Varnika Walvekar
Varnika Walvekar is an M.Sc student at ATREE, currently working on her thesis research titled "Studying the impacts of Lantana camara on livelihoods of forest-dependent communities in Baiga Chak, Madhya Pradesh" under the guidance of Dr. Sharachchandra Lele and Dr. Madhura Niphadkar.
She holds a Bachelor's in Public Policy from FLAME University, Pune and a has brief work experience in the Solid Waste Management sector. She is interested in the questions of forests and governace with people at the its heart.
Though having a background in the social sciences, she is developing interests in the natural world, constantly learing from the ardent birders, herpers and tree-spotters in her batch. Apart from her academic interests, she loves collecting stories from her travels, cooking for her dear ones, painting when she finds the chance and sometimes playing the ukulele.
Projects (undertaken during master's):
- Vidiyal: Sociology documentary on Environmental Subject Making in ex-hunting communities in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala
- Assessing the impact of Early Warning System (EWS) on mitigation of human-elephant conflict in Hassan, Karnataka
- Inter-generational dialog towards SDGs: Japan Student Exchange Programme
- Deep dive into Forest Rights Act, 2006: Decoding the legislation and it's implementation
- Developed an IoT device for assesing moisture levels in compost
Popular Writings:
Teach 'Em Young: Appreciating Biodiversity Through Our Classrooms | THE BASTION, 2022
One Health: The Need for Intersections Between Human, Animal and Environmental Health | THE BASTION, 2022
No More Segregation! The Curious State of Waste Management in Chennai | THE BASTION, 2020
How Chennai is diverting its non-biodegradable waste from dumpyards | CAG blog, 2019
