New Delhi: DCB Bank and WWF-India have announced a partnership to conserve the endangered Indus River Dolphin in the Beas Conservation Reserve. Working closely with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab, the organizations will implement initiatives around education, awareness and community led conservation to protect the species and its habitat and ensure conservation measures for its long term survival.
The partnership between DCB Bank and WWF-India aims to strengthen multi-stakeholder leadership and community-led dolphin conservation. Local institutions will spearhead the conservation efforts for the species and work with farmers living in villages on the banks of the river to reduce input use (water, chemical fertilisers and pesticides) in their farms. As part of the partnership, WWF-India will also implement its Water School Programme which aims to build awareness among students on the need for conservation of natural resources across 30 schools in four districts along the Beas Conservation Reserve.
Dolphins are an indicator species of healthy river systems. India is one of the few countries in the world that has two fresh water dolphin species - the Gangetic River Dolphin and the Indus River Dolphin, sub-species of South Asian River Dolphin. Indus River Dolphins are found in the Indus River system and the River Beas is their only habitat in the country. The river dolphin is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
DCB Bank Managing Director and CEO, Murali Natarajan said, “DCB Bank, has partnered WWF-India to conserve the Indus River Dolphin, one of the world’s endangered species. The project will take measures to protect the dolphin’s habitat in the River Beas and create a healthy ecosystem that will enable these beautiful aquatic mammals to thrive in their natural habitat for years to come. I am confident that our ‘Beas Mitras’ initiative will help spread awareness among both local communities and students of the dire need to protect the Indus River Dolphin. This initiative will focus on protection of natural water resource for the long term sustainability of the river, communities and the environment.”
Ravi Singh, Secretary-General and CEO, WWF-India, said, “The partnership between WWF-India and DCB Bank will help strengthen existing efforts to conserve the endangered Indus River Dolphin. As we continue this journey to protect the Indus River Dolphin, we believe the partnership will make a positive impact on the species’ population and its habitat. We are also deeply appreciative of the involvement of local communities who are the stewards of our conservation effort in the state.”
WWF-India has been working towards the conservation of the Harike Wetland since 2007 in partnership with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab. In 2007, a survey was conducted in certain stretches of River Beas by Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab, which established the presence of the Indus River Dolphin in the Beas. The first organized survey of Indus River Dolphin in the Beas Conservation Reserve (185kms) was jointly conducted with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab in May 2018. Taking this forward, monthly dolphin surveys will be carried out to establish occurrence and population status along with habitat conservation measures. WWF-India will also work closely with government authorities to devise an Indus River Dolphin Conservation Strategy for long-term conservation of the species.
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For media queries, please contact:
Ms. Rituparna Sengupta,
Associate Director- Marketing & Communication, WWF-India
+919810514487; rsengupta@wwfindia.net
For partnership queries, please contact:
Ms. Aditi Pokhriyal,
Associate Director- Conservation Alliances, WWF-India
+91 11 41504809; apokhriyal@wwfindia.net
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About WWF-India
WWF (The Worldwide Fund for Nature) is a conservation organization that works to protect our planet’s natural resources and its diverse biodiversity. Our conservation work focusses on 6 major global goals- forests, oceans, wildlife, food, climate and energy and freshwater, in addition to 3 major drivers of environmental degradation- markets, finance and governance.
Part of an international network with presence in over 100 countries across the globe, WWF-India has been working to protect our country’s biodiversity and environment since 1969. Our presence in 75 locations across 20 states in the country involves conservation of key wildlife species and their habitats, management of rivers, wetlands and their ecosystems, climate change adaptation, sustainable livelihood alternatives for local communities, water and carbon footprint reduction in industries, combating illegal wildlife trade and imparting environment education to the student and teacher community. To know more about WWF-India you could visit us at www.wwfindia.org
About DCB Bank
DCB Bank Limited is a new generation private sector bank with 331 branches across 19 states and 3 union territories. It is a scheduled commercial bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. It is professionally managed and governed. DCB Bank has contemporary technology and infrastructure. The Bank’s business segments are Retail, micro-SMEs, SMEs, mid-Corporate, Microfinance Institutions (MFI), Agriculture, Commodities, Government, Public Sector, Indian Banks, Cooperative Banks and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC). DCB Bank has more than 6,00,000 active customers. For more information please visit www.dcbbank.com
The partnership between DCB Bank and WWF-India aims to strengthen multi-stakeholder leadership and community-led dolphin conservation. Local institutions will spearhead the conservation efforts for the species and work with farmers living in villages on the banks of the river to reduce input use (water, chemical fertilisers and pesticides) in their farms. As part of the partnership, WWF-India will also implement its Water School Programme which aims to build awareness among students on the need for conservation of natural resources across 30 schools in four districts along the Beas Conservation Reserve.
Dolphins are an indicator species of healthy river systems. India is one of the few countries in the world that has two fresh water dolphin species - the Gangetic River Dolphin and the Indus River Dolphin, sub-species of South Asian River Dolphin. Indus River Dolphins are found in the Indus River system and the River Beas is their only habitat in the country. The river dolphin is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
DCB Bank Managing Director and CEO, Murali Natarajan said, “DCB Bank, has partnered WWF-India to conserve the Indus River Dolphin, one of the world’s endangered species. The project will take measures to protect the dolphin’s habitat in the River Beas and create a healthy ecosystem that will enable these beautiful aquatic mammals to thrive in their natural habitat for years to come. I am confident that our ‘Beas Mitras’ initiative will help spread awareness among both local communities and students of the dire need to protect the Indus River Dolphin. This initiative will focus on protection of natural water resource for the long term sustainability of the river, communities and the environment.”
Ravi Singh, Secretary-General and CEO, WWF-India, said, “The partnership between WWF-India and DCB Bank will help strengthen existing efforts to conserve the endangered Indus River Dolphin. As we continue this journey to protect the Indus River Dolphin, we believe the partnership will make a positive impact on the species’ population and its habitat. We are also deeply appreciative of the involvement of local communities who are the stewards of our conservation effort in the state.”
WWF-India has been working towards the conservation of the Harike Wetland since 2007 in partnership with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab. In 2007, a survey was conducted in certain stretches of River Beas by Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab, which established the presence of the Indus River Dolphin in the Beas. The first organized survey of Indus River Dolphin in the Beas Conservation Reserve (185kms) was jointly conducted with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Government of Punjab in May 2018. Taking this forward, monthly dolphin surveys will be carried out to establish occurrence and population status along with habitat conservation measures. WWF-India will also work closely with government authorities to devise an Indus River Dolphin Conservation Strategy for long-term conservation of the species.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For media queries, please contact:
Ms. Rituparna Sengupta,
Associate Director- Marketing & Communication, WWF-India
+919810514487; rsengupta@wwfindia.net
For partnership queries, please contact:
Ms. Aditi Pokhriyal,
Associate Director- Conservation Alliances, WWF-India
+91 11 41504809; apokhriyal@wwfindia.net
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About WWF-India
WWF (The Worldwide Fund for Nature) is a conservation organization that works to protect our planet’s natural resources and its diverse biodiversity. Our conservation work focusses on 6 major global goals- forests, oceans, wildlife, food, climate and energy and freshwater, in addition to 3 major drivers of environmental degradation- markets, finance and governance.
Part of an international network with presence in over 100 countries across the globe, WWF-India has been working to protect our country’s biodiversity and environment since 1969. Our presence in 75 locations across 20 states in the country involves conservation of key wildlife species and their habitats, management of rivers, wetlands and their ecosystems, climate change adaptation, sustainable livelihood alternatives for local communities, water and carbon footprint reduction in industries, combating illegal wildlife trade and imparting environment education to the student and teacher community. To know more about WWF-India you could visit us at www.wwfindia.org
About DCB Bank
DCB Bank Limited is a new generation private sector bank with 331 branches across 19 states and 3 union territories. It is a scheduled commercial bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. It is professionally managed and governed. DCB Bank has contemporary technology and infrastructure. The Bank’s business segments are Retail, micro-SMEs, SMEs, mid-Corporate, Microfinance Institutions (MFI), Agriculture, Commodities, Government, Public Sector, Indian Banks, Cooperative Banks and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC). DCB Bank has more than 6,00,000 active customers. For more information please visit www.dcbbank.com
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