Sanjay Gubbi - Session 01, 2022-07-21

Sanjay Gubbi underscores the importance of building models, securing land tenure and fostering a new generation of conservationists, while reflecting on important aspects of his contributions to conservation over the years. While reflecting, he laments industry-driven policies that prioritise economic growth over sustainable development.

Political will and individual activism, Gubbi says, emerged as a crucial factor in conservation from the 1970s to the 2000s, exemplified by figures at both the national and regional levels. He talks about the key role civil society plays in conservation and key changes he feels are needed on its part. Along with corruption, he notes other persisting challenges, such as navigating urban activism’s complexities and the structural limitations of the Wildlife Protection Act. Despite progress, gaps in conservation structures persist, prompting him to highlight the need for increased engagement with legislation and revaluation of conservation strategies.

Gubbi goes on to discuss what he sees as failures of conservation in India, such as species focussed conservation and the role of economic demands. Criticisms of civil society’s role in conservation, he feels, underscore the need for a more cohesive relationship with the government, culturally sensitive conservation, and prioritisation of conservation funding and outreach strategies. He calls for conservation to shift towards long-term engagement and away from project-based work. Gubbi also touches upon the conservation community’s challenge of balancing its social justice advocacy with core conservation responsibilities, emphasising the imperative for informed and sustainable approaches.

(00:00:42) Conservation efforts in India over the past two or three decades, with a focus on building models and securing land tenure for wildlife and building a new generation of conservationists

(00:09:43) Conservation efforts in India, focussing on political will and individual activism

(00:15:17) Social media and the mix-ups it caused in the late 2000s, and economic development at the cost of wildlife conservation

(00:20:04) Conservation structures in India and the Forest Department

(00:23:57) Slow progress in civil society, corruption and unsustainable resource extraction

(00:29:13) Need to define conservation

(00:31:33) Wild Life (Protection) Act, its limitations and the need to strengthen environmental legislation

(00:35:21) Individual activism and government engagement in conservation

(00:40:29) Conservation failures in India, including lack of ecosystem focus and civil society engagement, economics as a wave against conservation

(00:46:06) Conservation and social justice, with criticisms of assuming roles without training

(00:53:18) Impact of conservation efforts and the need for culturally sensitive conservation

(00:58:40) The role of civil society, with a focus on long-term engagement and moving away from project-based work

(01:00:47) Conservation funding and outreach strategies and the urban constituency in conservation

(01:09:59) Challenges in conservation outreach and addressing misinformation