Srinagar, July 22 (KNS): A delegation of senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers from across the country on visited Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district to study innovative conservation models, including biodiversity management, wetland restoration and community-based forest governance.
The visit was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department in collaboration with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K), the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA), the Kashmir Forest Training School, Chitternar, and the Forest Protection Force as part of a week-long capacity-building programme on **"Smart Conservation: Technological Solutions for Forest and Wildlife Protection."**
The delegation first visited Wular Lake, one of India's largest freshwater wetlands, where officials briefed them on restoration and conservation measures undertaken by WUCMA and the Forest Department. The officers were informed about scientific interventions such as wetland restoration, habitat improvement, catchment area treatment, shoreline stabilisation and biodiversity conservation.
The officers also visited the Kashmir Forest Training School at Chitternar in Bandipora, one of the country's oldest forestry training institutions established in 1911, where they were briefed on its role in forestry education and capacity building.
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During a technical session, Divisional Forest Officer (Bandipora) Waseem Farooq Mir presented the district's Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) model, highlighting community participation in biodiversity conservation, preparation of People's Biodiversity Registers and sustainable management of natural resources.
A booklet documenting the objectives, implementation and achievements of the BMC model was also released during the programme to facilitate knowledge sharing and encourage replication of the initiative.
The delegation also viewed a documentary on the Chandaji Eco-Restoration Park, showcasing the restoration of a degraded landscape through scientific planning, ecological interventions and community participation.
The visiting officers appreciated the conservation initiatives undertaken in Bandipora and said the integrated approach towards biodiversity conservation, wetland restoration and community participation could serve as a model for sustainable forest management in other parts of the country.
The exposure visit concluded with an exchange of ideas on strengthening forest, wildlife and biodiversity conservation through technology-driven and collaborative approaches, officials said.(KNS).