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Sanction Date: |
22-08-2019 |
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Project Category |
SG |
|
Year |
2019-2020 |
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Project Duration |
2 Years + 7 Months Extension |
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BTA : |
SDCB |
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Project Site/ State/ Districts/ Villages Covered: |
Shallabugh Wetland Reserve, Kashmir Valley (Jammu &
Kashmir)
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|
Organization/ Implementation Agency: |
Sher-e-Kashmir University of
Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir (SKUASTKashmir) |
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Project Partners: |
S.No. |
Name |
| 1. |
Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabhani 248001,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand
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| 2. |
Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir
Government, Boulevard Road, Srinagar 190001.
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|
Lead Proponent: |
Dr. Khursheed Ahmad
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences
& Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-Kashmir)
Jammu & Kashmir- 180009
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Project Brief Description: |
The wetlands of Kashmir including Shallabugh Wetland Reserve besides being crucial for
sustaining biodiversity and local people's livelihoods are important for long distance migrants
as a stopover site for feeding and resting and as breeding habitats for many endangered
waterfowl species. Many water birds occur in huge numbers in the wetlands of Kashmir, much
above the 1% population threshold determined by Wetlands International (2002). The studies
on the ecology of waterfowl particularly Anatidae at such staging or stopover wintering sites
are particularly neglected. Migratory waterfowl wintering India, as also in Kashmir face threats
because of continued degradation and loss of wetlands in the Valley. It is as such important to
work to conserve, restore and manage the wetlands for waterfowl, other wildlife and people.
Our recent studies have indicated overstaying of many migratory waterfowl species in
Shallabugh wetland during summers and first breeding record of Gadwal in Indian
subcontinent in Kashmir. This gives a scope for further waterfowl migratory studies in the
Shallabugh wetland to monitor the migratory patterns and the breeding behavior of the
migratory waterfowl in the wetland. To be effective, it is important to work with landowners
through participation of communities to show that wetlands and waterfowl conservation holds
to them important social, cultural and economic benefits and enhanced livelihood
development potential in terms of ecotourism and to establish land-use practices that benefit
both agriculture and habitat.
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Beneficiaries/ Stakeholders: |
The research outputs would be utilized by the Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Protection
Department for the better long term management and conservation of wetlands and waterfowl
and for development of effective alternatives for income generation and livelihood including
ecotourism among the local communities The project is expected to go long way in helping biodiversity conservation by way of enhancing
our knowledge and understanding on the lesser know aspects of waterfowl ecology, migratory
patterns and breeding behavior of resident and migratory waterfowl
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|
Activity Chart (For 3 years) |
Click Here |
| Project Objectives |
Quantifiable Deliverables |
Monitoring Indicators |
| To study and monitor migratory status, movements from wintering to breeding areas and to identify migratory routes, movement patterns of the major waterfowl species particularly ducks and geese in Shallabugh wetland reserve, Kashmir valley. |
Database on Breeding biology of ten (10) resident migratory waterfowl species |
Database on breeding biology (Nos.) |
| To assess the socio-economics of the communities adjoining Shallabugh wetland reserve and Build capacity and scientific and business skill amongst youth of local tribal and marginal communities for enhanced alternative livelihood generation and entrepreneurship development through ecotourism and village wildlife tourism for the local stakeholder communities in consonance with the Indian cultural and socio-economic milieu. |
(02) Eco tourism-cum Home stays with indigenous culture and cuisine shall be developed around the fringe village of Shallabugh |
Home stays Developed (Nos.) |
| |
Training and skill building of 15 local youth as tourist and wildlife/eco-guides. |
Increased the income or employment of women farmers (%) |
| |
Enhancing/doubling the livelihood/income targeted stakeholder from an average of around Rs. 15000/month/family through adoption of this new improved alternative livelihood opportunity of ecotourism, eco-guiding, Waterfowl viewing and home stay |
Number of Training/Awareness Programme Organized (Nos.) |
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Develop the knowledge products: 01 Policy, 01 manual document and 2-3 publications in well reputed journal |
Number of beneficiaries village/ local people (Nos.) |
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No. of Reports/Research articles/Policy documents prepared and published (Nos.) |
