CONSERVE NOW

Disregard for biodiversity conservation over the past two decades needs immediate redressal

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

INDIA IS home to 7-8 per cent of the recorded global biodiversity. But what is the use of such diversity if the country is unable to protect it, ensure its sustainable use or secure benefits arising from its use for communities that have conserved resources for generations?

When it comes to biodiversity, most of the work done in the country is marred by a lack of data and transparency. India ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994, and nearly a decade later, it passed the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Act established a three-tier system, with the National Biodiversity Authority at the Centre, a biodiversity board for each state and biodiversity management committees (BMCS) at the level of local bodies. BMCS are tasked with preparing a People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) that documents the biodiversity of their respective areas. The committees must ensure sustainable use of resources and that a share in profits accrued from the use reaches local communities.