New Paradigms of Conservation

Contemporary Science Issues and Innovations
July 12, 2016 Belmont Media Center, Belmont MA

Kamal Bawa, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Founder-President of the Bangalore-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). ATREE is ranked #18 globally and #2 in Asia among the world’s environment think tanks.
Professor Bawa's website and video about his work

Dr. Bawa is a world leader in ecology research and conservation and the impact of climate change on the Himalaya. This great mountain range is vitally important in global climate and it is warming faster than the rest of the planet. The impact of rapid warming on the rich but delicate ecology of the Himalaya region is coupled with environmental damage from development. The result is rapid degradation and substantial hardship for the native populations there.
In this discussion, Dr. Bawa explains what organizations like ATREE are doing to save the Himalayan environment and its native populations. He has been a leading researcher in the evolution of plant breeding systems and the genetics of tropical trees. He applies his research on tropical forest trees to design strategies for a sustainable use of forest resources and conservation of large tropical landscapes.

Kamal Bawa has published more than 200 scientific papers and has authored or edited 11 books and monographs. He is an elected fellow of several science academies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012), the Royal Norwegian Society of Letters and Sciences (2012), and Royal Society of London (2015). He has headed or served on a number of scientific panels, and he currently serves on the governing boards of several national and international organizations.

NYT 06/27/16 article citing Dr. Bawa on climate change in Himalaya Demand for ‘Himalayan Viagra’ Fungus Heats Up, Maybe Too Much

Awards (partial list)

  • Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowship, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (2009)
  • Charles Bullard (twice 1972, 2010) and Maria Moore Cabot Fellowships (1973) at Harvard University
  • Guggenheim Fellowship (1987)
  • Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment (1992)
  • Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science from the Royal Norwegian Society of Letters and Sciences (2012)
  • international MIDORI Prize in Biodiversity (2014)from the Aeon Foundation in Japan at UN Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity The two professional societies in Dr. Bawa's field, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and Society for Conservation Biology, have bestowed on him their highest awards.