Neema PATHAK BROOME

Neema Pathak Broome, was born in a small Himalayan village community in India and currently lives in and manages her family-owned urban farm forest in Pune in India. She has studied environmental science and holds a post graduate diploma in wildlife management. She is a member of Kalpavriksh (www.kalpavriksh.org) and coordinates the Conservation and Livelihoods programme (https://kalpavriksh.org/our-work/conservation-livelihoods/). The focus of her work has been on advocating for decolonised and alternative forms of conservation through research & documentation, mobilising communities & facilitating on ground community self strengthening processes, and facilitating networks, consultations & policy interventions at all levels. This includes support and advocacy for ICCAs - territories of life & recognition of access, use, management and conservation rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. She has compiled a Directory of Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in India (https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Community-Conserved-Areas-in-India.pdf) and is part of the core team building an online portal on ICCAs in South Asia (https://communityconservedareas.org/). She is an advisor to the team that coordinates the South Asia Chapter of ICCA Consortium (https://www.iccaconsortium.org/) and National Working Group on CCAs in India. Currently she is serving as the International Policy Coordinator for the ICCA Consortium. At a personal level Neema is a student of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy and psychology and attempts to practice Buddha’s teachings.