by imparting strides in strengthening the country’s knowledge to a new generation of human resources. environmental leaders, who can help Knowledge, Action resolve our most pressing problems. However, significant challenges remain, and Policy especially in generating usable As this report indicates, ATREE has made knowledge, and ATREE’s relevance will strong efforts to meet the challenge of largely depend upon our ability to meet We live in an era of explosive what one might call the deficit of useful these challenges. This calls for growth in knowledge and knowledge—knowledge that results in innovation in the ideas we pursue and information. Recent years have concrete benefits to society through translating what we learn into action to linkage with policy and action. build capacity, influence policy, engage witnessed a sharp increase in civil society and improve environment. knowledge-based organisations, During the last year, with generous How we do this will determine our professional journals and grants from Rohini Nilekani, Suri Sehgal, future. means for dissemination of Kumari Shibulal, Jamsetji Tata Trust, and MacArthur Foundation, our most We have benefited immensely from information. Yet problems ardent supporters, ATREE has focused the support of our colleagues, friends, persist in almost every sphere on increasing the impact of our work and supporters and are positioned of human endeavour. This is on society’s interaction with the to make a significant impact on the particularly true for human environment. We have had retreats, society–environment interface. We hope workshops and meetings to reflect this support will continue. As in the past, interactions with the on our work and the ways by which we welcome inputs and suggestions environment. Among the many we can make it more relevant to policy from our friends and donors to make reasons for continuing makers and civil society. ATREE an innovative, effective and a deterioration of the environment relevant organisation. We have a long way to go, but we have is that much of the knowledge made progress. During the last year, we generate is not immediately ATREE has significantly affected the Kamaljit S. Bawa usable. discourse on Forest Rights Act by President Annual Report 05 2010 2011 As climate change, globalisation and the global communication revolution rapidly blur the lines between local and global, between modern and traditional, the demand for relevant and integrated knowledge to address emerging challenges in environment and conservation is far more urgent now than ever before. We need a new generation of thinkers and doers, who are able to integrate across conventional sectors and disciplines and contribute to lasting environmental solutions. ATREE continues its efforts to address these growing challenges through its innovative interdisciplinary research, education and outreach. Annual 06 Report 2010 2011 This year has seen creative and relevant This study, completed by ATREE’s first our diverse natural and social science research conducted by my colleagues graduating Ph D student, highlights faculty. The courses for mid-career to help shape thinking and practice in the negative impact of lantana on native professionals on ‘perspectives in promoting environmental sustainability. vegetation, and calls for incorporating environment and development’ and ATREE researchers have contributed to fire as a management tool in lantana ‘geospatial tools for conservation’ were a global multi-country study on the removal and forest restoration, along well received. ‘Conservation science’ impacts of policies on sustainability with continued monitoring. for undergraduate and post-graduate of land-use. The India focus was on students, and ‘bioresources, nature the sustainability of small farms. One Our long-term studies to understand and society’, for high school students of the key outputs of this study was ecosystem processes take on new were some of the popular annual an integrated impact assessment significance under the current thrust courses offered by the Academy. methodology which could inform the to understand adaptation to climate ATREE’s internship programme continues planning and policy process. Another change. In continuing efforts to link to attract bright students from around study showed that Jatropha – a highly research with on-ground action, the world and India. promoted biofuel crop – does not researchers have been working with deliver on the ground in several farmers to provide effective perches We invite you to get involved in the dimensions, therefore questioning for owls, and revitalise local knowledge larger issues that are highlighted in this the policies that continue to promote it. on the role that owls play in rodent report through effective locally rooted control in agricultural fields adjacent networks and organisations. Long-term monitoring of ecosystem to forests. Such subtle but significant The challenges generated by rapid change is vital for adaptive and effective ecosystem services provided by forests economic growth coupled with global management of protected areas and, highlight an aspect of the complex but change can be overwhelming, but we at a larger scale, provides information poorly understood interactions on will remain committed and focused that feeds into policy level responses forest–agriculture edges. as we work together in strengthening to change. Our long-term work in Biligiri capacities for sustainability and in Rangaswamy Hills, along with key local ATREE’s educational efforts are reducing biodiversity decline in stakeholders, outlines a proposal for impacting future leaders at several a socially inclusive manner. collaborative management of the Biligiri levels. The Academy for Conservation We appreciate your support and Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve Science and Sustainability Studies will goodwill and look forward to continued in alignment with the Forest Rights Act add another 10 students this year and engagement in the future. (FRA) 2006. The alarming spread of see at least four students graduate from lantana in BRT over the last its Ph D programme. Our certificate 10 years may, in part, be related to a courses are demand-driven, use Gladwin Joseph long history of fire suppression interdisciplinary approaches, are highly Director, ATREE following forest protection. relevant, and draw on the strengths of June 2011 Annual Report 07 2010 2011 Land, Water and Livelihoods Rapid increases in irrigated agriculture and industrial production have subjected south Asia’s land and water resources to immense stress and conflicts between agricultural, domestic and industrial stakeholders. Reducing such stress and resolving conflicts require an understanding of the linkages between the state of land and water resources, use and demand by different sectors, and social, cultural, economic and political processes affecting practices, policies and decision making. Research within the Land, Water and Research Livelihoods group is focused on two broad thematic areas – Agrarian Dynamics, and Water and Livelihoods. These two themes cover a range of issues, including sustainability of small farming systems, interactions between agricultural and domestic water-use practices, livelihood systems in resource-stressed agricultural regions; direction and drivers of change in water availability, and related policies. Research initiatives engage with ATREE’s Centre for Environment cross-cutting thematic areas of and Development governance and climate change. The brunt of both resource degradation Primary faculty: Bejoy K. Thomas, Seema Human use of earth’s natural Purushothaman, Shrinivas Badiger and pollution