Conserving Biodiversity

PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMS

Re-wilding India: Role of the Private Sector in Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity is one of the key planetary boundaries that is critical to the sustenance of life on Earth, but it has already been overstepped. This panel, organized in partership with Confederation of Indian Industry (Western Region) showcased some cutting-edge private initiatives to conserve and develop green reserves by United Phosphorus Ltd., Tata Steel, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and the Shillim Institute, and offered recommendations for business leaders looking to engage in socially responsible ecological practices.

Watch the video

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't Bee Afraid

Honey Bees are a key pollinator species that play an integral role in the food chain and in maintaining biodiversity. Due to a lack of awareness and information, many in urban India are afraid of bees and often destroy hives they see around them. This has led to a decline in honey bee populations, harming global food security and biodiversity. Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in India launched this campaign as part of the Sunder Nursery project to increase awareness about honey bees and inspire citizens to participate in bee conservation efforts.

Watch the video

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wildlife Trade and the Global Health Crisis

Protecting wildlife and curbing wildlife trade is a pressing issue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai organized a webinar on June 17, 2020, featuring global experts -- Claudia Dreifus from School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, Abi Tamim Vanak from ATREE India, Wendy Hapgood from Wild Tomorrow Fund, and Karen Qin Xue from World Wild Fund in Beijing.

The Importance of Honey Bees

Without honey bees, 80 percent of the world's cultivated plants would disappear. On World Bee Day of May 20, 2020, we celebrate research that highlights the importance of honey bees, their critical contribution to sustainable development and food security, their social and communications systems, and the severe threats and challenges they face. Watch national and international experts share their perspectives in this video produced by Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture India.

Watch the video | Read an interview with Professor John Snow

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sounds of Mumbai: Bioacoustics in the time of COVID-19

By walking us through the calls of bird species that she is recording during the pandemic lockdown in Mumbai, Pooja Choksi, a PhD student at Columbia University, asks that we open ourselves to the sounds of diverse life forms that inhabit our cities on the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day.

Watch the video

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City of Haze, Gardens of Beauty: Reimagining Nature in Urban India

To announce this partnership and also to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Columbia Global Centers, the Center organized a public event at Columbia University in New York on September 10, 2019. A presentation was made by Ratish Nanda, distinguished conservation architect and CEO of AKTC in India, followed by a discussion on urbanization and green spaces moderated by the Center’s Director, Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, and featuring Dr. Ruth DeFries, Professor of Ecology and Sustainable Development at Columbia University.

Mumbai’s Natural Heritage: Enhancing Public Engagement

Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai hosted an expert convening with the aim of sharing strategies and practices, building a leadership network, and documenting evaluation tools to assess the impact of environmental programming on conserving the region’s biodiversity on July 12, 2019. Participants from the city’s leading organizations presented their efforts at designing and implementing public programs.

From Killer Roads to Humane Highways: Infrastructure and Connectivity for Wildlife

To present research findings on infrastructure expansion and wildlife conservation in India, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai organized the first film screening of “From Killer Roads to Humane Highways,” a video sponsored by Science for Nature and People Partnership on December 12, 2018. This was accompanied by presentations by Ruth DeFries, Professor of Ecology and Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and Dr. Krithi Karanth from the Centre of Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru.

Mangroves through the Eye of a Satellite

Pinki Mondal, Senior Research Associate, Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University, used datasets from NASA’s Socioeconomic Data and Application Center to highlight how landscapes change rapidly and how newer technologies can allow for more accurate monitoring of mangrove forests. Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai hosted a lecture on May 8, 2017, with her that drew parallels with the Sierra Leone and the Sundarbans Delta to illustrate how similar techniques could be deployed for managing India’s mangrove forest cover as well.