The 2^nd “Ganga Biodiversity Conservation” seminar was held on 22^nd August 2019, at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. The seminar showcased research carried out under the National Mission for Clean Ganga and Wildlife Institute of India’s initiative “Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation” project.

The Ganga River has a vast geo-morphology, encompassing three biogeographic zones and spanning across five most densely populated states of India. Considering the state of the Ganga River, and its significance in Indian culture and religion, the project was initiated in 2016 with an aim to implement ecological elements in Ganga restoration, with the help of multiple stakeholders. With its first phase winding up, the seminar included a wide array of topics with a commonality of Ganga’s ecological restoration.

Dr. Ruchi Badola, Scientist G and Project Co-coordinator, welcomed the dignitaries and guests. Dr. S.A. Hussain, Scientist G and Project Coordinator, provided an overview of the project. He emphasized the efforts made by the team and introduced the second phase of the project, which will implement basin level river conservation efforts from January 2020. Dr. Y.V. Jhala, Scientist G, Wildlife Institute of India said that it is important to make science meaningful to the people and thus the studies should focus on implementing science-based information and finding novel approaches to conserve rivers. Padmashri Dr. Anil P. Joshi, the Chief Guest of the seminar in his opening remarks, emphasized on the need of considering rivers as holistic ecosystems and acknowledging the deleterious impacts that human have on riverine ecosystem. He further highlighted the issue of water scarcity in the country and the need of involving local communities in river restoration, since watershed management activities at the grass roots level initiated by local communities ensure sustainability to the scientific efforts.

The group then proceeded to release the Training database, Ganga Biodiversity Calendar for Bal Ganga Praharis, a booklet on Water Conservation Approach for Bal Ganga Praharis, Neelu story, and a brochure and leaflet on “Wetlands and Water Programme”. The Ganga Biodiversity Calendar, booklet on Water Conservation Approach, Neelu story are efforts towards spreading awareness about Ganga’s biodiversity and water conservation among Bal Ganga Praharis. The brochure and leaflet on the “Wetlands and Water Programme” is an introduction to the initial basin level management work carried out as a part of Phase II project in-lieu with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan. The brochure emphasizes the importance of wetland restoration for water security in the Ganga basin.

The Ganga Biodiversity Conservation seminar covered three technical sessions and a poster session. The first session of the seminar covered four studies on the ecology and management of the Ganga River. The presenters concluded that the Ganga River has a mosaic of habitat, resulting in good ecological health, but caution must be taken to limit anthropogenic pressure through strategic restorative and regulatory measures. The second session focused on aquatic species conservation with species-specific presentations, which concluded that the current state of focal aquatic species in the river is good, with the upper and lower Ganga contributing significantly to species diversity. The third session emphasized the need for community participation in Ganga conservation and highlighted the efforts made by the team in spreading awareness, motivating and educating people about the importance of the Ganga River. The presentations provided novel insights about the Ganga River and its aquatic species that can serve as a baseline for further research and aid in formulating management strategies for systematic conservation of the river. The poster session was held throughout the day where 20 researchers presented their studies on the Ganga River, spanning from species-level studies to community based approaches, to policy and planning.

The seminar was chaired by officials from state forest departments, representatives from NMCG and from the Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited. They highlighted the need for more such efforts for river conservation and water security and commended the work done by the team.