RAPID ACTION PROJECTS

PROTECTING AMUR FALCONS FROM HUNTERS in Wokha, Nagaland. Building canopy bridges for golden langurs in Kokrajhar, Assam. Staging mock drills to mitigate human-bear conflict in Nilagiri, Odisha. Giving fishermen in Gujarat waterproof cameras to document whale shark rescues. Undertaking a community based approach to conserving sea horses in the Palk Bay region. Conducting surveys to assess the status of leatherback sea turtle nesting sites in the Nicobar Islands. Training Nyishi tribals in Arunachal in the manufacture of artificial hornbill beaks for ceremonial headgear.

Whether it’s human-wildlife conflict mitigation, equipping frontline forest staff, rescuing and rehabilitating endangered species, building community support for conservation, or protecting habitats, our over 380 Rapid Action Projects (RAPs) span 25 states and 3 union territories and have impacted over 30 species of mammals, reptiles, birds and fish.

What’s An RAP?

The concept of a Rapid Action Project – one of WTI’s oldest initiatives – owes its genesis to the realisation that wildlife in India is plagued by innumerable threats that require an immediate response. Be they human-induced or natural, such threats, if not addressed in time, can have a disastrous effect on the country’s natural heritage. When responses to such situations at the field level are slow these issues worsen, eventually necessitating greater logistical and financial investments. Working through collaborations with grassroots organisations, government agencies and community stakeholders, RAPs help in overcoming spatial and temporal limitations to provide help where and when it is needed the most.

There may at times be interested individuals or committed grassroots agencies that can locally alleviate a particular problem in a timely manner, but are unable to respond due to a lack of funds, technical expertise or logistical support. Through RAPs, we extend support (financially up to Rs 200,000) to individuals and organisations with proven credibility.

Indian Wolf feeding on poultry waste in Pune outskirts | Photograph by Vishwatej Pawar

Need an Rapid Action Project?

Interested individuals and organisations are required to submit a proposal in the format available here. Applicants who are seeking support only for equipments can click here for the form. Once your proposal reaches the RAP team (at rap@wti.org.in), it is evaluated internally by panel members and approved if the details (project information and statutory compliances) are found satisfactory. Procedural exceptions are permitted in extremely urgent cases.

RAPs are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Urgent/critical: The project must be of urgent and critical need
• Conservation worthy: The project must be of significance to wildlife conservation and have achievable objectives
• Rapid implementation: As the name suggests, RAP expects a rapid implementation on the ground, to thwart the conservation threat effectively (within 12 months)
• Short term: The project duration should not exceed one year
• Cost effective: Budgets should be flexible and not involve a huge financial outlay

Through these conservation-oriented collaborations, we also attempt to set up a country-wide network of reliable individuals and agencies involved in wildlife conservation for mobilisation during emergencies.

For any queries regarding the application process, please email rap@wti.org.in or call us at 0120-4143900.

PARTNERS:  Charities Aid Foundation – India // David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation // Europäische Tierschutzstiftung // International Fund for Animal Welfare

PROJECT LEAD: Amrit Menon