Dhwani Sunil Lalai

My previous work which informs my current research comes from working as a practitioner of rural development in central India in the domain of natural resource management and governance. As a project manager with an NGO, I led projects focused on ecological restoration, livelihoods, and sustainable agriculture, working alongside local indigenous communities in forested landscapes. Additionally, I managed initiatives on women's leadership and land rights across various states in India, contributing to enhancing women's participation in decision-making processes in resource governance.

My PhD research focusses on understanding lived experiences, values and visions of forest restoration over time in a northern state in India. I use the contemporary discourse around ‘restoration’ as an entry point to examine the interplay between landscape level interventions (usually pursued through policy agendas set at higher levels) and the lived experiences of people who are directly impacted by such interventions.

This is part of the larger project 'Can community forest governance improve rural prosperity and well-being from forest restoration?' funded by FORMAS with Harry Fischer as the lead investigator. 

MA Development, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India. 2018. Thesis: Perceptions of Conservation in the Context of Livelihood Based Interventions by the Forest Department in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India. 

BSc Zoology, Department of Zoology, Fergusson College, Savitribai Phule Pune University (previously known as University of Pune), India. 2015.