Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 5 Oct: Former Senior Scientist of the Wildlife Institute of India and Advisor to The Corbett Foundation, Prof. Qamar Qureshi said today that nature is an integral part of culture and life. For centuries, the conservation of nature and wildlife has held a special place in India’s traditions and values of life.
Prof. Qureshi was addressing a special session as the Chief Guest at Graphic Era Deemed University today as part of Wildlife Week. He said that a balance between development and nature is essential. Along with tiger conservation, it is equally important to protect its natural habitat and other species. He described human pressure and illegal wildlife trade as major challenges and stressed the importance of public participation in tackling them.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Narpinder Singh said that technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, drones, camera traps and environmental DNA are giving a new direction to wildlife conservation and research. These technologies make it possible to monitor wildlife and identify conflicts at an early stage.
Scientist-E at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dr. Vishnupriya Kolipakam said that India is facing severe water stress, which is also affecting river ecosystems and wildlife.
The programme was jointly organised by the Department of Biosciences of the University, the Wildlife Institute of India and Amber Foundation. Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Santosh S. Saraf, Registrar Dr. Naresh Kumar Sharma, Head of the Department of Biosciences Dr. Manu Pant, Prof. V. P. Uniyal, other faculty members and students were present at the programme.
