Purpose

Purpose

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a non-profit organisation which generates interdisciplinary knowledge to inform policy and practice towards conservation and sustainability.

For over two decades, ATREE has worked on social-environmental issues at local policy levels. ATREE envisions a society committed to environmental conservation and sustainable and socially just development.

ATREE's mission is to generate rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge for achieving environmental conservation and sustainable development in a socially just manner, to enable the use of this knowledge by policy makers and society, and to train the next generation of scholars and leaders.

To deliver on our mission, we work across issues like biodiversity and conservation, climate change mitigation and development, land and water resources, forests and governance and ecosystem services and human well-being.

Structure

ATREE's organisational structure is designed to promote creative interdisciplinary approaches that integrate research with policy and action in addressing critical environmental problems. Two research centres, the S M Sehgal Foundation - Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation and the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies - Centre for Environment and Development, together with the Academy of Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies, provide the structure to conduct insightful research that fuels our thought leadership on policy issues and drives our capacity building activities.

The two centres represent broad thematic areas under which are nested six cohesive inter-linked programmes.

S M Sehgal Foundation - Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation

Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies - Centre for Environment and Development
  • Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being
  • Landscape, Conservation and Livelihoods
  • Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation Planning
  • Water, Land and Society
  • Forests and Governance
  • Climate Change Mitigation and Development

Each programme envisions integrating research with policy impacts and active engagement with society and contributes to the pedagogic activities of the Academy.

Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies

The Academy’s doctoral programme offers interdisciplinary coursework that covers natural science as well as social science theories and methods. The Academy also offers certificate courses, training
modules and workshops for a broad spectrum of stakeholders. 

The Academy has a strong presence in the field through its five Community-based Conservation Centres. These champion community interactions that advance reciprocal learning and environmental governance in the local landscapes.