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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Project • CBA2015-07NSY-Prasad

Biodiversity Conservation in Western Ghats, India: Capacity Building in Harnessing Geospatial Data Management

Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, is facing huge crisis due to developmental demands. While this poses a biodiversity management challenge, localised studies and disparate data sets limit the ability to upscale studies/results to a level that can provide actionable inputs to a large number of stakeholders including those in routine decision making bodies. New and innovative methods using geospatial technology can help bridge this gap if stakeholders have access not only to the data but also to the appropriate tools for informed decision making. This activity will train participants to equip policy makers and other stakeholders converting biodiversity -questions to an appropriate geospatial query that can provide the appropriate insights/answers drawing upon the database. A multi pronged approach of capacity building for the six western Ghat range states of Tamil Nadu,Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharshtra and Gujarat will be taken up.The year long activity include imparting trainer’s training, holding stakeholder workshops. Provisioning extensive training in harnessing open source geospatial technology tools will be the major focus.The capacity building activity will focus on using the mobile, web and desktop environments to capture, analyse and disseminate state of biodiversity as also the threats to biodiversity across the western Ghats.