SRINAGAR: For the first time the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is sponsoring an interdisciplinary project on Dal Lake for the development of a comprehensive action plan for effective management of the lake system.
The project titled “Strategy and action plan for strengthening the ecological integrity of the Dal Lake” is being implemented by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), a globally recognized Bangalore based environmental think tank and research institution for biodiversity conservation, and University of Kashmir, which has recently signed an MoU with ATREE to carry out the project and other academic activities.
The multifaceted project is focusing on all the major areas concerning Dal Lake including watershed and natural resource management, biodiversity, technical engineering, water quality, socio-cultural aspects, economics, livelihood, conservation education, policy and governance etc., under various broad based Working Groups having members from both within and outside the state. The project is coordinated by Dr. Manzoor A Shah, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, with Dr. G. Balachander, Director ATREE as Steering Committee Chair and Prof. Zafar A Reshi, Registrar University of Kashmir, as Steering Committee Member.

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