PROJECT SUNDARBANS
Two of the world’s mightiest rivers - the Ganga and the Brahmaputra - flow into the Bay of Bengal through a vast system of distributaries that form the largest delta in the world. This delta is covered by a dense mangrove forest system called the Sundarbans. A part of this forest has been declared a Tiger Reserve; however, the villages that surround the Reserve are among the most under-privileged in India. There is no electricity, no roads, only basic education and no permanent health care facilities. |  COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Along with the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), which started its community
outreach program in the Sundarbans in 2002, the aim is of
encouraging villagers living around the Tiger Reserve to view wildlife
and their environment as an asset rather than a threat. We
currently have a Tiger Conservation Center and a Kindergarten school,
and we undertake a number of health, awareness and livelihood related
initiatives. Our Tiger Conservation Center on the island of Bali holds wildlife film shows and village and nature club meetings for the 25,000 inhabitants of the island. In collaboration with the West Bengal Forest Department, we also organize annual events, such as Forestry Week and Wildlife Week, which are attended by up to 4,000 people. |
