Strategic Direction 2 

Conservation of Critical Freshwater Fish Habitats in the Southern Western Ghats
Demonstrate the utility of the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) approach for prioritizing site-based conservation actions through the design and implementation of conservation action plans for the two most critical AZE sites for freshwater biodiversity in Kerala State. Establish a foundation for collaborative management of endemic and threatened fishes by empowering key stakeholders and instilling a sense of environmental stewardship.

Amount	$36,000
Grant Term	01/12 - 06/13
Grantee	Navadarsan Public Charitable Trust

Protected Area Analysis With Respect to Freshwater Biodiversity and Reptile Assessments, and Development of National Policy for Inclusion in Legislation.
Develop a policy framework and strategies for linking the IUCN Red List assessments to the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. Evaluate the current effectiveness of the protected area network in the Western Ghats for the conservation of globally threatened reptiles and freshwater taxa. Strengthen national legislation on conservation with regard to import of alien freshwater species and export of threatened fishes.

Amount	$24,900
Grant Term	01/12 - 03/13
Grantee	Zoo Outreach Organisation

In Situ Conservation of Threatened Vultures in the Moyar Valley of the Westen Ghats
Develop a model for in situ conservation of vulture populations in southern India and pilot in the Moyar Valley. Establish broad-based local support for vulture conservation , advocate for cessation of veterinary use of diclofenac, and pilot innovative conservation measures, such as a diclofenac-free sanctuary for domestic cattle, and a compensation scheme for households that lose animals to depradation by predators.

Amount	$39,500
Grant Term	12/11 - 05/13
Grantee	Arulagam

Gap Analysis of the Periyar-Agasthyamalai Landscape for Arboreal Mammal Conservation
Identify forests outside the protected area network in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai Corridor that are crucial for conservation of threatened arboreal mammals. Assess the existing Protected Areas for adequate representation of these species, while also determining current distribution of arboreal mammals in this landscape. Use information generated to formulate site specific conservation and management plans for these threatened species. 

Amount	$19,047
Grant Term	08/11 - 07/12
Grantee	Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning(FERAL)

Assessing Biodiversity Value of Production Landscapes and Non-protected Forests on Sky Islands by Establishing Occurrence of Cryptic, Threatened Birds
Investigate how threatened and endemic bird species use remnant forest patches in shola habitats on sky islands that have been fragmented and disconnected by the formation of commercial plantations from a century ago. Provide species lists to private land-holders to increase awareness and value of their landscapes.

Amount	$19,524
Grant Term	02/11 - 01/12
Grantee	National Institute of Advanced Studies

Western Ghats Biodiversity Open Collaborative Information System
Create an open-access, web-based portal on the biodiversity and ecosystem service values of the Western Ghats, populated and maintained by an active community of data-holders. Leverage Web 2.0 technologies to facilitate a transformation in data availability that facilitates mainstreaming of biodiversity into development sectors, empowers citizen engagement in public policy development, and fosters citizen science initiatives by amateur naturalists.

Amount	$448,486
Grant Term	11/10 - 06/13
Grantee	French Institute of Pondicherry ($241,303 grant), Strand Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. ($207,183 grant)

Spatial decision support for conservation planning in the Western Ghats
Build a spatial data set to support decisions made on the conservation of ecologically sensitive areas and ecosystem services by the Western Ghats Panel. Available information from CEPF partners and publicly available data sets will be compiled, analyzed and shared under an appropriate Creative Commons license. Research priorities of the collaborating institutions will guide the data collection efforts to facilitate publications in peer reviewed journals.

Amount	$19,892
Grant Term	09/10 - 04/11
Grantee	Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning
Project Documents	- Final report, English (PDF - 214 KB)

An Investigation into the Taxonomy of Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)
Examine the taxonomic status and validity of Malabar civet (Viverra civettina), a Critically Endangered species that is endemic to the Western Ghats. Determine whether Malabar Civet is a valid species, and use results to inform conservation and management decisions.

Amount	$12,123
Grant Term	02/10 - 07/11
Grantee	R Nandini

Averting the Extinction of Critically Endangered Vultures in the Western Ghats
Avert the extinction of Critically Endangered vultures in the Western Ghats through a combination of in situ conservation measures and ex situ conservation breeding. Establish the size, status and threat situation of vulture populations in the Western Ghats, expand a captive breeding program aimed at providing birds for reintroduction and advocate for key policy responses at national and state levels.

Amount	$99,957
Grant Term	01/10 - 06/11
Grantee	Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Project Documents	- Final report, English (PDF - 41 KB)

Ecology and Conservation of Small Carnivores in the Western Ghats
Address a critical knowledge gap by investigating the biology and ecology of cryptic and elusive small carnivore species endemic to the region. Investigate aspects of the species’ biology and ecology and construct a model to predict and understand current patterns of persistence and identify areas for species-based conservation while substantially building and engaging local capacity and stakeholders toward site-based conservation.

Amount	$17,260
Grant Term	01/10 - 12/11
Grantee	Devcharan Jathanna

Linking Fragmented Fresh-water Swamps through the Restoration of Micro-Corridors in Central Western Ghats
Enhance ecological connectivity within the Malnad-Kodagu Corridor and increase the genetic viability of populations of five globally threatened plant species by demonstrating approaches for restoring fragmented networks freshwater swamps. To this end, develop techniques for planning and undertaking habitat restoration, pilot them within selected micro-corridors and build capacity among grassroots institutions to sustain habitat restoration efforts into the long term.

Amount	$99,996
Grant Term	01/10 - 04/13
Grantee	Snehakunja Trust
Related News and Information	Safeguard document (PDF - 25 KB)

Freshwater Biodiversity Assessments in the Western Ghats: Fishes, Molluscs, Odonates, and Plants
Provide essential information for guiding decisions on the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater biodiversity in the Western Ghats by assimilating data on the distribution, conservation status and livelihood values of fishes, molluscs, odonates and aquatic plants, using them to define priority areas for conservation and best practices for management, and linking the results to conservation and sustainable development planning.

Amount	$175,863
Grant Term	11/09 - 09/11
Grantee	International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Project Documents	- Final report, English (PDF - 70 KB)

Addressing the "Wallacean Shortfall" for Small Vertebrates in the Western Ghats Across Space and Time
Address the "Wallacean shortfall" (i.e. the lack data on the geographic distribution of taxa) with respect to key reptile and amphibian species in the Western Ghats through systematic field assessments of poorly known taxa, predictive distribution modeling, producing field guides, and feeding the results into other conservation planning and priority-setting exercises.

Amount	$149,716
Grant Term	10/09 - 03/13
Grantee	Indian Institute of Science

Enhancing Knowledge about the Conservation Status of Globally Threatened Species in the Western Ghats, with a Particular Emphasis on Reptiles
Assess the global conservation status of all 265 reptile species found in the Western Ghats, compile detailed information on each species and make the results freely available through the IUCN Red List site and other online portals. Solicit and publish articles on Western Ghats biodiversity in an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, provide tutoring to authors and disseminate widely among key stakeholders.

Amount	$111,925
Grant Term	10/09 - 04/13
Grantee	Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society

Pilot Study for Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict in Affected Areas of Northern Karnataka and Southern Maharashtra, India
Address the issue of conservation of the Endangered Asian elephant in the fragmented landscape of northern Karnataka and southern Maharashtra by involving local communities in conflict mitigation along with the Forest Department. Identify and implement activities that will motivate local communities, create social awareness and strengthen the efforts of the Forest Department toward elephant conservation.

Amount	$14,800
Grant Term	10/09 - 10/11
Grantee	Prachi Mehta

Western Ghats Network of Protected Areas for Threatened Amphibians
Synthesize available information and use it to prepare reference materials and plans to guide amphibian conservation efforts. Produce a comprehensive guide to the taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Western Ghats amphibians, and a national plan for their management. Map sites in critical need of protection to avoid further amphibian extinctions and advocate for the establishment of a dedicated amphibian sanctuary.

Amount	$120,000
Grant Term	10/09 - 09/12
Grantee	University of Delhi

Cinnamon Plant Resources of the Central Western Ghats: Impact Assessment, Livelihood Issues and Conservation through a Participatory Approach
Assess the impact of harvesting Cinnamomum malabatrum and C. riparium and related livelihood issues, prospects for green-labeling and promotion of the sustainable harvest and multiplication of species in agro-forestry systems through participatory approaches. Outcomes expected include knowledge of cinnamon regeneration status, level of disturbance and impact on regeneration, sustainable harvesting methods and importance of resources to the family income.

Amount	$12,000
Grant Term	09/09 - 07/11
Grantee	Narsimha Hegde

Evaluation of Aquatic Insect Diversity in Natural Water-Filled Tree Holes and Their Artificial Analogues in a Tropical Forest of Western Ghats
Perform a much-needed scientific evaluation on the dynamics of the canopy-aquatic insects and other fauna of natural tree holes (phytotelmata) and their artificial analogues. Project explores how insects in tree holes are active colonizers trapped in a risky, mostly ephemeral habitat and along with other fauna play a significant role in the ecosystem functioning in the forest canopy.

Amount	$9,628
Grant Term	09/09 - 11/10
Grantee	K.S. Anoop Das

Tarantula (Araneae: Theraphosidae) Spider Diversity, Distribution and Habitat-Use: A study on Protected Area Adequacy and Conservation Planning at a Landscape Level in the Western Ghats of Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka
Document the diversity, distribution and habitat use of theraphosid species of tarantula spiders in various land-use categories in the Uttara Kannada district to help in population assessments of Indian Theraphosid spiders of the region, creating awareness among local citizens about the importance of conserving tarantulas and improving conservation efforts for these poorly known but globally threatened taxa.

Amount	$8,770
Grant Term	09/09 - 10/10
Grantee	Manju Siliwal