Securing Gharial Populations and Riverscapes by Building a Conservation Roadmap

Under its Makara programme, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) is building a conservation roadmap for gharial conservation with an emphasis on Chambal, Son, Ghaghra, and Gandak Rivers in the Gangetic Plains and central India. To secure gharial populations and riverscapes, we are: a) Assessing the viability of extant gharial populations and habitats b) Developing effective population monitoring tools c) Evaluating current management practices d) Estimating ecological flow requirements in regulated rivers e) Building capacity of frontline protection personnel f) Building public engagement through communication, education, and outreach