Deforestation is one of the leading threats to biodiversity globally. The world is losing over 10 billion trees annually. Over half the three trillion trees on our planet have been lost. But why should you care? Because YOU are a victim of deforestation.

Over 1.6 billion people directly rely on forests for subsistence, in the form of food, fuel, medicine, bushmeat, and fodder for livestock grazing. Moreover, even urban populations rely on forests for crucial ecosystem services, such as reliable clean water, climate regulation, air purification and productive soils. Unfortunately, deforestation and land degradation cost the world $6.3 trillion every year.

Moreover, forests are critical for biodiversity and tackling climate change. Globally, 68% of mammal species and 75% of bird species are found in forests. Additionally, forests play a critical role in carbon regulation in the atmosphere, hence stabilizing climatic patterns globally.

In this episode, I interview April Bagwill, the program officer of Trillion Trees, a collaboration between three leading wildlife NGOs, BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the World Wildlife Fund. The initiative aims to restore 20 million hectares of forests while protecting 105 million hectares of forests under improved management systems. In this episode, we discuss the principles, challenges and process of restoration while also dwelling on the organizations’ projects

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The cheetah is symbolic of the African wilderness. However, once upon a time, the world’s fastest mammal, used to roam the plains of Asia, with their range extending from the Middle East across to northern parts of India. Unfortunately, the Asiatic Cheetah subspecies is now considered “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN Red List. Reports estimate, that there are less than 40 individuals left in the wild, with their entire range being restricted to the eastern-central arid region of Iran. The species has fallen victim to the rampant destruction of their grassland habitat and human-wildlife conflict. Additionally, hunting of the Asiatic Cheetah significantly reduced the wild population. Other than being hunted for the illegal wildlife trade, cheetahs were also hunted as a sport, particularly during the Mughal Empire.

In this episode, I speak to Morteza Pourmirzai who is the CEO of the Iranian Cheetah Society. We talk in-depth about the organization’s extensive conservation efforts, challenges, and future plans. We also talk about the work the organization is doing with the other four major carnivores found in Iran, which are the gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, Persian leopard and brown bear.

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The Fishing Cat is a medium sized cat, discontinuously distributed across South and Southeast Asia. Currently, their range extends from India to Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. In India, the species is found in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal. In fact, the fishing cat is the State animal of West Bengal. A study from Keoladeo National Park found that fish compromised nearly 75% of the fishing cat’s diet of the fishing cat, a testament to the species name.

The fishing cat is listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List. The species is predominantly found in lowland wetland habitats, such as mangroves, swamps, rivers, and streams. Unfortunately, the species is threatened by rampant habitat loss as wetlands are either severely polluted or converted for agricultural use. Additionally, mangroves in the state of Andhra Pradesh are being converted to aquaculture ponds, further exacerbating habitat loss. In some regions, the species is a victim of human-wildlife conflict due to competition for fish stocks with local fishermen.

In this episode, I discuss the conservation of the fishing cat with Anjallee Prabhakaran from Small Cat Advocacy and Research (SCAR). This NGO, which is based in Sri Lanka is a part of the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance. We talk about all the great work the team is doing towards the conservation of, not only the fishing cat but other small cats on the island nation.

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The story of the Bengal Tiger is probably the pinnacle of India’s conservation miracles over the last few decades, especially following the enactment of Project Tiger. In fact, over the last 15 years, India’s tiger population has more than doubled. While this is promising, much work remains, as habitats continue to become fragmented, which fosters Human-Wildlife Conflict. Meanwhile, the threat of poaching in India still looms large. Additionally, the aspirations of nearly 300 million people who depend on India’s forests for sustenance are also of utmost importance.

One particular landscape that has been at the forefront of the tiger’s miraculous recovery is the Central Indian Tiger Landscape. As per the 2023 census, the region, which spreads across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chattisgarh, is home to over 700 tigers, which is almost a quarter of the global population. Conservationists, NGOs, and the government have been involved in a plethora of measures to bolster tiger populations in this region. This includes the restoration of degraded habitat, the protection of wildlife corridors, the creation of wildlife underpasses across highways, and the development of ecotourism.

In this episode, I interview Mr. Kishor Rathe, who is the founder of the Satpuda Foundation. As its name suggests, the organization primarily works in the Satpuda Tiger Landscape. This includes the forests of Kanha, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Pench Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Melghat Tiger Reserve, and Navegaon-Nagzira. Around 300 tigers are found in this landscape.

Through our discussions, we cover the work the organization is doing regarding tackling human-tiger conflict, voluntary resettlement of villages in tiger reserves, habitat restoration, nature education, and alternative livelihoods. We also talk about Kishor’s new role as the Director of the Bombay Natural History Society, which is the oldest wildlife conservation organization in India. The organization is leading research and conservation of various avifauna species, including Great Indian Bustards, Lesser Floricans, Amur Falcon, and various species of Vultures.

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Sacred Groves are amongst the finest examples of in-situ conservation. Often as large as 500 hectares, Sacred Groves are undisturbed and communally protected forest patches that are dedicated to local folk deities. Social traditions which embody both social and ecological values encourage the preservation of Sacred Groves. As a result, these groves contain an invaluable gene pool and also conserve immense biodiversity. Hunting and logging are banned in Sacred Groves.

Official records suggest that there are around 13,000 Sacred Groves spread across Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and the Western Ghats of Karnataka, Maharashtra. However, a few studies suggest that there could be as many as 100,000 to 150,000 Sacred Groves in the country.

Unfortunately, Sacred Groves are severely threatened by urbanization, over-exploitation of resources, and environmental destruction due to religious practices. On this episode, I interview Archana Godbole, the founder of Applied Environment Research Founder (AERF), on the conservation of Sacred Groves. AERF has worked extensively to preserve the Sacred Groves of Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra in the Northern Western Ghats.

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India is amongst the most biodiverse countries in the world, with a plethora of habitats, including tropical forests, grasslands, arid deserts, mangroves, and deciduous mountain forests. However, while much of India’s megafauna species have recovered miraculously from the brink of extinction, a major issue looms large. That is the sustainable use of the country’s tropical forests. Reports suggested that between 250 – 300 million of India’s rural population rely on India’s forests for some form of sustenance. This can include bushmeat, fodder, bamboo, and a range of non-timber forest products. In fact, 70% of India’s rural population relies on fuelwood to meet their domestic energy needs.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Kamaljit Bawa to discuss the various forest management strategies in India and how forest conservation can be utilized to alleviate poverty. Dr. Bawa is the founder of the famed Ashoka Trust for Research in the Environment and Ecology. Beyond this, he has had a very decorated career. He is currently a distinguished professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and the American Philosophical Society.

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Ecosystems around India are becoming increasingly fragmented. This is particularly concerning for megafauna species, such as tigers and elephants. Landscape connectivity is a vital component of megafauna conservation in India. This is because the dispersal of megafauna outside of existing reserves is critical to maintaining the genetic diversity of the larger population. The immense fragmentation between tiger populations has resulted in the increased prevalence of melanism, a phenomenon associated with inbreeding depression. Moreover, preserving wildlife corridors between protected areas is crucial in preserving biodiversity while also minimizing human-wildlife conflict.

One of the leading projects aimed at promoting landscape connectivity in India is the “Rights of Passage” program established by the Wildlife Trust of India, in partnership with the Government of India. It aims to secure connectivity and safe passage for large mammals like elephants and tigers across their identified corridors. In this episode, I interviewed Upasana Ganguly, the Manager of “The Rights of Passage” project. We talk in detail about the importance of wildlife corridors, the threats, and the conservation of these corridors.

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Over the last decade, carbon neutrality and net zero have become the focus across governments, industries, corporations, scientists, and environmentalists. However, over the last few years, the linkage between the carbon and biodiversity crisis has come into the limelight. Restoring biodiversity and ecosystems around the world has become a crucial part in tackling, not only the climate crisis but also in alleviating poverty. For this reason, various global initiatives have come into force to restore biodiversity globally. In fact, the 2020s has been designated as the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

One such project is The Nature Positive Initiative. The initiative aims to ‘Halt and Reverse Nature Loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline, and achieve full recovery by 2050’. It will work alongside the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and overarching mission to halt and reverse nature loss. On this episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I speak to Marco Lambertini, who is the Convenor of The Nature Positive Initiative. We talk about the key concepts related to this initiative, potential challenges, and its importance!

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One of the leading causes of biodiversity loss is habitat degradation. In terrestrial landscapes, this is primarily through rampant deforestation. Unfortunately, the direct impacts of deforestation and land degradation extend beyond the realms of biodiversity and climate change. Rural and tribal communities face the brunt of the socioeconomic consequences of deforestation. This ranges from increased human-wildlife conflict, increased soil erosion and hence flooding, poorer agricultural yield, loss of livelihoods, and increased food insecurity.

However, tribal and rural communities can become the torchbearers for afforestation. Ecosystem restoration can not only help bolster biodiversity and mitigate the climate crisis but also alleviate poverty. Through a Payment for Ecosystem Services Model, farmers can be incentivized to protect existing and grow new forests on barren land to improve local ecology while also generating income. This is the vision of Farmers for Forests, a non-profit social enterprise based out of Pune, India. They aim to restore 30,000 acres of degraded land into forests through this method by 2030. This will sequester 25 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to the emissions of 8 million Indians. On this episode, I speak to their co-founder Krutika Ravishankar about the wonderful work the organization is involved with!

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India’s grasslands are amongst the most biodiverse in the world. From wolves and hyenas to blackbucks and gazelle and from the Great Indian Bustard to various species of cranes, these grasslands are pristine ecosystems. Moreover, grasslands play a vital role in the fight against climate change due to the large amongst of carbon sequestration they perform.

However, grasslands are under severe pressure. Unfortunately, considered as wastelands, only about 3% of India’s grasslands are protected. As a result, these ecosystems are being degraded by livestock overgrazing, agricultural expansion, renewable energy projects, and infrastructure development.

One organization working passionately to preserve these vital ecosystems is The Grasslands Trust. Based in Pune, the organization works extensively on grassland restoration, awareness programs, and biodiversity monitoring. Earlier in 2023, the organization found the first genetic evidence of wolf-dog hybridization in India from Pune’s grasslands. Join me on this episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, as I speak to Vishwatej Pawar and Makarand Datar from TGT about grasslands, their conservation, and various projects the organization is working on!

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