Effective Public Outreach Campaign about Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Full Solution
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SGNP is amongst the most visited protected wilderness areas in the world (1.2 mio. entry tickets being sold on a yearly average). In spite of this, public awareness about SGNP has been very low. I have teamed up with the management of SGNP on a wide spectrum project to reach out to many people and get them involved in the park. We initiated an education and awareness campaign with website, print media etc., for the public (through overnight camps, guided walks etc.) and decision makers.
Last update: 02 Oct 2020
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Context
Challenges addressed
Lack of public support and awareness
SGNP lies in the heart of suburban Mumbai city (an island city) and is surrounded by a population of >16 million people (population of Mumbai Metropolitan Region is >20 million). There is a serious lack of public awareness and education about SGNP.
This lack of public support and awareness also translates to lack of political will making the SGNP forests vulnerable to all sorts of anthropogenic threats.
Location
Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
South Asia
Process
Summary of the process
1. Without interactions with stake holders (PA managers), demonstrative exercises and planning, implementation would not have been possible. Without winning the media support (as a part of planning) at the outset, the publicity and outreach of the exercise would not have been possible.
2. Through the capacity building and training exercise I expect new inputs and new, fresh dimensions to be added to this solution. As a result, the first two building blocks I mentioned will be upgraded and adapted once again.
Building Blocks
Understanding the issue and working with the PA management.
SGNP is possibly the most visited protected area anywhere in the world. The average annual visitation is more than 1 million
people. Our problem at hand was to transform this visitation into popular public support for SGNP. The figures speak for themselves, and I set out to convince the forest department that if we are able to engage with the visitors in a detailed manner, our problem would easily be solved.
We put together an active Facebook page for SGNP and a website (government agency) to start this
Out reach campaign. We also produced popular, high quality publications on various biodiversity related topics and
handouts for enhancing user experience (in multiple languages).
Because of the vibrant social media presence, we were able to build a public following of about 20,000 people till now and
so created a bandwidth for our outreach.
The website is a means to utilize the internet to start online data collection and transactions.
With these things in place it was relatively easy for the forest department to go ahead and implement further actions.
Enabling factors
1. Understanding of the functioning and mentality of a government agency and work to their skill sets, rather than forcing your priorities.
2. Visualise your solution as an upward engaging structure and start working on the basics.
Lesson learned
- At least in India, the mandate of the forest department (PA management) is to protect and manage the area. Education, outreach, tourism are so to say not their mandates and are looked upon as additional burdens.
It was very important for me to demonstrate how this particular approach was going to help them do their job in a better way. Only then was the process smooth and up-scaling was possible.
The ownership of the process has to lie with the PA management. I prefer working as a volunteer, just facilitating the solution. I think this is very important as it prevents any financial ambiguity.
Resources
Planning, designing and implementing an awareness campaign
We took a stock of all the existing activities that SGNP was doing relating to outreach and education. I have been working in this space for all my career and I could provide valuable input with the plans I presented. This was easy as I had already proven myself with the website and Facebook page responsibilities. We looked at a multiple range of activities to engage with the people visiting SGNP. I lead a number of pilot nature trails, to demonstrate how these walks can be used as effective medium for biodiversity as well as conservation communications. I drew up small plans for events ranging from half day events to overnight camps. I personally became involved a diversity of topics, from biodiversity, history, archaeology to adventure sports in these activities. SGNP had a campsite (with permanent tents) which they upgraded and made available for longer events. When this plan was ready and agreed on, we invited the print and electronic media and invited them to be a part of these programs. We organised our events for the media free and managed to win their support and participation. Constant engagement and training with SGNP staff happens about backend management and (standard operating procedures) for these events.
Enabling factors
Not Applicable
Lesson learned
1. Diversifying your means to achieve your objective.
2. Working in close and constant coordination with the regional as well national media.
3. Demonstrating success rather than explaining it.
4. Setting up day-to-day processes and monitoring them.
Capacity Building and Creating Second Line
This is one of the most crucial component of the solution. I had to make the whole model independent and self sustaining. Thus, training, inspiring, empowering others is central to the success of this model. For over a year, Since the inception, I have been at the centre of the day to day execution of every event organised at SGNP.
And ever since, I am working towards creating the necessary second and third line of
people, resource persons to take this solution forward.
In August 2016, we conducted our first 'Naturalist Training and Leadership Workshop' at SGNP. The participants of this four day workshop have started helping and working out on the programs.
Enabling factors
Willingness of volunteers to join along and participate in the execution of the programmes.
Lesson learned
Ideally a solution has to be easily replicable and self-sustainable. It is equally important that we need to often hand-hold PA managers and management to implement it.
Thus, it is very important for us to know and work towards making the implementation of the solution independent.
Impacts
1. Well appreciated and highly sought after activities being organised and almost all our activities and engagement opportunities are being booked to full capacity. 2. Good response and consistent coverage by the print and electronic media. 3. Increased receptiveness and eagerness to do more is now palpable in the forest department staff. 4. In slightly more than a year, we have more than 30,000 individuals following our activities and announcements on the social media. 5. Increased income for the park.
Beneficiaries
People of Mumbai
Management of the SGNP
Story
Success stories are a plenty. But the one I would want to share is that at the outset, the PA management was very skeptical of the efficacy of the solutions. Not everybody, but only the Director of SGNP ie. the head of the forest force at SGNP was welcoming of the plans and suggestions. His enthusiasm and readiness to take necessary actions was of course a big inspiration for me. But within the department the lower ring staff was not really welcoming in their necessary involvement. There was a lot of ambiguity and doubt as to how it would work and what will be the big change it will set upon them.
But since the plan has been put into action, this situation has changed. The success of the events, both in financial terms, and the appreciation they are getting from the public and media, has helped alter this situation and now we are seeing more enthusiasm and energy to embrace new ideas.
Connect with contributors
Other contributors
Shardul Bajikar
Adventure - sports and beyond (2774)
Mr. Vikas Gupta
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
