NilgiriScapes 2025 to Convene in Ooty This August

Fast Summary

• Event: NilgiriScapes 2025, a conference focusing on conservation and ecological topics, will take place from August 21 to 23 at the RCTC Hall in Udhagamandalam.
• Themes Covered: The event will feature discussions on the foundations of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), ecology, land use and planning, human-wildlife conflict, biodiversity restoration, environmental law and governance, advocacy efforts, and community engagement in conservation.
• Formats: Activities include plenaries, panels, and cultural sessions.
• Key Speakers:

– Benno Boer (chief of Natural Sciences Unit at UNESCO New Delhi)
– Godwin Vasanth Bosco (restoration practitioner)
– Tarun Chhabra (ecologist and expert on indigenous Toda culture)
– Tarsh Thekaekara (ecologist).

Read More

Indian Opinion Analysis

The NilgiriScapes conference represents an vital forum for addressing critical environmental challenges within one of IndiaS most ecologically significant regions. By bringing together diverse stakeholders like policymakers, indigenous communities, researchers, and cultural practitioners under one roof, it fosters interdisciplinary approaches to tackling issues such as biodiversity loss and human-wildlife conflict. The inclusion of prominent voices like Benno Boer highlights the global meaning of such efforts while acknowledging local ecological practices through experts like Tarun chhabra.

This event also underscores the importance of aligning conservation goals wiht sustainable development within India’s protected areas. Through sessions that discuss governance frameworks alongside grassroots-level involvement by communities in conservation practices such as those within NBR’s boundaries-this meeting can serve as a template for balancing ecological preservation with socio-economic considerations across India’s rich biodiverse landscapes.