Kalpavriksh

Kalpavriksh needs your support today!

For over four decades, Kalpavriksh has stood at the forefront of environmental action in India—working to protect ecosystems, supporting community-led conservation, developing locale-specific environment programmes for children and educators, and reimagining development pathways that are both ecologically sustainable and socially just.

From its beginnings in 1979 as a student-led movement, Kalpavriksh has grown into a vibrant collective engaged in research, education, advocacy, and grassroots collaboration across India. Our work spans forest governance, biodiversity conservation, urban ecology, environmental education, and the exploration of alternative development models that place people and nature at the centre.

However, much of this work has been sustained so far through limited project-based funding and voluntary commitment. Today, we are going through a serious fund crunch, and we are reaching out for support.

Every donation—big or small—directly contributes to building a more equitable and ecologically resilient future.

We look forward to your solidarity and support at this critical juncture of our journey.

To learn more about our work: https://kalpavriksh.org/aboutus/annual-reports/

To support via donation, click: https://forms.gle/ij97JBcnKH5VMRNXA

Marathi Maharashtra Protected Area Update, Issue No: 22:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MSKV-22-July-2025.pdf

Kalpavriksh, in collaboration with the Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan and partners, organised Gujjaran-Go-Kaarj, a three-day biocultural festival in Rishikesh (February 2026) to celebrate the Gojri Buffalo: A Shared Heritage of the Himalayas. Marking the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and the International Month of Buffalo, the festival honoured Van Gujjar pastoral traditions and created a platform for dialogue among pastoralists, policymakers, NGOs, and conservationists

Click here to read the entire report:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Narrative-Report-Biocultural-Festival.pdf

New PA Update is out! To read the entire Update please click here Issue No: 177:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PROTECTED-AREA-UPDATE-177.pdf

Munsiari Visit: Narrative Report(1-4 December,2025)
This report covers a four‑day collective session in Munsiari (1-4 December,2025) with Himal Prakriti,
Kalpavriksh, local Van Panchayat leaders, youth, and Maati Sangathan women. The first three days focused on youth‑driven learning- Forest laws, FRA, and global frameworks. The final day brought Sarpanches and community members together, highlighting challenges of governance, funding, and tourism, and concluding with a shared call to strengthen Van Panchayats, and pursue FRA rights for lasting community control.

Click here to read the entire report:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Munsiari-Visit_Narrative-Report_1Dec-5Dec.pdf

The Protected Area Update database is now live and available for use
via the KV website:
The database has 4400+ news stories covering more than 300 PAs from across the country.

The Protected Area Updates Database If you would like to receive future issues of the Protected Area Update newsletter when they are published, please fill the form below for subscription:

Obituary of Dr. Madhav Gadgil by Kalpavriksh
Kalpavriksh mourns the death of Prof. Madhav Gadgil, a huge influence for many of its members in the fields of biodiversity, ecological history, combining conservation with people's rights, and more. He was amongst the few modern-day ecologists to question the legitimacy of the Forest Department's claims on 'scientific forestry', to provide rigorous research of use to people's movements against destructive projects including the Silent Valley project in Kerala, and to provide support to the struggle to reclaim community rights to govern and use forests. Some of our members worked with him on processes such as the framing of the Biological Diversity Act and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. We will miss his presence but will continue to find inspiration in his work.

New Protected Area Update is out. To read the entire Update please click here Issue No: 176:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PROTECTED-AREA-UPDATE-176_final.pdf

New Update for People in Conservation in Hindi is out! Click here for access:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hindi-Vol.-14-No.1_NEW-Final-for-Web.pdf

New Policy Brief: Understanding the Legal Frameworks Behind Protected Area Declarations

This policy brief examines the complexities surrounding the expansion and declaration of Protected Areas (PAs) and their impact on the rights and livelihoods of local communities. It
highlights how these processes intersect with legal frameworks and underscores the need for equitable, inclusive conservation. The brief also simplifies relevant laws and recent
amendments to help communities better understand and assert their rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Click here to read the policyhttps://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PA-Declaration_WLPA-Eng-1.pdf

Article on 'Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) arrangements within India’s Biodiversity Act' published in LEAD journal:https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/LEAD_ABS-article-1.pdf