REPORTIND

2010

Cover Story:The carefree PANDA

PANDA

The night of August 6th, 2010 will be etched in the memory of ladakh and its people for a long time to come. Deadly flash floods hit the town of Leh in Ladakh, located in the north-eastern part of Jammu & Kashmir and its surrounding areas in the early hours of this fateful day. It was estimated that approximately 200 people have died and 500 are missing. The loss of property and infrastructure is still to be calculated. These floods were caused by a cloudburst. Cloudburst can be defined as ‘highly concentrated rainfall over a small area lasting for a few hours, which can spark off flash floods and landslides leading to large-scale death and destruction’.

Leh, in Ladakh (about 425 km east of Srinagar) is situated at 11,500 ft (3,524 m) above mean sea level, spread over 45,110 sq. km. It is a high altitude cold desert, which normally receives moderate rainfall.

Although 5 villages in a 4-5 km radius of old Leh were damaged, it was Leh town that bore the brunt of the mudslides.Choglamsar, a low-lying, small, dry mountain town, 14 km from Leh is the worst affected area by the flood’s fury, with nearly all homes washed away or turned to mud.

The district administration of Leh was quick to establish a disaster management mechanism to ensure expeditious delivery of the required assistance in this relief operation and to take care of long term rehabilitation. In line with this effort, the authorities reached out to NGOs working in the region. A five member team from WWF-India is already positioned at Leh . This team has been working in Ladakh on various conservation initiatives for the past 15 years in this area. They are thus well versed with the communities, area, and topography of the region and hence are adept in

REACHING OUT TO BELEAGURED LADAKH

SPECIAL FOCUSIt comprises 14 Protected Areas in India and Nepal. These are Rajaji

NP, Corbett NP, Sonanadi WLS, Kishanpur WLS, Dudhwa NP,

Kataniaghat WLS, Suhelwa WLS, Soughi Barwa WLS, Valmiki NP,

Valmikinagar WLS in India and Royal Shuklaphata WLS, Royal

Bardia NP, Royal Chitwan NP, and Royal Parsa WLS in Nepal. Three

of India’s twenty-seven Tiger Reserves, namely Corbett Tiger Reserve

(Corbett NP and Sonanadi WLS) in Uttaranchal, Dudhwa Tiger

Reserve (Dudhwa NP, Kishanpur WLS and Katerniaghat Wildlife

Division) in Uttar Pradesh and Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Valmiki NP

and Valmiki WLS) in Bihar are also located in this landscape.

providing necessary logistical and operational support in this task. WWF-India was assigned to support a specific area in the Leh Valley where the after-effects are reported to be extremely severe.

The Ladakh administration identified WWF-India for rehabilitation of a hamlet south of Choglamsar -one of the most effected areas). Situated about 10 kilometers from Leh town, this village has a population of 85 families (350 individuals). As per the feedback send by our team the immediate requirement for rehabilitating the community was tents, blankets, water filters, sanitation kits (comprising of soap, shampoo, medicines, sanitary napkins, chlorine tablets, Anti Septic Cream, Scissors, Bandages, Cotton, Anti Allergic and Anti malaria pills, Water sterilization tablets, and oral dehydration salts to help reduce the risk of illness and enable families to maintain basic hygiene),kitchen sets, dry and wet rations chocolates ,Jaggery, Ready to Eat packets, Dry Fruits and instant noodle packets. Every corporate and institution who have been associated with WWF-India in the past was approached and agreed to pool in their resources to provide assistance. Air Lines such as Kingfisher, Jet

Airways and Indian Airlines offered to carry the relief material to Leh. WWF-India would like to thank all those who came forward in this hour of need.

A Special Mention

We have provided solar lamps to most of the affected families and this solar lamp also helps the locals to charge their mobiles. At various locations in Choglamsar Water tanks have been placed

to provide safe drinking water to the affected people. These tanks are being regularly filled with the help of Indian Army and local PHE department. In order to avoid the spread of communicable diseases, masks are being provided

to the locals. Sufficient supplies of urgently required medicines have been provided to the local medical unit of ITBP and the doctors are providing these medicines to the affected locals. Digging tools have also been provided to the locals and volunteers

who are assisting in the rescue and relief operations. A detailed family wise damage assessment for each family in Choglamsar is in progress and this will be completed soon. This assessment is important for the long term rehabilitation of the affected people.Besides working in Choglamsar, WWF team has also assisted in some other affected villages like Stakmo, Meeru, Upper Sumdo and Lower Sumdo. Some urgently required food materials have also been supplied to the various families at Sumdo. At village Stakmo urgently required water supply has been restored to some of the agricultural fields where standing crops were drying up because of the massive damage to the local canals.

So far we have been unable to ascertain the long term damage caused by this natural disaster to the very fragile ecosystem. As things limp back to normalcy our conservation work will have to be rebuilt. A Herculean task but nevertheless one that would have long term benefits for this beleaguered region and for the country at large as this region is a part of the Himalayan landscape that plays an important role in the hydrological regime of mighty rivers like the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus. These wetlands also act as a buffer between glacial melt waters and outflows to smaller rivers and streams. Ladakh is home to some of the endangered species such as Snow leopard and Blacknecked crane.

WWF-India has been working in Ladakh for the past few years focusing

on conserving the High Altitude Wetlands which have been identified as critical regions. WWF-India works on

six priority wetlands in Ladakh, namely- Tsomoriri, Tsokar, Pangong Tso, Hanle, Chushul in Leh district and Rungdum

in Kargil district. It has also been working very closely with the authorities

and local communities in Ladakh to achieve its conservation goals. Our

efforts are towards policy-formulation for better management practices,

monitoring climate impacts, reducing the impacts of tourism and other

anthropogenic activities and furthering demonstrations of community-based

wetlands management practices.

Flooding in Leh

Survivor Speak24-year old Shilpa (a survivor) – “It

happened so fast that we didn’t get a moment

to think about the enormity of it.” While she

and her husband clung to a wall for safety,

they could hear cries of people trapped in the

mud and slime trying to wade out to safer

places. Their house and store of their business

products worth lakhs of rupees were washed

away.

24-year old Anonish (Greek tourist) –

“There was total chaos and destruction in the

town with people wailing over either death

or disappearance of their loved ones. These

people offered me great hospitality when I

landed here. I will not return to my country

till rescue operations are over.”

26-year old Nisa Khatoon (local resident

on Friday night) – “We are spending the

night on top of the mountains around Leh.

The whole of Leh is here. As we look down

upon Leh, it is enveloped in darkness. All

BSNL lines got cut and only my cell phone is

working because it’s a private service, but my

battery will die out soon. So far we are ok, but

we still fear more rain…”

WWF truck at Relief Camp

Setting base at Choglamsar

“S o far we have been unable to ascertain the long term

damage caused by this natural disaster to the very fragi le ecosystem. As things l imp back to normalcy our conservation work wil l have to be rebuil t .

”

Located in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh along its border with Nepal, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has been prone to flood water for many decades. Although these floods are necessary for the renewal of its unique grassland ecosystem that supports a viable population of swamp deer, over the last few years the rising intensity of floods has begun to pose a serious threat to the tiger reserve. Bridges and roads that connect the park with outside are either damaged or blocked and forest personnel are caught in the floodwater. Last years floods, had

restricted the movement of the forest department personnel and no rations were available in the period when they were cut off from the outside world. WWF-India had then supplied rations to the forest department personell to ensure the routine monitoring and protection work in the tiger reserve was not hampered.

This year heavy rainfall commenced in early July increasing the possibility of flooding. Heavy rains lashed the area between 18th and 20th July forcing the local

administration to issue a flood alert. Parts of the Sathiana and South Sonaripur Ranges inside the tiger reserve were flooded in the rising water. As a precaution, WWF-India once again supplied essential flood relief for staff belonging to all ranges of Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur and Katerniaghat wildlife sanctuaries, numbering 472 in total.

On 22 July, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pathak, Deputy Director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, flagged off a vehicle carrying flood relief. Each forest

PROJECT UPDATE1. Assisting Flood hit Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

2. GFTN-India successfully lays foundation for responsible forest management and trade

3. GFTN-India together with Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts(EPCH)

4. launches awareness workshop for SME’

5. YCS project changing mindsets

6. Living Ganga

7. TRAFFIC India adopts multipronged approach to combat wildlife crime

8. Vulnerability Report

The Field Director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve,

Mr. Shailesh Prasad said, “I thank WWF-India for the timely

support. During flooding it is very difficult for

the staff to visit procure food from the market.

Therefore patrolling suffers.” Mudit Gupta,

WWF-India’s Senior Project Officer added,

“The timely distribution of flood relief is meant to ease the hardship of

the staff, thereby boost their morale and help

them concentrate on their daily tasks - monitoring of the tiger reserve and

wildlife.”

staff worker was provided with 10 kilos of wheat flour, 10 kilos of rice, 10 kilos of potato, 2 kilos of pulses, 1 kilo of mustard oil, 1 kilo of salt, 2 packets of candles and 1 pack of matchboxes. WWF–India’s staff from Palia and Katerniaghat field offices distributed the rations. This ration is enough for one person to sustain himself for the duration of the floods.WWF-India also supplied spare batteries for the 250 torches that were distributed with the flood relief to the field staff in 2009.

WWF-India also supported elephant patrolling during the floods by providing 500 kilos of wheat flour, 50 kilos of jaggery, 20 kilos of salt and 5 kilos of mustard oil for the pachyderms.

GFTN-India successfully lays foundation for responsible forest management and tradeWithin two years of it launch, the Global Forest and Trade Network- India (GFTN-India) has come to be accepted amongst all stakeholders associated with forest management and trade as an excellent platform for understanding and adopting responsible forest management and trade practicesSince it’s launch the team in India has been creating linkages with Government,

trade associations, certification bodies, timber merchants while simultaneously educating the public on the need to protect our forests. Workshops were held to create awareness on issues pertaining to timber trade, certification, export of handicrafts and other wooden products and create an understanding regarding legal issues in the international market pertaining to this trade. These workshops saw the participation from government officials, heads of trade associations, small and medium enterprises and forest managers. GFTN India also participated in trade exhibitions, launched the first FSC day celebrations in India. The team also partnered with EC Switch Asia to build capacity of small and medium enterprises to effectively implement responsible sourcing and production of forest products in India. The project in India is being implemented by WWF India in association with TRAFFIC-India, Jadavpur University and several trade associations in three identified states: Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This extensive outreach and awareness generation(through media and workshops) ensured that industry was able to comprehend the need to adopt sustainable practices. To bring together all stakeholders who had participated in the series of workshops held in Kochi, Jodhpur, Najibabad and Kozikode in the last one year (centres in the states identified where the project was to be executed) a

conference was held on Responsible Wood Sourcing and Forest Certification on 27-28th May 2010 at Gateway Hotel, Kozhikode, Kerala in collaboration with the Malabar Chamber of Commerce and OISCA-International South India Chapter. The purpose of the conference was to (1) Understand various approaches and best practices of responsible wood trade in the context of increased environmental measures in both domestic and international markets (2) Sharing the experiences of Indian Industry to sourcing of wood from forests and outside forest areas (3) Conduct Business to Business meetings among the companies committed to promote responsible wood trade and credible forest certification (4) Create awareness on ‘credible forest certification’ and the benefits to the key stake-holders (5) Build capacity among SME Wood processors and traders to supply certified wood products. The conference was attended by more than 120 participants representing national and international institutions (Such as Forest Stewardship Council, The Forest Trust); certifying bodies; govt agencies(including Ministry of Environment and Forests, Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department, Tamil Nadu Forest Department), timber trade associations(Timber Merchants Association, Kozhikode, Federation of Rajasthan Handicrafts Exporters, Jaipur, Federation of Rajasthan Textiles and

Handicrafts Exports, Jaipur, Jodhpur Handicrafts Exporters Association, Jodhpur, Nagina Wood Carving Association, Uttar Pradesh), research institutes (including Jadvapur University, Kerala Agricultural University, Indian Institute of Forest Management), GFTN-India applicants and participants; TRAFFIC-India; Leading paper manufacturing companies such as ITC,BILT, West Coast; More than 60 participants are from SME wood processors and traders. The representatives of 5 certifying bodies, viz., Soil Association, Smart wood, SCS-India, SGS-India, IMO have attended actively contributed to the technical sessions. Technical sessions conducted during the conference covered topics such as

• Responsible Sourcing of Wood: Experience & Lessons learnt: Global Context

• Responsible Sourcing of Wood: Experience & Lessons Learnt: Indian Context

• Forest Certification:Forest Management UnitCertification

• Forest Certification:Chain of Custody C e r t i f i c a t i o n - “ H o w to secure Chain of custody certificationat affordable cost to Indian Industry

• The environmental regulations in export markets of India’s wood products: Challenges and opportunities. (i) EU – FLEGT; (ii) US Lacey Act; (iii) National and State legal requirements for wood sourcing in India

• Forest Products Trade and Carbon Markets: Opportunities for wood based industries in India.

The conference also conducted (a)Exhibitions and Poster Presentations (b) Preliminary meeting to formulate the FSC National Working Group in India (c)Business to Business meetings on responsible wood sourcing and trade ( between the wood processing SMEs in Kerala and those from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan) (d) media interaction for further awareness generation.In the conclusion the conference provided a unique forum to share the views, suggestions, concerns and valuable inputs among the relevant stake holders in the wood processing industry in India. It provided opportunities to establishing effective market linkages for responsible wood trade nationally and internationally. A national working group of FSC in India was established with balanced stake holder representation in Economic, Social and Environmental Chambers. For the first time in India a conference kit was organised on certified paper thus promoting the message of responsible forestry.

GFTN-India together with Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts(EPCH)launches awareness workshop for SME’As a part of the EC Switch Asia project , GFTN-India

has partnered with Export Promotion council for handicrafts( a Ministry of textiles,Govt of India, intiative) to conduct workshops on responsible wood trade and forest certification for SME’s dealing in wood and wood related products across India.

The first amongst the series of workshops was held at Sahranpur . on July 21, 2010 . Saharanpur is a flourishing city in the state of UP famous in grain, timber and textiles. The contribution of the wooden handicraft industry plays a

major role in the livelihood of the population. The timber market traditionally receives supplies from extensive northern forest regions (Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) to support the local wood carving cottage industry and other demands. There are approximately 3500 unregistered SMEs which function on their domestic premises on contract basis. Most of the production units use traditional hand tools. These unregistered SMEs form the backbone of the massive woodcraft industry

of Saharanpur and produce nearly 80% of the products that are sold in the market.

Hence it was felt there was a need to build capacity among the wood processing industry on forest certification and responsible sourcing of wood to meet the increased demand for the same in the International markets .

Objectives of the workshop • Understand various

approaches and best practices of responsible wood trade in the context of increased environmental measures in both domestic and international markets.

• Share experiences of the Indian Industry regarding sourcing of wood from forests and outside the forest areas.

• Create awareness on “credible forest certification” and benefits to the key stakeholders.

• Build capacity among SMEs, wood processors and traders to supply certified forest products.

OutcomeImportant issues like the initiatives by the Government, major issues pertaining to the wood trade in Saharanpur, demands and opportunities in the International market, important environmental regulations like the Lacey Act in the export markets of Indian wood products, forest certification and the process of securing the Chain of Custody certification and experiences from the industry were discussed. 112

SMEs came together for the workshop. Dignitaries who participated in proceedings included Mr. Alok Kumar, DM, Saharanpur, UP, Mr. A M Singh, IFS, Deputy Inspector General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, Mr. R K Malhotra, Chairman, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, Dr. Sangeeta Gupta, Scientist, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Mr. S K Pande, Former Director General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India representatives from certifying bodies and others.

In the end it was decided that the following issues need to be acted upon• To establish a dedicated

depot for Saharanpur Handicraft Industry with the support of the UP Forest Department, UP Forest Development Corporation and the Export Promotion council for Handicrafts.

• Assist in procurement of certified wood for the Saharanpur handicraft industry which will help the industry to get the COC certification industry here was very interested to go for certification.

• A test case for certification for one of the industry was recommended to be done free of cost in Saharanpur where SCS has committed to do the auditing free of cost, EPCH has supported the

demand, WWF-India and UP Forest Department has committed to facilitate the process.

• To look into establishing a certified deport was also recommended which needs to be worked by the different departments

More such workshops are planned across the country in the coming six months.

YCS project changing mindsets The YCS initiative in partnership with Tetra Pak Limited, had started in 2007 and has targeted more than 50,000 students across 10 cities in India and the programme, has been instrumental in raising awareness about the ill effects of climate change. The initiative completed its second phase in May 2010, with a bang, where all participating cities concluded the Phase II activities and announced the beginning of its third and final phase. Phase III (August 2010 – July 2011) will see the Young Climate Savers come together as a Task Force in the cities of New Delhi, Bhopal, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. This task force of students from at least 12 schools each across these cities will work on One city level problem and collectively work towards finding a long term sustainable solution. The recommendations and solutions from these initiatives carried out across India will be handed over to the respective city civic

authorities for further action. This phase is expected to impact, directly and indirectly, more than 1,00,000 citizens across the country.

TRAFFIC India adopts multipronged approach to combat wildlife crimeAdopting a multipronged strategy TRAFFIC India has accelerated its involvement in reduction in wildlife crime by addressing the issue at different levels –be it at policy level,ground level and mass outreach .While on one hand it has enhanced the forest departments in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand by inducting sniffer dogs to detect hidden wildlife articles; on the other hand it has been a catalyst along with WWF-India in ensuring that India and Nepal sign an accord to protect wildlife and tackle crime. As festival season approaches in India gift buying becomes a norm . TRAFFIC India has thus launched a campaign to educate the public on gifts that should be avoided as demand for these products lead to increase in wildlife crimes

To bringing about on–the-ground changes and build capacity of the forest department five sniffer dogs , have been procured and trained to detect hidden wildlife articles such as Tiger bone and skin, Leopard bone and skin and

T his task force of students from at least 12 schools

each across these cities will work on One city level problem and collectively work towards finding a long term sustainable solution.

Bear bile. The dogs will join the ranks of Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra and Jharkand Forest Department.. It is the second phase of TRAFFIC India’s sniffer dog training programme. Previously two dogs trained at the National Dog Training Centre, ITBP, Haryana, have been deployed by the forest departments of Haryana and Uttarakhand.

The current batch of dogs and their 10 handlers had completed a rigorous nine month training programme at the Dog Training Centre, 23rd Battalion of Special Armed Forces, Bhopal, which culminated at a passing out ceremony held in Bhopal. The procurement of the dogs and the training programme was funded and facilitated by TRAFFIC India, the national representative of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, and a programme division of WWF-India in India. TRAFFIC has helped establish sniffer dog programmes to detect smuggled wildlife parts in several countries including the Russian Far East and Europe.

TRAFFIC India has also released four brand new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) as part of its ongoing “Don’t Buy Trouble” campaign that advises tourists to be careful of what they buy as souvenirs during their travels to India. The message comes in the form of four eye-catching posters: Targeted at domestic and foreign tourists, the posters send a clear message that it is not only

the poachers and traders of endangered wildlife who are liable for punishment under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, but also those who purchase and use such items. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

At policy level TRAFFIC and WWF-India have played a

facilitating role in ensuring that India and Nepal sign an

agreement that will help better management of forest

areas, many of them key habitat for Tigers and other

threatened wildlife, along the 1,751 km Indo-Nepal border.

Both countries will also co-ordinate their implementation

of national action plans to protect tigers, rhinos and

elephants and are committed to strengthening the capacity of

personnel involved in wildlife conservation, by intensifying

the joint patrolling of border areas and restoring border

habitats.Keytrans-boundaryareastobenefitinclude

Sukhlaphanta- Lagga Bagga- Pilibhit, Bardia-Katerniaghat-

Khata, Banke-Suhelwa, Jhapa-Darjeeling and Kosi Tappu.

Items smuggled from India to Nepal include animal

parts such as Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Otter

skins; Pangolin scales; Yarsa Gumba (plant-insect) and

Red Sanders. This is evident from the number of wildlife

seizures that have taken place in the past. The signing of the

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 29 July followed

a meeting on trans-boundary biodiversity conservation held

inKathmandu,NepalbetweenseniorofficialsofIndia’s

National Tiger Conservation Authority and Nepal’s Ministry

of Forest and Soil Conservation.Regular consultative

meetings between the two countries will be held to review

progress and plan future strategies.

Vulnerability Assessment of People, Livelihoods and Ecosystems in the Ganga Basin

The ever erratic climate change has rendered the entire ecosystem vulnerable! Vulnerability literally implies the susceptibility to damage or injury due to any negative impact. In the perspective of climate change, vulnerability refers to the probability of being negatively affected by the variability in climate, including extreme climate events. Due to intricate interactions between diverse components of the natural system along with human interventions, assessing vulnerability becomes a complicated job. However, it is important in order to develop policies and adaptation plans for specific vulnerable groups and areas.WWF- India’s Living Ganga

programme aims to develop and implement strategies for sustainable energy and water resource development within the Ganga basin, given the climate change implications. However, this would have not been possible without studying one of the

most critical components- Climate Adaptation. It aims at assessing the vulnerability of people, livelihoods and ecosystems with the purpose of identifying relevant adaptation response mechanisms, in a critical stretch of the Ganga basin extending from Gangotri to Kanpur. A report “Vulnerability Assessment of People, Livelihoods and Ecosystems in the Ganga Basin” was recently released and it presents an analysis of a macro level vulnerability assessment that has been used to identify highly vulnerable districts for further assessment and implementation of pilot adaptation projects. The Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change (IPCC) defines vulnerability as a function of the: • Type and magnitude

of exposure to climate change impacts (average temperature, rainfall, decadal population growth, sex ratio, below poverty line population etc.)

• Sensitivity of the target system (change in forest cover, land use pattern, crop production, land capability, irrigation pattern etc.)

• Adaptive capacity levels of a system (livestock population density, literacy rate, access to basic amenities, biomass dependency, infrastructure etc.)

These factors are quite dynamic and vary considerably. The states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand were chosen as the study areas within the Ganga basin. The basic approach chosen for the macro level analysis was the comparison of the vulnerability index values for all the districts within these two states. The analysis was done on the basis of secondary data. The report details the information on the districts moderately exposed to climate change (Tehri Garhwal and Pithoragarh in Uttrakhand whereas the central region in Uttar Pradesh), districts highly exposed (Dehradun, Haridwar, Ghaziabad, Lucknow and Kanpur), the average change in temperature and rainfall, the reasons for the same, changes in land use pattern and agriculture, the regions/

districts highly sensitive to climate change (Western UP), the capacity of these districts to cope up with the changes,(Meerut, Dehradun, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Lucknow with a higher adaptive capacity while eastern UP, Bundelkhand region with a low adaptive capacity), the reasons for the same and much more. The vulnerability index for the districts was calculated by combining all three components of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity and the districts were then accordingly categorized taking each of them into consideration. The analysis in the report provides a broad indication of the current level of vulnerability of the districts and the changes they are undergoing on the basis of which the measures to be taken will be further designed. The results are only for the purpose of gaining insight into the vulnerability rather than drawing any strong conclusions about the climate and non- climatic stressors.

WWF-India firmly believes that imbibing the young with a healthy respect towards nature is an important step towards a future where conservation of nature becomes a way of life A large number of activites were conducted involving shool children and youth.

Partnering with PVR cinemas launch Cine Art-2010 “Nature” being the theme of this initiative WWF-India reached out with PVR Nest to empower children through a creative medium, so that they can address important issues like heritage, environment and social change. The whole programme has been broken down in 3 phases.

Initially more than 20,000 students were approached from 10 schools and 10 NGOs. The programme was introduced in schools through a Story Telling and Painting session in each school. This was followed by a Nature Writers and an Illustrators workshop at WWF-India, where 20 students from each school participated. Phase-I also included a Recycling Workshop, held at Sanskriti Kendra, Anandgram, where 60 students made 2 installations of a ‘tiger’ and ‘an aquarium’. WWF’s rhino film – ‘The Jungle Gang meets the Rhino’ was also screened to around 500 NGO students.

This was followed by a Power Packed Session, where the energies of young leaders were stoked, fanned and the inspiration and experience of these people acted as a catalytic energy for the 200 students (10 students from 10 schools and 10 NGOs each), who were invited to be a part of this session. The students were then trained in the art of filmmaking wherein 2 schools in partnership will create a one minute film each with a strong conservation message.

Finally the actual ‘film-making’ session took place wherein one school and one NGO had been paired to make a one-minute film

EVENTS1. Educating youth in Environment Conservation

2. Global Tiger Forum

3. Truth about Tigers

4. B & I

5. World Environment Day Celebrations

WWF & CRIS (Centre for Railway information systems)

joined hands and conducted the program around

the theme of ‘Nature & Conservation’. The target

audience was from the age group of 5 to 18 years. The

activities conducted included: Story Telling ,Origami

and Recycling. Children in the age group of 9-18 yrs

participated in this workshop. The story recited during

the session of story telling was inspired by “Brahma’s

Butterfly” by Meena Raghunathan. It talks about

how Brahma, the creator has fashioned all things on

earth and how we should respect, protect & conserve

everything – big & small. The origami workshop exposed

children to the art of origami and was conducted using

newspaper hence asserting the value of recycling. The

recycling workshop gave the children a chance to work

and create a unique art form out of things they usually

consume and throw away.

EDUCATING YOUTH in environment conservation

on an environment message. Two of the best films will be screened on the NDTV channel.

Wild Wisdom 2010An Environment Quiz that started in 2008 in Delhi, was up-scaled to an All-India-National-Level event in 2009. 280 schools from 13 cities in India participated in the state level. The national level was

held in Delhi on the 18th of November 2009 and garnered a considerable amount of media coverage. This year the Wild Wisdom Quiz 2010, will be held in 17 cities, over three levels – school level, state level and national level. The School Level Quiz will be organized between 16th and 31st August 2010. The State Level Quiz, in Delhi, will be held on 8th September 2010 and will be conclude before 30th September 2010 in the other 16 cities. The National Level Quiz will be conducted in Delhi on 12th November 2010. The genesis of Wild Wisdom is The Wildlife Week during the wildlife week (1st –

7th October)

2. Figuring out Tiger figures Why we need to save the incredible Tigers in particular is in the spotlight this year, it being the ‘Year of the Tiger’ in the Chinese lunar calendar. With possibly as few as 3,200

tigers left in the wild, the focus is on securing political commitments to double the wild tiger population by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.

It is with the belief that this will happen, a meeting of the Global Tiger forum (GTF) was conducted at WWF- India on June 28, 2010, where the governments of the member Tiger Range countries expressed a greater desire to give an impetus to tiger conservation.

GTF was started in 1993 by the tiger range states as a conduit for them to collaborate on a global

plan for tiger conservation. Seven tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam) are members of the GTF along with the UK and non-governmental organizations, including WWF and TRAFFIC. But why does it need global planning? There are 13 countries worldwide which still have tigers in the wild,

although the numbers are very low. Without immediate strong action, the next few years are bound to be catastrophic for the wild species.

GTF is the only inter-governmental body representing countries that still have wild tigers, and is responsible for facilitating, coordinating and strengthening these governments’ commitments and actions towards saving tigers in the wild.

The two-day meeting at New Delhi focused on developing a new strategy for the GTF,

learning from conservation approaches across countries and focusing on issues that can be replicated and scaled up, in efforts to galvanize political will and action to save the iconic species from extinction. It witnessed participation of representatives from eight tiger range countries including India and renowned tiger experts from organizations like WTI, WPSI, WII (full

forms).

Standardizing the methodology of conservation approaches on monitoring and habitat management, increasing law enforcement, linking critical area systems and looking at the issue of habitat fragmentation were the commonalities that emerged from among the initial discussions of the country delegates. The need to realize a sense of urgency and create awareness-raising campaigns, build capacities and tackle trans boundary issues were the other pertinent points which were brought up during the course

of the discussions. In his message for the meet, Shri Jairam Ramesh, the Indian Minister of Environment said that he believed that GTF can play a lead role checking the international hotspots of tiger trafficking, besides evolving a regional roadmap to strengthen global tiger conservation through respective National Action Plans.

Shri Deepak Bohara, Chairperson of GTF and Minster for Forests and Soil Conservation, Govt. of Nepal believes that the development of a revised strategy for the GTF and a plan on governance and implementation will be the two outcomes that will mark the success of this meeting.

WWF-India, an organization that has a long history of initiatives for tiger conservation, dating back to the launch of Project Tiger in 1973, welcomed and is all for such new commitments for tiger conservation!

3. Little kids for the big cat!

The big world of the tiny kids cannot imagine a world without the wild cat! A hushed awe was set upon the bigwigs in the auditorium as the kids from different schools in Delhi surprised everyone with their gamut of knowledge demonstrating their concern about the diminishing numbers of the species!

In an attempt to evoke more responsiveness towards one of

its iconic species- the Tiger, and activating young activists to do their bit in tiger conservation, WWF- India directly involved the student community by screening - “The Truth about Tigers” on July 15th, 2010. The 40 minute footage showcased the basic requirements for a tiger’s survival, various problems they face and solutions to fight back. It addressed the various questions that crop up when one comes to think about the deteriorating state of the Indian heritage.

His passionate regard for the tigers along with the enthused spirit of the kids paved way to an animate discussion on the movie in particular and tiger conservation in general. With their limited knowledge they were all ears to details like what would help poachers give up poaching or why was the project tiger no longer impactful!

He genially answered every question as according to

him, this being the most impressionable age, it only became more important to introduce the kids to the reasons and remedies of the world of tigers which is slowly drawing to a close. Also, their tiny efforts now are most likely to grow bigger as they become the future environmentalists, journalists, entrepreneurs and find themselves in a position to bring a change.

250 students from DPS International, Indian School, Laxman, Springdales patiently sat through the screening, took notes and later curiously clarified their doubts interacting one on one with the director.

The wildlife documentary film maker, Shekar Dattatri, through his movie aims to educate, sensitize and provoke people on the matters concerning the increasing desertion of the species and there is no doubt about it being achieved that day!

4. B & I“Towards financing a Sustainable Low Carbon Indian Economy”As the change in the climate keeps amplifying so does the change in the functioning of economies! New risks and demands continue to show up as the entire world prepares itself to combat the ever accelerating climate change. The solutions demand a major shift in the pattern of development and have left the financial sector with no choice but to follow strict policies and frameworks which has further made it more than essential for this sector to strategize for the future!

The financial sector has an important role to play as risks from climate change and other environmental and social issues emerge in the new market scenario. This is particularly important when facilitating

financial opportunities that promote sustainable development and low carbon growth(explain), in addition to exploring innovative risk mitigation tools to counter the effects of climate change and other environmental impacts.

It was against this backdrop that WWF-India convened a conference on “Financing a Sustainable Low Carbon Indian Economy” on May 13th, 2010 in collaboration with the India Banks’ Association and the Climate Group in Mumbai.

The conference opened with remarks from Mr. Neeraj Swaroop, CEO-India of Standard Chartered and Dr. Subir Gokarn, the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India. The speakers included Shri Debashish Majumdar, Chairman and Managing Director, IREDA; Mr. Vivek Mehra, MD,

Sustainable Investment, Yes Bank; Mr. Mark Eadie, Head of Environmental Risk, JP Morgan and others. The conference was well received and saw a strong turnout of over 115 people (or organizations?) majority of them being from financial institutions.

The purpose of the conference was to discuss the role of financial institutions on:

• The path to a low carbon economy that included discussions on: » Opportunities for

involvement in climate change activities, domestically and internationally;

» Political and regulatory framework needed to scale-up the private sector investment in energy efficiency; low carbon infrastructure;

research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean technologies.

» Using public money to leverage private investment

» Attracting large-scale foreign institutional investment.

• Sustainable financingguidelines that included discussions on: » Role of sustainable

lending guidelines, such as Equator Principles in developing an environmental and social risk mitigation framework for Financial Institutions.

» Implications of these sustainable lending frameworks for Indian financial institutions

The Carbon Disclosure Project This conference was in line with WWF’s role in the Carbon Disclosure Project. WWF has partnered with the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Confederation of Indian Industry (with the support of the British High Commission) in order to create awareness regarding the risks and opportunities related to climate change among the financial institutions and companies.

The CDP serves as the secretariat for the world’s largest institutional investor collaborations on business implications of climate change. Its website (www.cdproject.net) provides the largest registry of corporate greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Today, CDP, backed by 534 leading global institutional investors, represents over $64 trillion of funds under management, requested information from more than 3,700 of the world’s largest corporations.

As a part of this initiative, WWF along with CII-ITC-CESD (full forms?) conducted four workshops in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi with the finance sector and other companies to raise awareness regarding climate change related risks and opportunities.

*(The Equator Principles (EPs) are a voluntary set of standards for determining, assessing and managing social and environmental risk in project financing.) Kids

WWF announces partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio to save tigers nowActor and Activist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined forces with WWF-US to save a species on the brink of extinction. With as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild, WWF and DiCaprio today kicked off Save Tigers Now. The campaign begins with an expedition to remote tiger habitats in Asia to document the wild tigers first hand and learn what needs to be done to save them from extinction.

Tiger populations are shrinking fast as the species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal poaching; their skins, bones and other body parts are used in many cultures as medicines, talismans, status symbols and clothing. More than 90 percent of historic tiger habitat no longer has tigers. Three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild for 25 years. But tigers can thrive if they have strong protection from poaching and habitat loss and enough prey to eat.

After DiCaprio was briefed by the WWF conservationists about the plight of these majestic animals, they decided to partner on a campaign to help raise awareness about the threats to tigers and raise funds for tiger preservation efforts. In honor of the Chinese Year of the Tiger, an ambitious goal of $20 million has been set with the vision of doubling the tiger population by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.

“Tigers are endangered and critical to some of the world’s most important ecosystems,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “Key conservation efforts can save the tiger species from extinction, protect some of the planet’s last wild habitats and help sustain the local communities surrounding them. By protecting this iconic species, we can save so much more.”

DiCaprio is traveling to Asia with WWF experts to see the threats tigers face first-hand. He will participate in anti-poaching patrols, meet with park guards on the frontlines of protecting tigers from international traffickers, and explore the best ways to protect these amazing creatures. The Save Tigers Now (www.SaveTigersNow.org) website will allow supporters to follow DiCaprio’s journey and participate in the effort to save tigers.

“Give tigers enough space and protection and they’ll recover,” said WWF CEO Carter Roberts. “But public support means everything and changing laws and ending demand for tiger parts means we need to tell their story – in places like the U.S.,

India and China. Which is why this partnership with Leonardo is so important, he can reach the public, tell this story to our children and engage leaders around the world – to save tigers now.”

WWF is working on the ground across Asia to protect tigers. As part of the Year of the Tiger 2010, WWF has set a bold but achievable goal of doubling the number of tigers in the wild within 12 years, when the next Year of the Tiger is celebrated.

Other celebrity support for Year of the TigerOther celebrities who have lent support to WWF’s Year of the Tiger work include from Russia: singer Janna Friske, actress Anna Mikhalkova, and television host Nikolay Drozdov.

Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova and Miss Nepal 2009 Zenisha Moktan also have participated in Year of the Tiger activities this year.

From Indonesia, musican and actor Nugie, model Davina, and music duo Endah N Rhesa, and Dutch actress Carice van Houten are supporting tiger conservation this year.

WWF Malaysia is running a Year of the Tiger ‘Tiger Ambassador’ contest with five local celebrities vying for the title. The five are actress and TV host Aishah Sinclair, radio deejay Jeremy Teo of RedFM, singer Mooky of the punk rock band One Buck Short, musician and television host Rina Omar, and actress and television host Sazzy Falak.

Natalie Glebova

Janna Friske

Endah N Rhesa

INTERNATIONAL

As we sleep tight in our beds at night, the bats, tired of hanging upside down and sleeping all day, wake up and go about hunting for food! India is home to 114 bat species out of the total 1100 present in the entire world and yet we live with the same old misconception of the bats as sucking vampires! It is disheartening to see how limited our knowledge about this fantastic mammal is and how minimal our efforts to save this disappearing species are! This book, an effort by WWF- India with the encouraging support from

the Delhi Government hopes to address precisely this! It aims to help children learn and understand one of the most misunderstood and understudied animals in India (and maybe even the world). Did you know?Bats are only flying mammals of the world!Bats play an important role in pollination and controlling insect pests such as mosquitoes! The eyes of microbats are as small as the size of a pinhead! Bats have fur? With these and many more facts on their strong sense of smell to their

fights over clumsy landings, from their multipurpose wings to their efficient digestive system, this book sure has something in store for the young animal lovers! If children understand bats, learn about the way they behave, how they live, what they eat and how they help everyone, they can certainly come to value them.

“I’m sure one read and the kids, or for that matter any one of us will know that bats are not scary, rather what is scary is the thought of a world without them!”-

BOOK REVIEWWings of the NightWritten by: Ragini Letitia SinghDesigned and Illustrated by: Vandana Singh