Thiruvananthapuram: The first Indian Biodiversity Congress which concluded here on Friday urged the government for concerted action involving local communities to check biodiversity loss.
A declaration adopted by the congress called for a decade-long plan of action to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reduce the pressures on biodiversity, safeguard biodiversity at all levels and enhance benefits provided by biodiversity.
The conference demanded an effective land use plan for reducing the loss of natural habitats, including forests. It said there was a need to at least halve, and where feasible, bring close to zero, the rate of loss of natural habitats; protect 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas; restore at least 15 per cent of degraded areas; and make special efforts to reduce the pressure faced by coral reefs.
Biodiversity had so far served as the feedstock for sustainable food and health security and could play a similar role in the development of climate-resilient farming and livelihood systems, it said.
The IBC demanded integrating or including actions related to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in strategies relating to production sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and mining.
One of the major recommendations involved dovetailing the use and conservation of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems into national development plans, including programmes aimed at poverty reduction, rural development, food security and dealing with climate change.
The declaration said though there were reports of local extinction of flora and fauna, systematic check lists were not available for planning effective management of biodiversity, especially the Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species.
The IBC demanded immediate action for area specific data bases of RET species for their conservation and sustainable management.
It recommended partnerships between academic and research institutions and civil society organisations for demand-driven research on biodiversity conservation. Sufficient funds should be earmarked for grassroots-level conservation programmes involving local communities.
The IBC stressed the need for a master plan for biodiversity economics in India.
Source: The Hindu, 2-1-2011
A declaration adopted by the congress called for a decade-long plan of action to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reduce the pressures on biodiversity, safeguard biodiversity at all levels and enhance benefits provided by biodiversity.
The conference demanded an effective land use plan for reducing the loss of natural habitats, including forests. It said there was a need to at least halve, and where feasible, bring close to zero, the rate of loss of natural habitats; protect 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas; restore at least 15 per cent of degraded areas; and make special efforts to reduce the pressure faced by coral reefs.
Biodiversity had so far served as the feedstock for sustainable food and health security and could play a similar role in the development of climate-resilient farming and livelihood systems, it said.
The IBC demanded integrating or including actions related to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in strategies relating to production sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and mining.
One of the major recommendations involved dovetailing the use and conservation of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems into national development plans, including programmes aimed at poverty reduction, rural development, food security and dealing with climate change.
The declaration said though there were reports of local extinction of flora and fauna, systematic check lists were not available for planning effective management of biodiversity, especially the Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species.
The IBC demanded immediate action for area specific data bases of RET species for their conservation and sustainable management.
It recommended partnerships between academic and research institutions and civil society organisations for demand-driven research on biodiversity conservation. Sufficient funds should be earmarked for grassroots-level conservation programmes involving local communities.
The IBC stressed the need for a master plan for biodiversity economics in India.
Source: The Hindu, 2-1-2011
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