Ecosystems, Community-Based Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in India

On December 21-23, 2010, the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) and Wetlands International, in partnership with the Gujarat Council of Science City and International Union for Conservation of Nature, co-convened a three-day national training on "Ecosystems, Community based Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in India" at the Science City. UNDP South-South from Bangkok also joined the event. A total of 30 participants representing national NGOs, government agencies, academic institutions and schools, and environmental organizations attended the training, as well as numerous university students. Field experts were invited and provided their inputs and guidance. The training brought together diverse policy-makers, activists, and practitioners in an open forum to discuss the salient issues related to wetlands, ecosystems, and disaster risk reduction in India. This has never before been done on such a large scale, with so many committed experts and a large number of participants.