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Conservationist with over 8 yrs of experience with inter-governmental organisations and research institutions in India and Australia, in project management & strategy, community-led governance, and science communications. Technical expertise in marine and coastal ecology. Recently completed an MPhil. in Conservation Leadership from Uni. of Cambridge. Looking for consultancy opportunities. |
 Contact Nisha DSouza
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Area of Expertise: |
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Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
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Environment, Climate, Energy, Water, Sanitation
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Fundraising, Business Development, Grants Writer
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Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research
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Professional Experience: |
As Small Grants Officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), India, for nearly 7 years I led the delivery of 25 partnership-based projects across 5 Indian coastal states. We worked for increased community and biodiversity resilience, demonstrating workable conservation solutions to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, towards delivery of national SDG 14 targets. I managed projects throughout their life-cycles, from proposal design to contracting, implementation, oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. I reported to donors, IUCN Secretariat (Bangkok) and communicated directly with Advisor (Climate Change) at the MoEFCC.
I fund raised and led a team to valuate seagrass ecosystem services in Palk Bay, India, providing recommendations for the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to revive local fisheries and strengthen community stewardship. As part of the MoEFCC, GIZ (German Development Agency), IUCN team, I organised the first workshop in India to develop a national framework for seagrass conservation, liaising with experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and leveraging my skill as an IUCN Red List assessor.
I worked with the waste management industry to evaluate business models for re-cycling/purposing recovered waste materials, from social, economic and environmental perspectives. I advised The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) and GIZ (the German Development Agency) in strategic directions for optimising resource efficiency in Goa, to meet SDG 12 targets.
I support local social impact organisation Terra Conscious, advising evidence-based decisions within the Departments of Forest, and Tourism, Government of Goa, and sustainable business practices of boat operators, for systems-based change in marine wildlife tourism in Goa.
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Education: |
In 2018, I completed an MPhil. (Masters of Philosophy) in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge (UK), for which I received the Miriam Rotschild Scholarship. For my thesis project I worked towards enabling institutions to increase the impact of their scientific research in UK parliamentary and government decision-making processes for conservation.
Prior to this, in 2010, I completed a Masters in Wildlife Health and Population Management from the University of Sydney, with a distinction average. My Masters thesis was an assessment of fire disturbance on bird assemblages in dry eucalypt forests, in protected areas, in New South Wales, Australia.
In 2009 I completed a Bachelors in Marine Science, from the University of Sydney.
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Affiliations and Achievements: |
I have training in conducting Red List assessments from IUCN and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
I have a Level 3 certificate in management and leadership from the Institute of Leadership and Management (Cambridge).
I am a certified PADI Open Water Diver
My published works are available through my LinkedIn page or from my CV.
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