Introduction

            Human beings, like animals, need a proper environment to live healthy lives. But we know our environment is not conducive any longer for healthy living. Population explosions, careless economic and industrial expansion, accompanied by indifferent governments and irresponsible policies have led to unimaginable environmental damage. Precious life-support systems such as land, forests and water bodies are thoughtlessly being destroyed. The degradation is perhaps at a faster rate in developing countries as the desire to catch up with globalization is riding high with state authorities and decision makers. In the process of building megacities, small towns and villages are deprived of their rightful share to natural resources. It is therefore necessary to evaluate how much benefit humanity actually derives from rampant urbanization, what damage it is causing our environment and how we can work together to minimize this. While damage control mechanisms have now swung into place all over the globe, it just may be too late to save a valuable medicinal plant in the Amazon basin or even in our very own Western Ghats. It may be too late to save a mighty river from dying in China or a rare butterfly species to just wink out of existence. Sadly, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to discover many rare, beautiful, even life saving secrets this rich earth has to offer.

           Many of the urban issues in India are environmental in nature. And they have cropped up due to lack of knowledge, awareness and proper planning in addition to indifference and corruption. Since urbanization is of a recent origin (considering the long history of India), the fallout of the processes of urbanization is manifesting in several ways which have serious environmental dimensions. These issues need to be addressed urgently as they are causing great harm to the health of the large communities and also depleting the resources severely affecting the livelihood of the urban poor and hampering sustainable development. Unfortunately environmental factors have not been integrated into the developmental strategies and programmes by the government so far. In the absence of a comprehensive development, planning and environmental management systems the urban growth is bound to become more wayward and unmanageable. It is therefore necessary to create awareness at many levels and sensitize various segments of the society on the importance of understanding environmental issues involved in implementing development programmes.

Eco-Watch has been addressing several environmental issues over the last more than a decade. Awareness programmes, workshops, capacity building, training, knowledge sharing and similar programmes providing information on environmental and conservation issues has been the mainstay of the center. At field level Eco-Watch has been in the forefront of implementing projects on urban forestry, biodiversity conservation, community based natural resource conservation and management and the like. Of greater importance to the center is the Western Ghats region, one of the mega-biodiversity hotspots, maintaining the global ecological balance. A number of workshops, field seminars, capacity building, information sharing, eco-restoration projects and the like are being conducted in Uttar Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts, the two major districts located in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka. Apart from implementing programmes and field studies Eco-Watch is working on alternative development strategies that need to be in tune with our environment, culture and socio-economic systems.

Judicious use of natural resources and sustainable development alone are the answers for our economic and environmental ills. The need to conserve and enhance the values of local environmental assets is felt more today than at any other time. With this in mind Ecowatch is exploring the possibilities of involving local communities in projects such as biodiversity conservation through restoration of ecosystems and promoting rural tourism by capacity building of concerned stakeholders.

Eco-Watch is also working on setting up an information and research centre with facilities like library, museum, exhibition space and the like to provide scientific knowledge about various ecosystems and their services to humankind to the local population. Biodiversity in this region has generated rich environmental assets whose market potential can sustain the livelihood of majority of the local populations. Use of information technology in the systematic assessment of the ecological wealth and its market potential for the development of the region should go a long way in both conservation and development.

More important of all Ecowatch professes simplicity of lifestyle. Focus on the development of small towns as growth centers rather than mega-cities, use of bicycles for the students and mass transport as mode of travel, development of peri-urban centers as buffer zones between cities and the villages, decentralization of industrial and economic activities and promotion of cleaner energy are the prime need of the present times.Ecowatch is making its humble effort in this direction to achieve its objectives.