New Delhi, 21th September 2024: The Habitats Trust (THT), in collaboration with the HCLFoundation, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Coast Guard, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at addressing critical marine and coastal conservation challenges. This partnership is grounded in a shared commitment to safeguard India’s unique marine life, address growing environmental challenges, and strengthen conservation efforts by combining scientific expertise with operational capacity and community involvement. The collaboration is committed to ensuring the long-term health of India’s coastlines and oceanic habitats through targeted interventions.
The Habitats Trust and HCLFoundation along with the Indian Coast Guard will work towards protecting India’s marine ecosystems by mapping and classifying ghost gear aggregation areas, conducting joint expeditions to explore and survey remote areas of ecological importance, and engaging coastal communities in conservation initiatives. A central objective of this partnership is to enhance the understanding of marine biodiversity while supporting the restoration and protection of endangered species along India’s coastline.
Inspector General (IG) Anupam Rai, Deputy Director General (Operations & Coastal Security), Indian Coast Guard emphasized the importance of collaboration in safeguarding marine resources, stating, “This partnership is a pivotal step toward ensuring the health of our coastal ecosystems, which are vital to both biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities.”
Rushikesh Chavan, Head of The Habitats Trust, emphasizing on the scientific and ecological importance of this collaboration said, “India’s coastline, spanning over 7,500 kilometers, is home to diverse and fragile marine ecosystems that are facing unprecedented threats. The Indian Coast Guard is at the forefront of securing marine species and habitats. This partnership will mark a new era where The Habitats Trust along with Indian Coast Guard and HCLFoundation will embark to secure critical habitats species such as whales, turtles, corals, and more. This MoU brings a shift in paradigm. THT and Coast Guard will collect scientific data to reduce Indian Coast Guard’s ecological footprint and further their efforts in securing marine habitats. With help of HCLFoundation we will retrieve ghost nets and secure turtles and other marine species. We at THT are very excited at the possible positive outcomes this collaboration will bring and serve as an example for the world to emulate.”
Dr Nidhi Pundhir, SrVice President, Global CSR, HCLTech and Director of the HCLFoundation, echoed these sentiments saying, “At the HCLFoundation, our commitment to environmental sustainability runs deep, and this partnership is a natural extension of our efforts to create a positive environmental impact. By working alongside The Habitats Trust and the Indian Coast Guard, we are addressing a critical need to protect marine ecosystems while engaging local communities in conservation efforts. Through this collaboration, we hope to foster a greater awareness of marine conservation among coastal communities and ensure that our collective efforts lead to long-term, meaningful change.”.
The partnership also seeks to promote broader environmental awareness among coastal communities and Indian Coast Guard personnel, supporting conservation through targeted training programs and local interventions.