CAF Conservationist profile

Prof Taej Mundkur

Good Earth Environmental

Multi-country, Regional

I am a nature conservationist and an independent consultant, based in the Netherlands. I hold a doctorate in Waterbird Ecology from Saurashtra University, Rajkot and a master’s degree in microbiology from Pune University, India. Now as Science & Policy Advisor of the CACN, I am keen to work with people and organisations across the Central Asian Flyway to promote research and conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. For over three decades, I have been working for waterbird and wetland conservation with Wetlands International, across the Asia-Pacific and Europe and collaborated with conventions, governments, NGOs, and business. I currently serve as Senior Advisor to Wetlands International and coordinate the International Waterbird Census and the Asian Waterbird Census and development of the globally recognized Waterbird Population Estimates. I have been closely involved in development and led major flyway programmes across the Central Asian Flyway and East Asian-Australasian Flyway and beyond. With the Eco Foundation Global, I assist facilitation of development of the World Coastal Forum, a global partnership initiative to promote synergy amongst government and private sectors for conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems worldwide. As Chair of the Flyways Working Group of the Convention on Migratory Species, I had the pleasure to work with experts to oversee development of a multiyear Programme of Work for Migratory Birds worldwide. And to serve on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership Technical Sub-Committee that advises on conservation of migratory birds and their habitats across the flyway. Currently, I as serve as Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Environment Education and Research, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.

Tohar Tal

Researcher & Conservationist

I am an early-career ornithologist passionate about understanding the movement ecology of birds across the full annual cycle. My research integrates animal tracking, citizen-science data, computational methods, and ecological theory to study how behavioural, demographic, and environmental processes shape bird populations in a changing world. By linking individual movement behaviour with population-level patterns across spatial and temporal scales, I aim to advance our understanding of the mechanisms driving populations and how we can protect them.

Katherine Hall

Co-chair

Central Asian Conservation Network

Katherine is an environmental policy specialist with 15+ years’ experience working with local environmental NGOs, global development organizations, UN agencies, and universities with a focus on Central Asia. She has previously worked with UNDP in Kyrgyzstan, with UNEP in Afghanistan, and led UNEP’s regional air quality program in Central Asia. Katherine founded the NGO ‘MoveGreen’ in Kyrgyzstan, whose director went on to receive the UN ‘Champion of the Earth’ award in 2021. Katherine co-chairs the Central Asian Conservation Network (CACN), and sits in the Nature Foundation (Kyrgyzstan), one of the CACN’s two hosting organizations. She is a board member of Organization Rewild (Afghanistan), supports the AEWA/European Goose Management Platform’s Taiga Bean Goose Task Force, and is a member of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. Katherine is undertaking a PhD in conservation governance at the University of Eastern Finland.

Jérémie Berlioux

Director

Nature Foundation

Kyrgyzstan

Jeremie is the Director of the Nature Foundation, Kyrgyzstan's leading bird conservation organization.

Alyona Kaptyonkina

Researcher / Raptor Conservationist

Biodiversity Research and Conservation Center (BRCC)

Kazakhstan

She has been a member of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group since February 2024. Since 2022, her work has focused on research and conservation of rare raptors, including vultures, across Kazakhstan. Her fieldwork in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan includes hands-on bird-ringing and GPS-tracking experience.

Dr Ramesh Kumar Selvaraj

Science Coordinator

Central Asian Conservation Network

Regional, Multi-country

Ramesh is an ecologist and migratory bird conservationist with over 16 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, research and policy. As Science Coordinator of the Central Asian Conservation Network, he works to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing for migratory bird conservation across the Central Asian Flyway. His interests include migratory birds, wetlands, bird–energy infrastructure interactions, conservation planning, environmental assessment, bird monitoring and community conservation. He has worked with SACON, BNHS and the Government of India and holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from Bharathiar University.

Vladimir Dobrev

Researcher / Vulture Conservation Specialist

Central Asian Vultures Project

Vladimir Dobrev is an experienced vulture conservation researcher working across Europe, Africa and Asia. He has been involved in major conservation initiatives focused on the Egyptian Vulture in the Balkans and along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway. His current research interests include the ecology, population dynamics and conservation of vultures in Central Asia.

Matthieu Le Corre

Project Leader, LIM OIO

University of Réunion Island / UMR ENTROPIE

Prof. Matthieu Le Corre is researcher at the University of Réunion. He has conducted research on tropical seabird ecology and conservation since more than 30 years. He has coauthored more than 130 publications and has supervised 21 PhD students and many MSc students. He has received the Pew Fellowship Award in Marine Conservation in 2009. Since 2023, he is leading a regional project on waders of the western Indian Ocean, with a special focus on migrations on the East Africa West Asia flyway.

Batmunkh Davaasuren

Wildlife Science and Conservation Center

Mongolia

Researcher with the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center in Mongolia, contributing to monitoring of migratory shorebirds.