Division of Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-Kashmir Successfully Conducted One-Day Training Program on “Sustaining Livelihoods through Wildlife Management” under MSME at Safapora, Manasbal.

SRINAGAR:  One-day training program on “Sustaining Livelihoods through Wildlife Management” was organized by the Division of Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-Kashmir at Safapora, Manasbal today as on 16th of December 2024, bringing together the experts, community representatives, students and environmental enthusiasts to discuss innovative approaches to integrating wildlife management with sustainable livelihoods.
The program was inaugurated by Prof. Khursheed Ahmad, Head Division of Wildlife Sciences, SKUAST-K who emphasized the critical role of wildlife conservation in fostering community development and ensuring ecological balance. The event aimed to highlight how responsible wildlife management can serve as a tool for sustainable economic growth, especially in rural and ecologically sensitive regions.
The Program Coordinator Dr. Aafaq A. Parrey, Assistant Professor/ Jr. Scientist, provided an in-depth overview of the training program, underlining the importance of entrepreneurship initiatives in promoting self-sustaining livelihoods. He detailed the program’s design, emphasizing its hands-on approach to equipping participants with practical skills and the ways young minds can contribute to income generation from such start-ups that help in overall growth of society. The Key sessions during the training included, Insights into how biodiversity contributes to sustainable agriculture, tourism, and local economies, Exploring participatory models for conservation, focusing on engaging local communities, Successful examples of eco-tourism projects that have enhanced livelihoods while preserving wildlife and Strategies to address human-wildlife conflict and ensure harmonious coexistence. A series of enlightening sessions were conducted, by Prof. Khursheed Ahmad, Dr. Aamir Bhat, Dr. Maqbool Rather, Dr. Tawqir Bashir, Dr. Inam Saba and Dr.Tariq Ahmad.
Finally, the coordinator of the training program Dr. Aafaq A. Parrey, concluded by expressing heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Prof. N.A. Ganai, Director of Planning and Monitoring Prof. H. R. Naik, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry Prof. S. A. Gangoo and Head of the Division Prof. Khursheed Ahmad for their invaluable support and guidance. He also extended his sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, New Delhi, for sponsoring the program.