Foundation for Research and Sustainable Development (FRSD)

Sobre nosotros

Foundation for Research and Sustainable Development (FRSD) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental organization and is one of the conservation organizations active in the Western Ghats Mountains in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

FRSD`s mission is to conserve and protect Nature and ecosystems in the Western Ghats Mountain by inspiring rural and indigenous communities to care about and protect natural habitats and biological diversity through actions based on conservation education, research, networks and partnership.

We envision that the biological diversity of our land is protected, conserved, managed and sustainably used, and its benefits are fairly and equitably shared for the social, economic and environmental well-being of rural and indigenous communities.

Our efforts are to ensure the natural heritage and indigenous knowledge of our people are protected and conserved for the present and for generations to come. FRSD`s conservation work is mainly driven by the core values of respect to our glorious past and ancient wisdom that were in practice during the Sangam period of Classic Tamil history.

Major goal
• To undertake biological inventories and collecting ecological data (flora and fauna endemic to the region) for management strategies and for testing scientific hypothesis.
• To create online mountain biodiversity database through a Bioinformatics Information Center (for geo-referenced data and for spatial visualization of biodiversity information) in Madurai, Tamilnadu, India to provide information on biodiversity with meta database for further research.
• To publish a detailed book on the Biodiversity of the Western Ghats in Tamilnadu.
• To publish a detailed book on Biological invasions in the Western Ghats and the impacts of the invasions on mountain biodiversity.

Work Plan
• Develop capacity of project staff in a reputed conservation organization and enhance opportunities for community-based research and monitoring to conserve mountain biodiversity and provide greater benefits to indigenous communities.
• Encourage mapping and inventory of mountain biodiversity and of land-use changes, using analogue and digital databases
• Develop strategies focusing on mountain`s ecosystems to prevent the introduction of invasive alien species, control and eradicate their negative impacts on mountain biological diversity.
• Conduct research on the impacts of climate change on the Western Ghats Mountain`s biodiversity and suggest measures to reduce the negative impact and for restoration ecology.
• Documentation of the flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats in Tamilnadu region.
• Conducing mountain surveys in various hot spots including Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks etc in the region.
• Conducting surveys on primates in the region.
• Consolidating habitats of endangered species through purchase of lands and creating a Biological Park to be managed by indigenous tribes in the Western Ghats.

S. P .Anandan is the Chief Functionary of FRSD.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance. Evaluation of projects on mountain ecosystem, biodiversity conservation, invasive alien species and indigenous traditional knowledge.