The increasing degradation of ecosystems, the depletion of our biodiversity and the shrinking of our natural resources are of global concern. The last bastions of biodiversity such as mountains and rainforests, which are also the resource storehouses of the world, are especially vulnerable and are being rapidly degraded as the pressure of population mounts, as does extraction of wild resources. Climate change is adding its impacts in the form of increasing desertification, changes in weather patterns and frequent natural calamities. Human systems and the environment are dependent on one another. Risks to the environment will eventually translate into risks for humans because of their dependence on the natural environment for resources.

Sustainable and equitable development requires that the needs of present generations are met without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Conservation activities are needed for the appropriate management of land, water, air and biodiversity, and the control of biotic pressures on these resources. Available natural resources need to be managed in a way that the needs of humans are met without irremediable damage to the environment, thereby ensuring continued availability of resources as well as ecosystem services.

Pragya’s work in this domain involves facilitating alternate, sustainable forms of development based on the natural resources and supportive potential of an area. The natural resource-dependent communities in the remote areas that we work in are assisted to manage their environment in a sustainable manner. They are helped to adopt resource-efficient methods and conservation approaches.