Kutch Ecological Research Centre (KERC), a division of The Corbett Foundation, was started in 1999 in Tera village of Abdasa taluka in Kutch district, with the aim to help the local communities and to study the fragile eco-system of the unique grasslands of Kutch ever threatened by overgrazing and drought. Tera is the ancestral village of TCF Chairman, Mr. Dilip Khatau. The region is home to a number of endangered species like the Great Indian Bustard, Desert Fax, Indian Wolf, Chinkara and wide variety of migratory birds, and is in urgent need of attention. Kutch is the only district in India where four distinct ecosystems - Desert, Coastal, Grassland and Upland - exists within a span of 100 km. KERC actively participates in and mobilises local support for the conservation of biodiversity and the unique ecosystems of the area.

The district of Kutch is located in the North Western part of Gujarat. Kutch is divided into nine talukas, of which Abdasa is one of the remote coastal talukas. It has a total of 151 villages spread over an area of 2400 sq kms. The area has been neglected in terms of development of basic infrastructure and allocation of the state resources. Lack of clean drinking water, food, fodder and steady sources of income has resulted in people migrating away from home. Health and education services are limited to small townships and are very poorly represented in the rural areas.