Amit Kumar is a distinguished researcher, renowned author, and a leading expert in the fields of plant physiology, forestry, and climate change. With an insatiable curiosity about the natural world and a deep-rooted passion for environmental conservation, he has dedicated his life to understanding the intricate relationships between plants, ecosystems, and the ever-changing climate. He earned his Ph.D. in Forestry from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. His research is primarily focused on plant functional traits of forestry ecosystem. Earlier, He worked as an Assistant Professor in many organizations, i.e.
, Dolphin P.G. Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, Dehradun; Alpine Group of Institution, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. He has published several research articles, books, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals with high impact factors. He has edited so many books with international publishers. He has received several awards from prestigious organization i.e. young scientist award from UCOST Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Emerging Scientist award from VDGOOD foundation Kolkata, and Best research paper award from Indian association of soil and water conservationists.
He has participated in more than 30 national and international conferences, symposia and seminars. He has published more than 25 research papers in well reputed national and international journals. Currently, he is working as Scientist at CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur- HP. Rajesh Kaushal has more than 20 years of experience in the field of Conservation Forestry and NRM. He obtained his B.Sc (Forestry), M.Sc and Ph.D (Agroforestry) from Dr.
Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, H.P. He began his career as an Assistant Scientist (Agroforestry) at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, in 2003. In 2011, he joined the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC), Dehradun, as a Senior Scientist (Forestry) and has been serving as a Principal Scientist (Forestry) since 2017.
He has made significant contributions to the field of natural resource management, particularly in the Himalayan region. He has developed and demonstrated several sustainable land management technologies for the rehabilitation of degraded lands. His work encompasses the design and implementation of agroforestry systems that promote resource conservation, enhance ecological stability, and support livelihood security for local communities. He has also established standardized propagation protocols for commercially important bamboo and agroforestry tree species, facilitating large-scale cultivation and adoption. Furthermore, he has developed predictive models to assess the carbon sequestration potential of various bamboo and agroforestry species, contributing to climate change mitigation strategies. He has been recognized by International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) as resource person for capacity building activities of African and South American countries as part of the South-South knowledge transfer program. He visited Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Madagascar and Ecuador for providing training to Scientists and Field Officers on resource conservation aspect of Bamboo. He was also a Visiting Scholar at The Ohio State University, USA in 2014 where he underwent specialized training on carbon sequestration.
He also handled additional responsibilities of Assistant Director, Agroforestry Research Centre and Assistant Coordinator, Bamboo Coordinating Centre at Pantnagar. He is a member of the editorial board of the Indian Journal of Soil Conservation. He is a recipient of the University Gold Medal, a Gold Medal, and a Fellow of the Indian Society of Agroforestry, as well as a recipient of the Gold Medal and D.N. Puri Award from the Indian Association of Soil and Water Conservationists. He has handled ten externally funded projects and has published more than 75 research articles and 14 books to his credit.