Jesus and Mary College in collaboration with IIT-Roorkee ICARS executed a research project “Community Participation Study for Disaster Risk Reduction in Delhi: Analyzing Payment for Ecosystem Services as a Strategy Tool
August 14, 2026 — Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi in collaboration with IIT-Roorkee ICARS (Integrated Centre for Adaptation, Disaster Risk Resilience and Sustainability) has done a research project “Community Participation Study for Disaster Risk Reduction in Delhi: Analyzing Payment for Ecosystem Services as a Strategy Tool” under the mentorship of Prof. Anil K. Gupta. Prof. (Sr.) Molly Abraham welcomed the consultation workshop panel of distinguished environmental experts and shared her vision of continued multilateral collaboration towards societal benefits.
Dr. Divya Agarwal with the team of students presented the research to the dignitaries. Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director Wetlands International South Asia, Dr. G. Areendran, Director, Technology for Conservation, WWF-India, Mr. Munish Kaushik, Country Advisor, Cordaid Netherlands and Ms. Archana Chatterjee, Programme Manager, IUCN- India Country Office organised an online consultation workshop today.
Their insights, guidance, applause to the research team and willingness to extend all possible support will definitely help in enhancing the quality of research being undertaken.
The Expert panel in this interactive session included : Dr. Ritesh Kumar – Director, Wetlands International South Asia,
Dr. G. Areendran – Director, Technology for Conservation, WWF-India,
Mr. Munish Kaushik – Country Advisor, Cordaid Netherlands and
Ms. Archana Chatterjee – Programme Manager, IUCN-India Country Office.
The Consultation Workshop Highlights were:
Survey Expansion & Findings: Experts commended the Willingness to Pay (WTP) survey design but recommended increasing the sample size and measuring active “willingness to participate” alongside financial support.
The discussions highlighted the complexities of environmental funding, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), and the need to determine institutional accountability for actual ecosystem service delivery.
The methodology & Remote Sensing Recommendations included integrating remote sensing land-use data with field interviews to capture real-world political ecology
Project Team consisted of Prof. (Sr.) Molly Abraham. – Patron, Principal, Jesus and Mary College, Prof. Anil Kumar Gupta – Mentor, IIT Roorkee-ICARS, Gr Noida Campus, Dr. Divya Agarwal – Coordinator, Assistant Professor, Jesus and Mary College And Dr. Jyoti Saini – Coordinator, Research Associate (Adapt DMIR), IIT .
