The unanimous statement has come out as an outcome of two days workshop concluded at Tuli Tiger Resort in Pench Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh. The joint statement has been released by the organisers today through a press release.
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The workshop was jointly organised by Satpuda Foundation, a leading NGO in central India in collaboration with Global Tiger Forum, a intergovernmental body,International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and United Nation's International Strategy for desaster Reduction (ISDR), Geneva on Ecosystem Services in Protected Areas and National Parks Contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. Around 20 experts participated in the international workshop concluded in Pench Tiger Reserve,Madhya Pradesh on 2nd and 3rd November 2010.
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The Field Directors from Melghat,Pench Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra), Pench Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh),Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) officers from Disaster Management Authorities, Indian Administrative service and NGOs working in this field had participated in the two day workshop.
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“Protected Areas are not only the homes of wildlife species but they provide several eco-system services and also contribute to reduce the disaster risk and to adapt the climate changes",Said Naomi Doak Programme Manager of IUCN Thailand.
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Mr.Praveen Pardeshi Divisional Commissioner of Amravati and former Head of regional offices of UNISDR Geneva gave a global overview of the subject. Kishor Rithe President of Satpuda Foundation presented the case study on Melghat and Vidarbha and policy gaps in Asia.
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Mrs. Sujata Saunik Jt.Secretary of National Disaster Managaement Authority, Government of India explained the Disaster Management initiatives at Government of India and also sought assistane of PA managers in NDM planning process. Mr.Malleshappa Field Director of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Tamilnadu and Mr.Zahir Ahmed of Sundarbans Forest Division, Bangladesh gave presentations on how the “Pay-Back" mechanisms can be set up to improve the status of PAs.
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Dr. Pema Choephyl of Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation explained about the National Gross Happiness, Mr.K.Nayak, Mr.A.K.Mishra, Mr.V.K.Sinha,Mr.Asraf,Mr.Giri Venkatesan,Mr.Jyotiraj Patra of Orissa, Vishal Bansod of Nature Conservation Socity, Amravati,Anup Awasthi of SF,O.P.Tiwari of Pench participated in the group discussions and documented ecosystem services of their areas.
The workshop documented good practices in bio diversity conservation which reduce disaster risk and promote adaptation to extreme weather events and also identified gaps in national and regional policies.
This will help in bridging the gaps in regional and global policies and guide the Global Platform 2011, said Kishor Rithe President of Satpuda Foundation, one of the hosts.
PAs actually helps in poverty alleviation of locals and also provide great ecological services for the sustainable development. However there is hardly any appreciation among the developing countries towards services of protected Area (PA) networks and hence there is not enough attention for managing /conserving Protected Areas.
The workshop also discussed how to enhance the role of protected areas in Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change resilience building and how to mobilise the resources for conserving biodiversity and ecosystems through worldwide network of National Parks/ Sanctuaries.
This will also increase the disaster resilience of local (tribal), rural and urban communities' dependent upon the ecosystem services of the parks. The workshop has enlisted the future challenges from a changing climate and documented the strategies to address the issues through an ecosystem based approach. The regional issues have been highlighted which need some policy changes to achieve the objectives, Rithe said further.
Satpuda Foundation, IUCN, UN's ISDR and Global Tiger Foundation would prepare the document and present the policy gaps soon, said Kishor Rithe. Dr. Gopal Reddy, Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, Mr. Praveen Pardeshi, Divisional Commissioner Amravati and Mr. K.Nayak Field Director of Pench Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh concluded the workshop.
Office: Plot-17, 201, Sapphire Apartment, Oppo.Jantar Mantar Flats, Bharat Nagar, Puranik Lay out, Amravati Road, Nagpur Tel: 0712-2040288. emailsatpuda@gmail.com webwww.satpuda.org
