Girija Jagdish GODBOLE

Biography

Girija Godbole is currently coordinating a research project for University of Cambridge, UK on incorporating stakeholder perceptions on participatory forest management. In addition to assistance in data collection and analysis, she has been pro-active in developing and implementing uptake and communication activities in this study.

She has worked with Centre for Environment Education and World Wide Fund for Nature Pune divisional office. Girija has worked as researcher/writer for a developmental portal infochangeindia.org managed by Centre for Communication and Development Studies.

She participated in ‘Save the Western Ghats March’ organized in 1987-88 to study the environmental and developmental issues and is keen to join efforts in reviving the network of organisations and individuals working in the Western Ghats area. She played a pivotal role in the Maharashtra State Participatory Forest Management Network as its co-convenor. She has been associated with a Pune based organisation, Jeevan Sanstha since1995 and has been assisting in its watershed development activities and women’s empowerment initiatives.

Girija is interested in strengthening efforts to build capacities of rural women through participatory natural resource management. She is particularly keen on using traditional and modern media for raising awareness that will ultimately feed into action towards environmental protection and conservation.

Girija completed her post-graduation in Anthropology from University of Pune and undertook 8 months certificate course in environment education at the Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad. She has received Robert S McNamara Fellowship of the World Bank for ‘Role of NGOs in Development’ in 1997-98 and British Chevening Scholarship for Young Indian Environment Managers in 2001.

This biography was last updated on January 27, 2006