Biodiversity registers in all grama panchayats by 2012

All grama panchayats in the State will document their biodiversity resources and traditional wisdom in another three years.The documentation through the people’s biodiversity registers is being undertaken by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.At present, the preparation of the registry is progressing in 24 panchayats and this will be extended to the rest of the local bodies, said V.S. Vijayan, Chairman of the board.The board plans to complete the job by the end of the 11th Plan period in 2012. There are 999 panchayats in the State.

The format prepared by the board for collecting and compiling the information on biodiversity of the local panchayats will be reviewed and fine-tuned, he said.The preparation of the registers is one of the mandates of the board. Each register will act as an inventory of the biodiversity and people’s knowledge associated with the bio-resources of a locality. The register will serve as the key document for the protection and conservation of the biodiversity and related traditional knowledge.

The traditional knowledge covers the ancient wisdom on uses and applications of biodiversity resources which are passed on to generations by word of mouth and practice.
Public informationThe registers will be published so that the information in them will be there in the public domain. However, rare and valuable information will be published only at a stage when the community from which the information is generated will benefit from its use, Dr. Vijayan said.The biodiversity management committees should be entrusted with the right to give permission for the use of biodiversity resources in their respective areas. At present, the committees are enjoying only consultancy status and this should be changed.

The Kerala Biodiversity Rules envisage the formation of the committees in all local bodies of the State. The key responsibility of each committee will be to ensure the “conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biodiversity” within its jurisdiction.The committees have the responsibility to facilitate the preparation of the registers at the levels of the district, block and village panchayats, the municipality and the Corporation.Earlier, a register of all panchayats in Ernakulam district was formed as a people’s initiative. The registers need to be updated regularly and stored in electronic format, Dr. Vijayan said.

The Hindu, 29th October 2009