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Weeklong Training Programme on Conservation Beyond Boundaries started at Manas- A ReportA
week long training programme entitled “Conservation Beyond Boundaries”
for young conservation workers was organized at Manas National Park since
22nd February 2006. The course has been organized by the British
High Commission, British
Council, Association
of British Scholars (ABS) Guwahati Chapter
and
Aaranyak – a society for biodiversity conservation working in North East
India. The forest department and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) are the
collaborating agencies of the training programme at the Manas National
Park.
The
training programme was inaugurated by Mr. Kampa Borgoyari, the Executive
Member – Forests and Tourism of BTC at the Interpretation Centre of the
Manas National Park, Bansbari on 22nd February. In
his address, Mr. Kampa Borgoyari claimed that he and his forest personnel
were committed to the revival of the Manas National Park. Acknowledging
that there was vast scope for improving it, he urged researchers and
conservationists to think about the real issues facing Manas and the people
of the adjoining areas. Mr. Borgoyari has also depicted the first camera
trapped photograph of Tiger in Manas captured by one of the camera
trapping device installed by Aaranyak in Manas. Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar,
Secretary General of Aaranyak has stressed the need of building the
capacity of young conservation workers within North East India to address
diverse conservation issues. Dr. Talukdar in his speech stated that in
order to enhance the role of young workers in the field of conservation
this training programme has been organized to give maximum exposure and
learning opportunities to these young trainees coming from five states of
the North east India. Different
but significant values of biodiversity make it imperative that areas rich
in flora and fauna need to be conserved. A region like the Manas National
Park, needs protection because its worth is immense, which is likely to
increase even more with the discovery of new species of plants and animals.
This was stated by noted biologist Dr Rosie Trevelyan during the inaugural
of a conservation workshop at Manas National Park today. Giving reasons
about the importance of biodiversity, she said that its many values
included intrinsic or inherent values and extrinsic or utilitarian values.
None of the values could be ignored in the context of today’s world that
was losing many species due to human impact. While biodiversity
conservation could ensure water and food security of communities, they
could also offer keys to unravel mysteries of the natural world. Besides,
there were cultural and philosophical reasons to support conservation of
biodiversity. According to Dr Trevelyan, who is the director of the
Tropical Biology Association affiliated to the Cambridge University, the
need to come up with strategies for conservation was crucial in areas like
Manas, which was a virtual cornucopia of wildlife.
Dr
Anwaruddin Choudhury, DC Baksa gave a presentation on the Eastern Himalayan
region and the conservation issues related to it. Highlighting the area as
a global biodiversity hotspot, he mentioned that the region along with the
Brahmaputra valley was home to a large number of endangered wildlife. Among
others who spoke on the occasion were, GC Basumatary, Council Head of
Department, Forests BTC, Abhijit Rabha the Field Director Manas National
Park and Sanjay Sarkar of the British Council.
In
various other technical sessions, several renowned conservation specialists
have imparted training at the workshop to the participants. Dr. Rosie
Travelyan and Dr. Hillol Jyoti Singha has covered topics like assessment of
various groups of species and field techniques assisted by Bibhuti Lahkar
and Firoz Ahmed. Mrs. Sonali Ghosh an officer of Indian Forest Service,
Assam cadre, has imparted training on various means of involving local
communities in conservation using PRA, RRA etc. Mr. Pranjit Sarma has
delivered a mind boggling presentation on use of GIS technology in
landscape planning and showed some maps of protected areas of Assam
produced by the GIS unit of Aaranyak with whom Mr. Sarma has been working
for over 8 months. Dr. Partha Jyoti Das has delivered a lecture on climate
change with special reference to the North East India providing data of
past 100-150 years. Dr. Bibhab Talukdar and Firoz Ahmed has laid emphasis
on the scope and impacts of environmental education in bringing desirable
change in human attitude towards addressing diverse environmental problems.
Several environmental games were also shown to the participants to
understand the issue in a better way. Mr. Abhijit Rabha, the field director
of Manas Tiger Project has mentioned the importance of protected areas in
species and landscape conservation with special emphasis on Manas.
The
training programme ended on 27th evening with a evening open get
together where in the park officials of Manas were present besides the
participants and resource persons. Looking
at the success of the training programme, Aaranyak in collaboration with
key sponsoring agencies like the British Council is planning to hold
similar training in other parts of the North East India in near future. |
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