The project has given us this flexibility to try out new and interesting things. Traditionally, the Forest Department’s work has focused on implementing the activities under various central and state government schemes. But under the project, the foundation has been able to look at the wider objective, and consult with local researchers to understand feasibility of activities such as crab culture, or even monitor the larger threats to environment from industries and aquaculture. It has been an efficient support service for the department. The EGREE Foundation has done work of critical importance but this needs publicity and we are partnering with some agencies in Bangalore to rework on the publications developed under the project, to make them more reader-friendly. Our main objective, though, is to ensure that the activities implemented under the project are made sustainable. We are exploring several options to ensure a steady income to the EGREE Foundation, such as raising Corporate Social Responsibility funds by partnering with the corporate sectors, and getting accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) to enable the foundation to act as consultants for undertaking Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies and provide capacity-building programmes. There is also a plan to increase the focus of the foundation from the East Godavari River Estuarine Region to the whole of Andhra Pradesh, thereby essentially making it an Andhra Pradesh River Estuarine Ecosystem (APREE) foundation. Needless to say, the conclusion of the project will just be one event of many in the long history of the EGREE Foundation’s conservation activities in this region.
Forging Partnerships for Mainstreaming Biodiversity
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