Port Blair, Dec. 8: The three-day compulsory training workshop Natural Resource Management and Conflict Resolution Skills for Forest Management for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officers conducted by Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair from 6^th – 8^th December 2023 culminated today.  The training workshop organized in collaboration with Department of Environment and Forests, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. A total of 20 service officers from different States & Union Territory including Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand attended the training.

The valedictory function of the training workshop was held today at TSG, Grand, Dollygunj, Port Blair. The valedictory address was delivered by Shri. Devesh Chandra Srivastava, IPS, Director General of Police as the Chief Guest who also distributed the certificate to the participants. Dr. P.S. Easa, Former Director, Kerala Forests, Research Institute, Kerala and Dr. Deepak Apte, Managing Director, Shrusti Conservation Foundation, Pune were guests of honour. 

This training workshop was designed to provide an exposure on current scenario in integrated management of eco-tourism and biodiversity conservation; facilitate the understanding of various conservation approaches, wildlife management practices and natural resource & conflict management; to focuses on the need of sustainable management of natural resources such as clean water, energy, minerals and biological resources, in relation to the growth of the human population; to understand climate change adaptation in different ecosystems.  This training also designed to provide participants with the competencies needed for developing and managing marine tourism in coastal areas, on small islands, and in Marine Protected Areas, through a combination of theoretical learning, case studies, and practical exercises through a combination of theoretical learning, case studies, and practical exercises.  The field training was provided in Swaraj Dweep (Rani Jhansi Marine National Park) to understand about the ecotourism planning in the ecologically sensitive coastal and marine areas.

Earlier Dr. C. Sivaperuman, Officer-in-Charge, ZSI, Port Blair greeted the dignities and guest invitees. In his welcome address, he mentioned about the training course conducted over the period of three days and briefed about the programme.