Resolving Tribal-Wildlife Conflict in India

Who are we?

We are a diverse group of ten graduate students at the LBJ School of Public Affairs here at the University of Texas at Austin.

What are we doing?

We have been invited by the Wildlife Institute of India to conduct important global policy research aimed at integrating wildlife and forest conservation with traditional nomadic tribal livelihoods.

Our work will focus on reconciling the need for continued, traditional livelihoods and the increasing priority for ensuring environmental conservation in sensitive wildlife habitats. Our team is committed to advancing equitable, inclusive, and innovative processes and will work on the ground specifically with the nomadic Van Gujja r tribe, local NGOs, and state and federal governmental agencies. In a world of increasing populations and the effects of climate change, we hope our work can become a model for other developing nations and communities to adapt and manage complex interactions between people and the environment.

Why we need you!

We're raising $15,000 which will cover all of our travel expenses in order for us to conduct research on the ground in northern India for two weeks.

This policy research project offered through the LBJ School of Public Affairs serves as a practical testing ground for graduate students and future leaders. Through this project, we are able to apply our skills in a real-world setting with deliverable results to our clients. This project allows us to take the policy knowledge we have learned in the classroom out into the field to make a global impact within an area in need. Students must find innovative ways to fund their policy research projects abroad and the majority rely on crowdfunding.