Rights and Communities

We aim to enhance conservation strategies through collaboration with local communities, government entities, and NGOs, fostering community ownership and integrating Rights and Communities discourse into mainstream conservation. Our vision is to respect diversity and inclusivity, promoting an egalitarian approach to achieve conservation goals. We aspire to a just, equitable, and resilient future where communities value wildlife, allowing nature to thrive.

Projects

Team
 

Dr Manish Chandi

Manish Chandi has worked for 25 years in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, focusing on the interface between communities and the natural environment. He has conducted research on salt-water crocodiles, sea turtles, forest trees, and indigenous communities. In 2016, he completed his doctoral thesis with the Nature Conservation Foundation, exploring the impact of the 2004 tsunami on resource-sharing mechanisms in the Nicobar Islands. Manish has presented his work at various conferences and forums. Currently, he is with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, developing links between human communities and conservation areas and creating educational resources for the WCSI-NCBS doctoral programme in Wildlife Ecology.

Dolsy David

Dolsy is driven by a passion for understanding the interactions between people and wildlife in shared landscapes and to document and adapt this knowledge towards improving human-wildlife relationships. With a Master's degree in Biodiversity (Utilisation and Management) from Pune University and through her experience in working in different landscapes throughout India, Dolsy brings expertise to the table. She aims to shift the focus to coexistence.