Kolkata,13th July, 2026: The IUCN SSC Center for Species Survival (CSS) India, hosted by Wildlife Trust of India, in collaboration with IUCN India, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), conducted the fourth batch of IUCN Red List Assessor’s Training at the Central National Herbarium, India’s oldest and largest herbarium, from 8-11 July 2026.

The Center for Species Survival: India, established in 2023, is the first-ever Center for Species Survival in South Asia. It is a partnership between IUCN SSC and WTI, aiming to provide a platform for conservation practitioners to network and share best practices, as well as to contribute to species status assessments using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and amplify the impact of species recovery efforts across the country. This collaborative effort aims to enhance conservation efforts by wildlife experts and specialist groups and safeguard the rich biodiversity of India.

The center facilitates coordination among IUCN SSC members for species assessments and the creation of action plans to conserve and recover endangered species. It also works closely with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the ZSI, the BSI and various research institutions to ensure effective conservation.

Ceremonial watering of a sapling of the endangered Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus)

The training brought together 40 participants from regional centres of BSI and ZSI, along with additional participants from Calcutta University, the IUCN SSC Monitor Lizard Specialist Group, WWF-India, TSA Foundation India, and the University of Kashmir. Participants’ expertise spanned various plant groups, fungi, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and diverse invertebrate taxa, reflecting the diversity of species expertise needed to meet India’s biodiversity assessment needs.

The training aims to build a trained pool of assessors to contribute toward assessing 11,000 species of flora, fauna and fungi, as outlined in the National Red List of Flora and Fauna of India – Vision 2030. This workshop was conducted by Dr Deepu Sivadas, Scientist at the Kerala Forest Research Institute and a certified Red List trainer, and Dr Aparna Watve, Red List Authority Coordinator for the Western Ghats Plant Specialist Group. The trainers led open discussions with participants, ensuring questions were addressed and concepts were well understood. Participants left the training eager to apply their new skills, with many keen to contribute to Red List assessments in their fields and stay engaged with the IUCN SSC community.

Post-training, participants will be directly integrated into assessment groups, with follow-up meetings planned between participants and trainers to resolve doubts as assessments progress.

40 participants attended the IUCN Red List assessor’s training

Dr. Rahul Kaul, Director, CSS India, stated that capacity building forms an integral part of the National Red List assessment process and was initiated to develop a trained workforce capable of independently assessing species. He added that four capacity-building workshops on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria have been completed, training over 150 scientists, conservationists, and researchers. Several more workshops are planned to create the critical mass of trained assessors required to support the National Red List assessment process.

Original Source: https://iucn.org/story/202607/building-indias-red-list-assessment-capacity-fourth-iucn-red-list-assessors-training