Dr. K. H. Amitha Bachan, earned his PhD in Riparian Flora and Ecology at the University of Calicut after his masters in Botany. He has pioneered ecological studies on riparian forests, its classification, indigenous community based ecological monitoring, niche profiling and modelling of threatened species, their habitat and ecosystems, threatened status assessment of ecosystem and ecorestoration of degraded ecosystems in the Western Ghats and Western coast of India. He is the founder of Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation, a leading organization in conservation, inclusive education and indigenous community rights. He was involved on the preparation of People Biodiversity Strategy and action Plan for Lakshadweep Islands during 2003. His indigenous community based conservation of Hornbills and Hornbill habitats and the conservation of the Chalakkudy River were the major contributions. He is an expert in Forest Right Act 2006, an act to ensure indigenous community Rights and inclusive conservation in India. His Post-Doctoral Research was in facilitation of Community Forest Resource areas (CFRs) under forest right act which helped the communities to recognise the community rights first time for the region. He is a member of Committee on the recognition of Habitat Right of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) and pastoralists of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt of India. His expertise in inclusive ecosystem governance, ecological monitoring, niche profiling is being used for developing strategic plans, management plans, training and 1 ecorestoration by various Govt departments (Forest, Tribal, biodiversity and land use departments, Govt of Kerala), local self-governments and community organisations.