On this International Biodiversity Day 2022, Grassroute is happy to announce that we’re organizing a half-day workshop as a curtain-raiser event on the eve of that day – Saturday 21st of May 2022 at Nayarambalam Panchayat Hall.
The core subject of the workshop is, “Challenges to our biodiversity and methods to overcome it in the light of the Biological Diversity Act passed by the Indian Parliament in 2002”
The event is planned as an afternoon session starting from 2:30 PM. District Coordinators from the Kerala State Biodiversity Board will lead the sessions.
A brief history
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the ‘Earth Summit’, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 and the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 (CBD) came into being. After signing the CBD on February 18, 1994, India promulgated The Biological Diversity Act 2002 (BDA) for the conservation of biological diversity. Sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources, knowledge and for matters connected therewith.
In accordance with the provisions of BDA 2002, the State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) was established in 2004. And in the same year, the Biodiversity Rules were also framed.
That being the case, we have not yet been able to implement what is intended by these laws. There are Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) in most of our Panchayaths for just the sake of BDA-2002. And the Peoples Biodiversity Register (PBR) is just a blank book and is widely ignored. It is true that India is the first country to have the Biological Diversity Act and implement it, but in effect, it is a failure.
This is the background, Grassroute plans to conduct a half-day workshop to provide awareness to LSG Officials as well as scholarly communities and the general public about the importance and necessity of BMC and PBR.
What to prefer, infrastructure or environment?
Of course, the protection of biological diversity is always a matter of the environment, but most people think that they are excluded from other fellow species of the planet earth. The fact is that humankind can’t survive without our fellow beings. Insects, birds, trees, animals, and even micro-organisms are crucially important rather than we think.
We are constructing multistoried buildings, roads, bridges and high-speed corridors and a lot of other infrastructure mostly by demolishing the planet’s ecosystem. But at the same time, we fail in keeping up the quality of the environment for our healthy living. Just think, do these constructs generate oxygen for life? Or pure potable water? Quite sure, that the answer is negative. Infrastructure devops are good, but why don’t we do it in a sustainable way?
We’re chasing some unrealistic ideas like wealth, money, nation or politics and ignoring the present-day realities like climate change and sustainable survival. Protecting biodiversity is inevitable for the survival of humankind. Groves and Mangrove forests are the lungs of the earth, and it is our responsibility to protect it.
P.K. Ramachandran, Former District Co-ordinator, KSBB.
Grassroute welcomes all those who care about our environment and biodiversity to the Workshop on 21st May 2022 at Nayarambalam Panchayath Hall at 2:30 ~ 5:30 PM.
Want to attend? Please click the button below to fill up the Form.
To know more about other activities of grassroute, visit our blog.
One reply on “Organizing a curtain-raiser for Biodiversity Day 2022”
Thought provoking effort that can lead to tremendous success.