Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organization, kicked off its 35th anniversary today with a focus on the importance of human-wildlife coexistence.
Addressing the event, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Arvind Kumar Chaurasia emphasised the critical role humans play in wildlife conservation efforts. He highlighted how human beings’ misadventure with wildlife lead to outbreak of COVID -19 (a zoonotic disease) that threatened to wipe out the human civilization few years back and made a severe dent on global economy.
“Given that the burgeoning illegal wildlife crimes/trade pose grave threat to national and global security because of the intricate link with terrorism, illegal drug trade and arms smuggling, the global chain of this crime must be busted with a suitable global law that will facilitate synergy in action against wildlife crimes across the world so as to ensure certain punishment to wildlife criminals,” Chaurasia said.
He further emphasized on use of AI tools for prevention of wildlife crimes. “Investigation officers across the world must be empowered to carry out scientific investigation so that wildlife criminals could be punished with certainty so that it acts as a deterrent,” he said. He congratulated Aaranyak for its enormous sustained efforts that has sustained and matured the organization over the years.
Special Secretary of the Assam Department of Science, Technology & Climate Change, P.L.N. Raju, highlighted the potential of space technology, geospatial tools, and drones in wildlife conservation and crime prevention.
Founder Secretary General and the CEO of Aaranyak, Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar made a presentation depicting the 35-year-long journey of Aaranyak which, he said, has provided a platform and employment opportunities to young generation of conservationist across the region to pursue their career goals in the field. He also mentioned how PILs filed by Aaranyak over the years could secure landmark judgments from Gauhati High Court in conservation biodiversity and wildlife in the region.
Doyen of nature conservation in the Northeast and a former civil service officer Anwaruddin Choudhury who is known as the “Birdman of Assam” was conferred the Third Lifetime Achievement Award of Aaranyak on the occasion.
Team Aaranyak also paid rich tributes to four of its conservationists who passed away– Meherun Nesha, Ananta Borah, Salina Sultana and Bipul Das.
A documentary film produced by Aaranyak, a photography exhibition and release of a photography book were the highlights of the programme.
