Dr. Ankur Patwardhan is an environmental scientist, Associate Professor, and entrepreneur with a Doctorate in Environmental Sciences, bringing extensive experience at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, sustainability, and applied ecological research (https://ankurpatwardhan.in). He has previously headed the Postgraduate Department of Biodiversity at MES Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, and continues to drive impactful initiatives across academia, industry, and policy ecosystems.

His work is deeply rooted in the conservation and recovery of threatened plant taxa from the Western Ghats—one of the world’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots—through integrated approaches such as ex-situ conservation, bio-prospecting, and community-based interventions. His research spans biodiversity quantification and mapping, documentation of traditional ecological knowledge, and strengthening community-led conservation practices.

Dr. Patwardhan’s expertise further extends to ecosystem services assessment, understanding the impact of climatic variables on plant phenology, plant–insect interactions, and seed biology.

Dr. Patwardhan brings strong capabilities in ecosystem services assessment, with a multidisciplinary approach spanning plant phenology, plant–insect interactions, and seed biology. A distinctive dimension of his work lies in exploring human–nature relationships, aiming to align conservation goals with socio-cultural and livelihood contexts.

He has significant experience in applied ecology, undertaking Ecological Surveys and developing Biodiversity Management Plans that support Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Sustainability audits for industrial and infrastructure projects.

His contributions also include coordinating the Indian Urban Resource Millennium Assessment (IURMA) under the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) initiative, reflecting his engagement in global environmental frameworks ( https://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/SGA.IndiaUrban.html).

A recipient of the prestigious Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge Award by the Elsevier Foundation, The Netherlands ((https://elsevierfoundation.org/gscc-5th-anniversary-interviews-with-past-winners-series-5-dr-ankur-patwardhan/ ) and Nature Care Honour (Special Award), Dr. Patwardhan continues to influence both policy and practice. In honorary capacities, he is associated with several state and national-level environmental bodies and actively advises

government bodies and policy institutions. He also guides research and conservation initiatives at RANWA, a leading NGO in biodiversity research and environmental stewardship (www.ranwa.org).