Kamaljit Bawa - Session 01, 2022-08-04

Kamaljit Singh Bawa provides insights into the intersection of his personal journey with India’s conservation history over the past 50 years, reflecting on deforestation and habitat degradation, interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability science and the role of institutions in achieving conservation goals. He shares that interdisciplinary focus led to the establishment of institutions like Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), emphasising collaboration in environmental conservation.

Despite successes such as the establishment of powerful civil society organisations and recognition of people’s role in resource management through initiatives like the Forest Rights Act, Bawa states that challenges persist. He highlights decline in biodiversity and public investments, and the neglect of ecology and environment in higher education. He also talks about implementation challenges and a lack of vision and progress in biodiversity conservation efforts.

Overall, while there have been strides in conservation leadership and capacity building, the decline in biodiversity and ongoing land use changes, Bawa says, underscores the need for continued efforts and enhanced collaboration to address India’s conservation challenges.

(00:00:02) Introduction

(00:02:14) Kamaljit Singh Bawa’s initial work and becoming aware about deforestation and habitat degradation

(00:07:50) Interdisciplinary approaches and sustainability science, focussing on institutions and their role in achieving sustainability

(00:15:42) Institution-building that Bawa has been involved with

(00:21:40) Climate and biodiversity crises

(00:26:22) India’s conservation journey over the past 50 years: decline in the state of biodiversity, decline in public investments and softening of regulatory regime for managing natural assets

(00:32:33) Successes over the last 50 years, including recognition that people have a role in managing and conserving resources, emergence of powerful civil society organisations and individuals, expansion of higher education and increase in media savviness and interest in international conventions

(00:39:15) Failures over the last 50 years, including inability to bring stakeholders together and learn from others, neglect of ecology in expansion of higher education system, lack of adequate investments in public institutions and a lack of knowledge synthesis

(00:45:37) Sufficiency of increase in human resources to reverse biodiversity decline