As our country’s economy grows and becomes a large global power, so too does our need for resources. Wildlands such as our forests harbor a wealth of essential resources. As we tap them to fuel growth, we also risk losing them. Already, we have lost 33% of our country’s forest cover.
Conservation of wildlands and economic growth do not have to be at odds.
Six hundred rivers originate from our forests, as do millions of species of plants and animals, including our flagship endangered tiger population. Wildlands conservation provides for longevity in our water sources, food security and soil quality, and controls our climate as an essential carbon dioxide absorber.
Conservation has the potential to generate real wealth over a long-term horizon.
We can follow a development path which is competitive yet complementary to preserving our natural resources. For this, communities, organizations and governments must all come together to build awareness at the highest levels of policy-making.
Tribal populations living on the fringe of India’s forests have lived symbiotically with their surroundings for centuries. Today, as their forests are depleting, so too is their way of life and sustenance.
Now at cross purposes with the forest, these communities are forced to compete for survival, putting a strain on the ecosystem. Often, this results in migration to cities, a loss of their unique culture, and a fall into the urban poverty cycle, putting an additional burden on the already overstretched urban infrastructure.
Conservation Wildlands Trust is an organization, which seeks to marry an ecocentric and anthropocentric approach, aiming to enhance the lives of communities as well as conserve forests.
Conservation Wildlands Trust was founded in 2012 as a philanthropic initiative to promote community-based wildlife conservation. We aim to bring economic opportunities to the community by changing its relationship with the forest, from that of competitor to custodian.