Capacity Building to Enhance Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation in India: Mid-Career Training of Indian Forest Service Officers at Colorado State University
Location
Natural Resources Meeting Room
Event Website
http://uenr.warnercnr.colostate.edu/
Start Date
3-23-2012 2:00 PM
End Date
3-23-2012 2:30 PM
Description
Protected area management and wildlife conservation professionals face a myriad of complex challenges that are both ecological and social in nature. Diverse landscapes across the globe reflect a mosaic of close linkages among people, wildlife, and the resources on which they depend. Issues such as climate change, habitat loss/fragmentation, overuse of biomass resources for commercial and subsistence purposes, and increasing conflicts between people and wildlife demand the advancement of innovative management strategies that can equitably attend to conservation and human livelihood needs. The heavily populated Indian subcontinent exemplifies the difficult interplay between human and natural systems that continually tests the abilities of today’s conservation leaders. Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers represent the front line of resource stewardship in this biodiversity rich nation. To promote the development of leadership skills and interdisciplinary competencies necessary to meet current and future challenges, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests has initiated a sequence of Mid-Career Training (MCT) programs for IFS officers. MCT programs are delivered in partnership with governmental and academic institutions in India and abroad. The Wildlife Institute of India and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education have partnered with Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources to develop and implement an international training program in the United States to compliment existing modules of the MCT. The goal of the program is to aid in enhancing protected area management, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict in and around protected areas, and the integration of social considerations in conservation planning and decision-making. This presentation will describe how core content modules are delivered through a combination of classroom and field-based instruction on the Colorado State University campus, and at nearby protected areas and natural resource agency facilities. Results of program evaluations from 63 IFS officers who participated in the training during 2010 and 2011 will also be reviewed, demonstrating the positive impact of the training as a professional development experience for India’s natural resource managers. The presentation will conclude with suggestions for future directions in expanding partnerships for capacity building to address conservation challenges in a broader geographic and cross-cultural context.
Capacity Building to Enhance Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation in India: Mid-Career Training of Indian Forest Service Officers at Colorado State University
Natural Resources Meeting Room
Protected area management and wildlife conservation professionals face a myriad of complex challenges that are both ecological and social in nature. Diverse landscapes across the globe reflect a mosaic of close linkages among people, wildlife, and the resources on which they depend. Issues such as climate change, habitat loss/fragmentation, overuse of biomass resources for commercial and subsistence purposes, and increasing conflicts between people and wildlife demand the advancement of innovative management strategies that can equitably attend to conservation and human livelihood needs. The heavily populated Indian subcontinent exemplifies the difficult interplay between human and natural systems that continually tests the abilities of today’s conservation leaders. Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers represent the front line of resource stewardship in this biodiversity rich nation. To promote the development of leadership skills and interdisciplinary competencies necessary to meet current and future challenges, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests has initiated a sequence of Mid-Career Training (MCT) programs for IFS officers. MCT programs are delivered in partnership with governmental and academic institutions in India and abroad. The Wildlife Institute of India and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education have partnered with Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources to develop and implement an international training program in the United States to compliment existing modules of the MCT. The goal of the program is to aid in enhancing protected area management, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict in and around protected areas, and the integration of social considerations in conservation planning and decision-making. This presentation will describe how core content modules are delivered through a combination of classroom and field-based instruction on the Colorado State University campus, and at nearby protected areas and natural resource agency facilities. Results of program evaluations from 63 IFS officers who participated in the training during 2010 and 2011 will also be reviewed, demonstrating the positive impact of the training as a professional development experience for India’s natural resource managers. The presentation will conclude with suggestions for future directions in expanding partnerships for capacity building to address conservation challenges in a broader geographic and cross-cultural context.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/9thBiennial/Plenary/9
Comments
Citation: Don Carlos, Andrew W et al. 2012. Capacity Building to Enhance Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation in India: Mid-Career Training of Indian Forest Service Officers at Colorado State University. UENR 9th Biennial Conference. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/9thBiennial/Plenary/9/