India Can Become a Biodiversity Champion
Introduction:
- Global survival is reliant on biodiversity, the sum of all our biological resources. During the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD) in Montreal, Canada, the significance of our planet’s biodiversity was made clear. In order to “stop and reverse” biodiversity loss, the 3030 commitment, which 188 national delegates adopted in December 2022, calls for the conservation of 30% of the world’s land area and 30% of its oceans by 2030.
India promotes biodiversity:
- India is in a unique position to lead the world in becoming biodiversity champions since it has 17% of the world’s population and 17% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
- In response to this demand, the Union Budget 2023 included “Green Growth” as one of the seven objectives, or Saptarishis, that will direct the nation in its “Amrit kaal” for the following 25 years. The emphasis on sustainable development is great news for the country’s biological diversity, as India is losing a considerable amount of its natural resources, including its soils, land, water, and biodiversity.
- One of the eight goals included in the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), the National Mission for a Green India, often known as the Green India Mission (GIM), intends to maintain existing forests and increase the quantity of forest cover on degraded lands.
- The stated goal of the Green Credit Program is to “incentivize ecologically responsible and proactive steps by firms, individuals, and municipal organisations.”
- Because mangroves and coastal ecosystems are so crucial to reducing climate change, the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is incredibly significant.
- Our agricultural industry depends on the Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM), which aims to restrict inputs of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
- Our biological diversity is specifically mentioned in the Amrit Dharohar programme, which aims to “encourage optimal use of wetlands, and improve biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism potential, and income production for local populations.”
- In order to protect migratory ducks, it is promising that the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has intervened to halt the drainage of Haiderpur, a Ramsar wetland in Uttar Pradesh. Up to 75 Ramsar sites—wetlands of international significance—have been notified by the Indian government for the end of 2022.
Scientifically sound methods for preserving biodiversity:
- For these initiatives to be successful, science-based and inclusive monitoring programmes are essential for recording and distilling lessons learned for replication on a national and international level.
- Modern sustainability and ecosystem value concepts, which take into account the ecological, cultural, and social components of our biological diversity, should be successfully incorporated into new aims and programmes.
- Many sustainable bio-economies have a lot of potential because they have clear system boundaries, a focus on benefits for “resource people,” and fund-services (rather than stock-flows) as the economic foundation for creating value.
- Our ability to maintain natural flows will determine the fate of our wetland ecosystems. We need to use less water in important industries like agriculture and promote the use of less water-demanding plants like millets if we want to achieve this.
- Investment in water recycling utilising a mix of grey and blue-green infrastructure is recommended in metropolitan areas.
- The Green India Mission should focus on regions that can support biological connectedness in landscapes that have been disturbed by linear infrastructure rather than just planting trees and give ecological restoration priority over tree planting.
- The location of the project should be carefully chosen, with a focus on the variety of mangrove species while maintaining the integrity of the salt pans and coastal mudflats themselves, which are equally important for biodiversity.
- Local community participation Last but not least, each of these initiatives needs to involve the local and nomadic populations where the programmes will be implemented. The implementation strategies should take into account the traditions and wisdom of these communities.
- To critically evaluate India’s biological resources and deepen awareness of them, each programme should include a large investment in education and research.
Conclusion:
- The National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Health will be launched by the government with support from the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). In order to green India and its economy, repair and enhance our natural capital for the benefit of our people, and position India as a global leader in applied biodiversity science, this mission aims to fully utilise the potential of transdisciplinary knowledge.
