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WWF-India reaches out to semi-rural schools

Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL: World Wide Fund-India, which is engaged in several initiatives for protection and conservation of the environment, with a special thrust on climate change and energy conservation, is now expanding its activities to semi-rural schools. This was stated by WWF-India Secretary-General and CEO Ravi Singh while talking to The Hindu here on Tuesday. Mr. Singh was here to attend a WWF national conference held at the Disaster Management Institute. He said the WWF had been creating interest among students about the environment through the national nature camping programme. The organisation had been reaching out to the masses for over three decades through the Signature Club of India, he added.

Mr. Singh said WWF-India tries to meet the conservation and environmental protection objectives through environment education and various awareness activities. Asked what would be the outcome of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, which was passed recently by Parliament, Mr. Singh said it would pave the way for giving rights to the tribals and forest dwellers over forest land.

In the same context, expressing a word of caution, he said it might lead to more conflict, adding that the major challenge is "duplication of authority and its implementation".

Highlighting a number of environment-related issues, the WWF-India chief said: "We are witnessing climate change and heat cycles as cities are growing in concentric circles and there is ever-increasing demand for natural resources to support urban growth."

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WWF-India reaches out to semi-rural schools

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