Anil Gupta: Innovations for preserving endangered species

Notwithstanding failure of Honey Bee Network in persuading policymakers to provide space for a visible, physical, multimedia, multi-linguistic exhibition in this state, cross-fertilisation of ideas across the country has continued unabated.

Previously, I had shared the story of how a Rs5,000 bamboo windmill innovated by Mehtar Hussain and Mushtaq Ahmed from Assam found application in Gujarat to improve lives of salt workers. Already 25 windmills have been installed by Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) in Pipavav supported by Choudhary Designers and Fabricators, Ahmedabad and Alstom Foundation. By December, 50 windmills will be set up, costing about Rs65,000 each, making a palpable difference to the lives of salt workers.

In this article, I want to share another innovation story of a small farmer, Appachan from Kerala, contributing towards conservation of vultures, a seriously endangered species in Gujarat.  

The tall coconut trees in coastal areas of Mahuva and Rajula taluka seem to be one of the last resorts for nesting of vultures. In October last year, SRISTI and GIAN donated a tree climber to Nageshri village when they came to know of the local community's need for the same. 

Ruchi Dave, teacher at a high school in Talaja and a vulture conservation enthusiast went with her friends to try this climber. They wanted to make sure that vulture eggs are properly settled and young ones are not at risk of falling down. Local farmers and labourers liked the idea and learnt using the tree climber much faster.

The device has generated much interest among onlookers, some of whom got so interested as to borrow the tree climber from Ruchi's place in Mahuva. Due to the device, checking vulture nests became easier.

Local community members would inform the conservation group immediately whenever they saw something amiss. Another tree climber was donated to the community for the purpose. Four more climbers were requested and now the technology is being replicated by locals who wish to make their own climbers. National Innovation Foundation (NIF) plans to compensate late Appachan's family for contributing this innovation for conservation purposes under Technology Acquisition Fund (TAF) since the design of the climber is protected by a patent.

Given the importance of the cause, an institutional solution has to be found to disseminate the technology and compensate the innovator. State governments and ministry of environment and forestry can also come forward in such cases by contributing to TAF at NIF so that more frugal and affordable grassroot solutions can be made public through such a mechanism. It will be unfair to expect Appachan's widow, who has to look after her family, to subsidise cost of sharing this device and its local fabrication by the users.

At the same time, transactions for collecting royalty from every user or fabricator are also going to be enormous. We should create such windows of opportunity like TAF for creating green public goods for conservation as well as socio-economic development. In case of windmill, royalty is paid per windmill to the innovators in Assam because there is only one fabricator.

Conservation of biodiversity and endangered species calls for commitment of volunteers and creativity of innovators. Innovative solutions from Honey Bee Network database can help in advancing the cause of conservation.

Next week, I will share the story of a principal of a technical college who has distributed lakhs of bird nests made of clay for providing shelter to sparrows that are getting rarer in urban areas. Long live the tribe of such conservation volunteers.

The author is a professor at IIM-A