The Andaman and Nicobar islands are a unique, mega-diversity region where local communities and ecosystems face some unique challenges. The isolation coupled with high exposure to natural hazards makes communities here very vulnerable. Thus the high human losses in the 2004 tsunami and the continued challenges of health and development. Perhaps the most difficult of the conservation challenges in this region is the control of introduced invasive species which are playing havoc with the endemic flora and fauna. Policy makers are reluctant to take on the control of these exotic invasives through culling - a standard pratice elsewhere.
The Islands and Reefs programme seeks to explore development alternatives through appropriate skill and technology interventions. On the conservation front, we hope the programme will server as a launch pad for projects to document the extent and nature of impact that exotic invasive species has on the islands ecology. We hope that this work will translate into specific development and conservation outcomes.