India and Biodiversity

India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world. With only 2.4% of the world’s area, India accounts for 7-8% of the world’s recorded plant and animal species. India’s ten biogeographic zones possess an exemplary diversity of ecological habitats like alpine forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, and desert ecosystems.

India has 4 out of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, which is an indicator of high degree of endemism (of species) in India. India’s biodiversity includes wild relatives of agricultural crops and domesticated animals. India has 16 major types and 251 subtypes of forests.

India’s Constitutional and other efforts on Biodiversity

Environment protection is enshrined in the Constitution of India [Article 48A and Article 51A (g). Wide-ranging policies, programmes and projects are in place, which directly or indirectly serve to protect, conserve and sustainably use the country’s biological resources. These include:

1.  Forest (Conservation) Act
2. Wildlife (Protection) Act
3. Biological Diversity Act
4. National Green Tribunal Act
5. National Biodiversity Action Plan
6. National Forest Policy
7. National Wildlife Action Plan
8. National Forestry Action Programme
9. National Environment Policy and
10. National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Sustainable use of our biodiversity, therefore, has both ecological and economic value. It is with this objective that India has enacted Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and set up a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) in 2003 with an explicit mandate of promoting conservation of biological resources and associated knowledge as well as facilitating access to them in a sustainable manner.

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, enacted in 2006, is a tool to provide occupational and habitational rights to the people, thus, incentivising conservation and sustainable use of biological resources by providing access to livelihood enhancing resources to people. 

National Biodiversity Action Plan of 2008 developed in consultation with various stakeholders and by taking cognizance of legislative and policy framework is a dynamic matrix for mainstreaming biodiversity concerns in the country. India proudly upholds the tradition of nature conservation Jim Corbett National Park covering an area of 325 sq. Km. came into being as the India’s first and world’s third National Park in 1936. India has currently 4.79% of total geographic area under an elaborate network of protected areas (PAs), which includes 99 National Parks, 513 wildlife sanctuaries, 43 conservation reserves, 4 community reserves and 4 Biodiversity Heritage sites.

Under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme out of 17 biospheres in India (70,000 sq. km ), seven  are already in UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (World total 503).

India has a National Wetland Conservation Programme covering 125 wetlands including 25 Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention. India accounts for about 5% of the world’s- mangroves (including Sunderbans delta the largest mangrove forest in the world) and partners with lUCN’s Mangroves for future programme and has established a National Institute of the Mangrove Research at Kolkata. Coral reefs in India occupy an extent of 2375 sq. km. (including the Andaman Islands, which have rich coral diversity and a National Coral Reef Research Centre at Port Blair).

National Lake Conservation Plan

It covers 42 lakes, which aims at rejuvenation in terms of improvement on water quality and biodiversity.

Objective

The objective of the scheme is to restore and conserve the urban and semi-urban lakes of the country degraded due to waste water discharge into the lake and other unique freshwater eco systems, through an integrated ecosystem approach.

Activities covered under NLCP

Prevention of pollution from point sources by intercepting, diverting and treating the pollution loads entering the lake. The interception and diversion works may include sewerage & sewage treatment for the entire lake catchment area.

1. In situ measures of lake cleaning such as de-silting, de- weeding, bioremediation, aeration, bio-manipulation, nutrient reduction, withdrawal of anoxic hypolimnion, constructed wetland approach or any other successfully tested eco- technologies etc depending upon the site conditions.
2. Catchment area treatment, which may include afforestation, storm water drainage, and silt traps etc
3. Strengthening of bund, lake fencing, shoreline development etc.
4. Lake front eco-development including public interface.
5. Solid waste management & provision of dhobi ghats is generally not covered under NLCP.
6. Prevention of pollution from non-point sources by providing low cost sanitation.
7. Public awareness and public participation.
8. Capacity     building, training and research in the area of Lake Conservation.
9. Any other activity depending upon location specific requirements

India has a National River Conservation Plan under implementation in 160 cities covering 34 rivers. NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority) is responsible for conserving and sustainable use of the biodiversity of the river Ganges.

Legislative and Policy Measures for Biodiversity Conservation

India has been a signatory to the Convention since 18th February 1994, and is one of the first countries to have enacted an appropriate comprehensive legislation to achieve the objectives of the convention. As signatory to the CBD, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, passed on December 11, 2002 came into force on February 5, 2003, followed by the formation of it Rules in 2004.

The Biological Diversity Act of 2002 provides necessary statutory and administrative mechanism at the National, State and Local body levels to realise the objectives of the Act and CBD. A three-tiered system of regulation is envisaged under the Biological Diversity Act, which consists of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the apex level, Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at State level and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) " at local level.

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act, 2001 and Rules 2003 deal primarily with the protection of plant breeders rights over the new varieties developed. The Act also provides for protection of farmer’s varieties and creation of national gene fund for promoting conservation of local varieties.

The Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 has been enacted to provide for protection of geographical indications of goods referring to a place of origin of that product and the exclusion of unauthorized persons from misusing geographical indications. Till march 2012, 169 goods have been registered.

National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous society established in 2000 for recognising, respecting and rewarding innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge at grassroots, has developed a model for facilitating prior informed consent for local innovators and traditional knowledge holders which provides for NIF mediation.

Protection of Traditional Knowledge

India has possessed a rich traditional knowledge of ways and means practiced to treat diseases afflicting people. This knowledge has generally been passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. A part of this knowledge has been described in ancient classical and other literature, often inaccessible to the common person and even when accessible rarely understood. Documentation of this existing knowledge, available in public domain, on various traditional systems of medicine has become imperative to safeguard the sovereignty of this traditional knowledge and to protect it from being misappropriated in the form of patents on non-original innovations, and which has been a matter of national concern.

India fought successfully for the revocation of turmeric and basmati patents granted by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and neem patent granted by European Patent Office (EPO). As a sequel to this, in 1999, the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) constituted an inter-disciplinary Task Force, for creating an approach paper on establishing a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

Biodiversity Act 2002

The Biodiversity Act address

The Biodiversity Act - 2002 primarily addresses acpess to genetic resources and associated knowledge by foreign individuals, institutions or companies, to ensure equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of these resources and knowledge to the country and the people.

The Biological Diversity Act covers

The Act covers conservation, use of biological resources and associated knowledge occurring in India for commercial or research purposes or for the purposes of bio-survey and bio­utilisation. it provides a framework for access to biological resources and sharing the benefits arising out of such access and use. The Act also includes in its ambit the transfer of research results and application-for intellectual property rights (IPRs) relating to Indian biological resources.

Requirement under the Biological Diversity Act

The Ac covers foreigners, non-resident Indians, body corporate, association or organization that is either not incorporated in India or incorporated in India with non-Indian participation in its share capital or management. These individuals or entities require the approval of the National Biodiversity Authority when they use biological resources and associated knowledge occurring in India for commercial or research purposes or for the purposes of bio-survey or bio-utilisation.

Indians and Indian institutions do not require the approval of the National Biodiversity Authority when they engage in the above - mentioned activities. However, they would need to inform the State Biodiversity Boards prior to undertaking such activities. However, any commercial application related to use of biological resources should be approved by the Authority.

Exemptions

The legislation provides for the following exemptions

• Exemption to local people and community of the area for free access to use biological resources within India
• Exemptions to growers and cultivators of biodiversity and to Vaids and Hakims to use biological resources.
• Exemption through notification of normally traded commodities from the purview of the Act
• Exemption for collaborative research through government sponsored or government approved institutions subject to overall policy guidelines and approval of the Central Government

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established in 2003 to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002). The NBA is Autonomous body and that performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory function for Government of India on issue of Conservation, sustainable use of biological resource and fair equitable sharing of benefits of use. The headquarter of NBA is at Chennai.

State Biodiversity Boards (SBB)

All matters relating to access by Indians for commercial purposes will be under the purview of the State Biodiversity Boards (SBB). The Indian industry will be required to provide prior intimation to the concerned SBB about the use of biological resource. The State Board will have the power to restrict any such activity, which violates the objectives of conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits.

Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)

Institutions of local self government will be required to set up Biodiversity Management Committees in their respective areas for conservation, sustainable use, documentation of biodiversity and chronicling of knowledge relating to biodiversity.

NBA and SBBs are required to consult the concerned BMCs on matters related to use of biological resources and associated knowledge within their jurisdiction.

Sustainable Development

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: • The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and • The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs." Sustainable development ties together concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges faced by humanity.  It offers a vision of progress that integrates immediate and longer-term objectives, local and global action, and regards social, economic and environmental issues as inseparable and interdependent components of human progress. The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental protection, economic sustainability, and social justice. Adopting a sustainable development perspective, amounts to looking at current problems through a new lens that broadens vision from a singular focus on only the economic or environmental or social aspects of an issue; to an integrated consideration of all three. The sustainable development lens also focuses attention on the horizons of the future as a way of seeing more desirable approaches to the problems of the present. The result is much better decision making that will lead to substantial savings in money and resources because increasing the boundaries of decision-making reveals opportunities for synergy that went unrecognized. The obstacles to achieving sustainable development in Less Economically Developed Countries: • The priorities of LEDC governments and individuals are often short term e.g. meeting the basic needs of population today. For example, providing shelter, food, fresh running water, education and healthcare. Many LEDCs are experiencing internal conflict/natural disasters and money is spent on the military/disaster relief rather than on these basic needs and longer term sustainable initiatives; • Corruption makes it difficult to priorities long term issues. Many leaders are in office for short periods of time and are changing often; • Lack of funds for sustainable initiatives; • Lack of qualified people to develop and implement alternative technologies due to a poor educational system and the “brain drain”; • Lack of education about finite resources. People do not know or understand the implications of over use of resources; • Many regions in LEDCs are inaccessible due to poor or limited infrastructure. It is, therefore, very difficult to implement a range of sustainable initiatives beyond the urban core; • Some LEDCs have economic sanctions imposed from MEDCs for political reasons that may hinder the exchange of technologies. Methods for achieving sustainable development: a) Poverty Eradication: Poverty and a degraded environment are closely inter-related, especially where people depend for their livelihoods primarily on the natural resource base of their immediate environment. Restoring natural systems and improving natural resource management practices at the grassroots level are central to a strategy to eliminate poverty. The survival needs of the poor force them to continue to degrade an already degraded environment.  Removal of poverty is therefore a prerequisite for the protection of the environment. Ensuring the security of their livelihoods is an imperative for sustainable development. b) Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption and Production: With increasing purchasing power, wasteful consumption linked to market driven consumerism is stressing the resource base of developing countries further. It is important to counter this through education and public awareness. In several areas, desirable limits and standards for consumption need to be established and applied through appropriate mechanisms including education, incentives and legislation. Several traditional practices that are sustainable and environment friendly continue to be a regular part of the lives of people in developing countries. These need to be encouraged rather than replaced by more ‘modern’ but unsustainable practices and technologies. c) Protecting and Managing the Natural Resource: The integration of agriculture with land and water management, and with ecosystem conservation is essential for both environmental sustainability and agricultural production. An environmental perspective must guide the evaluation of all development projects, recognizing the role of natural resources in local livelihoods. The traditional approaches to natural resource management such as sacred groves and ponds, water harvesting and management systems, etc, should be revived by creating institutional mechanisms which recapture the ecological wisdom and the spirit of community management inherent in those systems. d) Sustainable agriculture: This implies the use of environmentally-friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to human or natural systems. The different farming methods include agro-forestry; mixed farming; multiple cropping and crop rotation. Sustainable development thus requires the participation of diverse stakeholders and perspectives, with the ideal of reconciling different and sometimes opposing values and goals toward a new synthesis and subsequent coordination of mutual action to achieve multiple values simultaneously and even synergistically.  Sustainable development will not be brought about by policies only: it must be taken up by society at large as a principle guiding the many choices each citizen makes every day, as well as the big political and economic decisions that have. This requires profound changes in thinking, in economic and social structures and in consumption and production patterns.

NATIONAL AGRICULTURE POLICY

The first ever National Agriculture Policy was announced on 28th July, 2000. The National Policy on Agriculture seeks to actualise the vast untapped growth potential of Indian agriculture, strengthen rural infrastructure to support faster agricultural development, promote value addition, accelerate the growth of agro business, create employment in rural areas, secure a fair standard of living for the farmers and agricultural workers and their families, discourage migration to urban areas and face the challenges arising out of economic liberalization and globalisation. Over the next two decades, it aims to attain:

	A growth rate in excess of 4 per cent per annum in the agriculture sector;
	Growth that is based on efficient use of resources and conserves our soil, water and bio-diversity;
	Growth with equity, i.e., growth which is widespread across regions and farmers;
	Growth that is demand driven and caters to domestic markets and maximises benefits from exports of agricultural products in the face of the challenges arising from economic liberalization and globalisation;
	Growth that is sustainable technologically, environmentally and economically.

The policy seeks to promote technically sound, economically viable, environmentally non-degrading, and socially acceptable use of country’s natural resources - land, water and genetic endowment to promote sustainable development of agriculture.

The use of bio-technologies will be promoted for evolving plants which consume less water, are drought resistant, pest resistant, contain more nutrition, give higher yields and are environmentally safe. Conservation of bio-resources through their ex situ preservation in Gene Banks, as also in situ conservation in their natural habitats through bio-diversity parks, etc., will receive a high priority to prevent depletion of bio-diversity.

Balanced and conjunctive use of bio-mass, organic and inorganic fertilizers and controlled use of agro chemicals through integrated nutrients and pest management (INM & IPM) will be promoted.

A regionally differentiated strategy will be pursued, taking into account the agronomic, climatic and environmental conditions to realize the full growth potential of every region. Special attention will be given to development of new crop varieties, particularly of food crops, with higher nutritional value.

A major thrust will be given to development of rainfed and irrigated horticulture, floriculture, roots and tubers, plantation crops, aromatic and medicinal plants, bee-keeping and sericulture for augmenting food supply, promoting exports and generating employment in the rural areas.

Development of animal husbandry, poultry, dairying and aqua-culture will receive a high priority in the efforts for diversifying agriculture, increasing animal protein availability in the food basket and for generating exportable surpluses.

An integrated approach to marine and inland fisheries, designed to promote sustainable aquaculture practices, will be adopted.

The regionalization of agricultural research based on identified agro-climatic zones will be accorded high priority. Application of frontier sciences like bio-technology, remote sensing technologies, pre and post-harvest technologies, energy saving technologies, technology for environmental protection through national research system as well as proprietary research will be encouraged.

The research and extension linkages will be strengthened to improve quality and effectiveness of research and extension system.

Adequate and timely supply of quality inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, bio-pesticides, agricultural machinery and credit at reasonable rates to farmers will be the endeavour of the Government.

The Government will endeavour to create a favourable economic environment for increasing capital formation and farmer’s own investments by removing distortions in the incentive regime for agriculture, improving the terms of trade with manufacturing sectors and bringing about external and domestic market reforms.

Rural electrification will be given a high priority as a prime mover for agricultural development. The quality and availability of electricity supply will be improved and the demand of the agriculture sector will be met adequately in a reliable and cost effective manner.

Bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and utilized, completion of all on-going projects, restoration and modernization of irrigation infrastructure including drainage, evolving and implementing an integrated plan of augmentation and management of national water resources will receive special attention for augmenting the availability and use of irrigation water.

Emphasis will be laid on development of marketing infrastructure and techniques of preservation, storage and transportation with a view to reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring a better return to the grower.

Setting up of agro-processing units in the producing areas to reduce wastage, especially of horticultural produce, increased value addition and creation of off-farm employment in rural areas will be encouraged.

Institutional reforms will be pursued so as to channelise their energies for achieving greater productivity and production.

The Government will provide active support for the promotion of cooperative form of enterprise and ensure greater autonomy and operational freedom to them to improve their functioning.

Endeavour will be made to provide a package insurance policy for the farmers, right from sowing of the crops to post-harvest operations, including market fluctuations in the prices of agricultural produce.

The price structure and trade mechanism will be continuously reviewed to ensure a favourable economic environment for the agriculture sector and to bring about an equitable balance between the rural and the urban incomes.

Quality consciousness amongst farmers and agro processors will be created. Grading and standardization of agricultural products will be promoted for export enhancement. Application of science and technology in agriculture will be promoted through a regular system of interface between Science and Technology institutions and the users/potential users to make the sector globally competitive.

The database for the agriculture sector will be strengthened to ensure greater reliability of estimates and forecasting which will help in the process of planning and policy making.

Follow up Action

Various Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes are being implemented by the Government of India and the State Governments for development of agriculture and allied activities as per guidelines of the Agriculture Policy. Following major initiatives have been taken to accelerate the pace of developmental activity and implement the objectives of the Agriculture Policy:

Macro Management Scheme has been launched after integrating 27 ongoing Centrally Sponsored Schemes to enable a shift from programmatic approach to a macro mangement mode of assistance to the states in the form of work plans based on crop/area specific, regionally different strategies, to provide flexibility to State Governments and to ensure timely and effective application of limited financial resources.

Common guidelines have been issued for National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas to harmonize the implementing norms with other watershed development programmes. A Watershed Development Fund with a corpus of Rs.200 crores each from NABARD and the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, has been created.

A Technology Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture in the North-Eastern Region has been launched.

Seed Legislation is under revision to provide fillip to varietal research and plant breeding. Enactment of legislation on the “Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights”.This is likely to stimulate investment and initiative both in public and private sector for development of new plant varieties and a vibrant seed industry. A National Seed Policy is under formulation. A Scheme for Seed Crop Insurance has been launched to cover the risks involved in seed production. A Seed Bank has been established to meet contingent requirements of seed in the wake of natural calamities.

Increasing availability, flexibility and security in the flow of credit to the farmers. All eligible farmers are proposed to be covered under the Kisan Credit Cards scheme within the next 3 years. A personal insurance package is proposed to be extended to Card Holders covering them against risk to life and injury.

A scheme has been introduced for provision of capital subsidy for construction/modernization and expansion of cold storages and storages for horticultural produce.

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund corpus has been increased in 2001-02 from Rs. 45,00,00,00 thousands to Rs.5,00,00,000 thousands and the interest rate charged by NABARD reduced.

Market Information Network has been launched with the objective to provide farmers latest information on price movements ofagricultural commodities and other essential data.

Cooperative Sector Reforms: a new Bill has been formulated and introduced in Parliament for replacing the existing Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984.

Formulation of new subsidy linked scheme for establishment of rural godowns.

Promotion of Food Processing Industries and value addition in agriculture through the excise exemptions and other interventions.

Standing Committee of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers constituted to consider issues concerning agricultural strategies, food management and promotion of agriculture exports. The Committee has approved the outline of the proposed Grain Bank Scheme which will be extended to BPL families in identified areas and developed on the contours of the recently launched Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana.

National Action Plan on Climate change

The National Action Plan on Climate change was formally launched on June 30th, 2008. The NAPCC identifies measures that promote development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively. There are eight “National Missions” which form the core of the National action plan. They focus on promoting understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency and natural resource conservation.”

The eight missions are:

* National Solar Mission
* National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
* National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
* National Water Mission
* National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
* National Mission for a Green India
* National Mission fro Sustainable Agriculture
* National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

National Solar Mission

Great importance has been given to the National Solar Mission in the NAPCC. The objective of the mission is to increase the share of solar energy in the total energy mix of the country, while also expanding the scope of other renewable sources. The mission also calls for the launch of a research and development (R&D) programme that, with the help of international cooperation, would look into creating more cost-effective, sustainable and convenient solar power systems.

The NAPCC sets the solar mission a target of delivering 80% coverage for all low temperature (<150° C) applications of solar energy in urban areas, industries and commercial establishments, and a target of 60% coverage for medium temperature (150° C to 250° C) applications. The deadline for achieving this is the duration of the 11th and 12th five-year plans, through to 2017. In addition, rural applications are to be pursued through public-private partnership.

The NAPCC also sets the target of 1000 MW/annum of photovoltaic production from integrated facilities by 2017 as well as 1000 MW of Concentrating Solar Power generation capacity.


National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

The Government of India already has a number of initiatives to promote energy efficiency. In addition to these, the NAPCC calls for:

* Mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy consuming industries and creating a framework to certify excess energy savings along with market based mechanisms to trade these savings.
* Innovative measures to make energy efficient appliances/products in certain sectors more affordable.
* Creation of mechanisms to help finance demand side management programmes by capturing future energy savings and enabling public
* private
* partnerships for this.
* Developing fiscal measures to promote energy efficiency such as tax incentives for including differential taxation on energy efficient certified appliances.


National Mission on Sustainable Habitat

The aim of the Mission is to make habitats more sustainable through a threefold approach that includes

* Improvements in energy efficiency of buildings in residential and commercial sector
* Management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
* Promote urban public transport

National Water Mission

The National Water Mission aims at conserving water, minimising wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution through integrated water resource management. The Water Mission will develop a framework to increase the water use efficiency by 20%. It calls for strategies to tackle variability in rainfall and river flows such as enhancing surface and underground water storage, rainwater harvesting and more efficient irrigation systems like sprinklers or drip irrigation.


National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem

The Plan calls for empowering local communities especially Panchayats to play a greater role in managing ecological resources. It also reaffirms the following measures mentioned in the National Environment Policy, 2006.

* Adopting appropriate land
* use planning and water
* shed management practices for sustainable development of mountain ecosystems
* Adopting best practices for infrastructure construction in mountain regions to avoid or minimize damage to sensitive ecosystems and despoiling of landscapes
* Encouraging cultivation of traditional varieties of crops and horticulture by promoting organic farming, enabling farmers to realise a price premium
* Promoting sustainable tourism based on best practices and multi
* stakeholder partnerships to enable local communities to gain better livelihoods
* Taking measures to regulate tourist inflows into mountain regions to ensure that the carrying capacity of the mountain ecosystem is not breached
* Developing protection strategies for certain mountain scopes with unique “incomparable values”


National Mission for a Green India

This Mission aims at enhancing ecosystem services such as carbon sinks. It builds on the Prime Minister’s Green India campaign for afforestation of 6 million hectares and the national target of increasing land area under forest cover from 23% to 33%. It is to be implemented on degraded forest land through Joint Forest Management Committees set up under State Departments of Forests. These Committees will promote direct action by communities.


National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

The aim is to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change by identifying new varieties of crops, especially thermal resistant ones and alternative cropping patterns. This is to be supported by integration of traditional knowledge and practical systems, information technology and biotechnology, as well as new credit and insurance mechanisms.


National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

This Mission strives to work with the global community in research and technology development and collaboration through a variety of mechanisms and, in addition, will also have its own research agenda supported by a network of dedicated climate change related institutions and universities and a Climate Research Fund. The Mission will also encourage private sector initiatives for developing innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation.


Implementation of Missions

The 8 National Missions are to be institutionalised by “respective ministries” and will be organised through inter-sectoral groups including, in addition to related Ministries, Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission, experts from industry, academia and civil society.

Climate Change and working towards Sustainable Development

India released its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) on 30th June, 2008, to outline its strategy to meet the Climate Change challenge. The National Action Plan advocates a strategy that promotes, firstly, the adaptation to Climate Change and secondly, further enhancement of the ecological sustainability of India's development path. India's National Action Plan stresses that maintaining a high growth rate is essential for increasing the living standards of the vast majority of people of India and reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Accordingly, the Action Plan identifies measures that promote the objectives of sustainable development of India while also yielding to benefits for addressing climate change.

There are eight National Missions which form the core of the National Action Plan, representing the multi-pronged long-term strategy. These missions have been formed by combining several ongoing programmes with the ones newly formulated.

• National Solar Mission has a twin objective - to contribute to India's long term energy security as well as its ecological security. We are living in a world of rapidly depleting fossil fuel resources and access to conventional energy resources such as oil, gas and coal is becoming increasingly constrained. The rapid development and deployment of renewable energy is imperative in this context and in view of high solar radiation over the country solar energy provides a long term sustainable solution.
• National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power.
• National Mission on Sustainable Habitat will target improvements in energy efficiency in buildings, management of solid waste and accelerating modal shift to mass transport.
• The National Water Mission’s main objective is “conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within states through integrated water resources development and management”.
• The purpose of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system is to get a complete understanding of whether and to what extent the Himalayan glaciers are in recession and how the problem can be addressed. The other major objective is to establish an observational and monitoring network for the Himalayan environment to assess freshwater resources and health of ecosystem.
• The draft of the National Mission for a Green India aims to address climate change by enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests and by adaptation of vulnerable ecosystems and forest-dependent local communities to changing climate. It builds on the Prime Minister's Green India campaign for afforestation and the national target of increasing land area under forest cover. It is to be implemented on degraded forest land through Joint Forest Management Committees set up under State Departments of Forests. These Committees will promote direct action by communities.
• The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture aims to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change by identifying new varieties of crops, especially thermal resistant ones and alternative cropping patterns. This is to be supported by integration of traditional knowledge and practical systems, information technology and biotechnology, as well as new credit and insurance mechanisms.
• National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change strives to work with the global community in research and technology development and collaboration through a variety of mechanisms and, in addition, will also have its own research agenda supported by a network of dedicated climate change related institutions and universities and a Climate Research Fund. The Mission will also encourage private sector initiatives for developing innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

While these National Missions will serve as umbrella organisations in their respective fields, some existing schemes and programmes towards sustainable development that are being undertaken by the government are:

• Carrying Capacity Based Regional Development Planning .
• Grand in Aid Scheme for Development and Promotion of Clean Technology.
• Grant in Aid Scheme for Voluntary Agencies
• Green Architecture by School of Planning and Architecture
  
• Sustainable Development Framework for mining
  
• Convergence for Sustainable Development

Conservation of Wildlife

The National Wildlife Action Plan provides the framework of the strategy as well as the programme for conservation of wildlife. The first National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) of 1983 has been revised and the new Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) has been adopted. The Indian Board of Wildlife, headed by the Prime Minister, is the apex advisory body overseeing and guiding the implementation of various schemes for wildlife conservation.

Project Tiger, now renamed as the National Tiger Conservation Authority, was launched in 1973 with a mandate to conserve tigers in a holistic manner. Its mandate was to be fulfilled by facilitating focused, concerted management of eco-typical reserves in various states, constituted on a core-buffer strategy through funding the technical support including site-specific inputs to elicit local community support for conservation. The project has put the tiger on an assured course of recovery from the brink of extinction, apart from conserving the floral and faunal genetic diversity in some of our unique and endangered wilderness ecosystem.

Under the Project Elephant , which was launched in February 1992, States that have a free-ranging population of wild elephants are being given financial as well as technical and scientific assistance to ensure long-term survival of identified viable populations of elephants in their natural habitats. Elephant Task Force Report, Gajah, lays out a comprehensive action agenda for protecting elephants in the wild and in captivity, and for addressing human-elephant conflict.

Established in 1982, Wildlife Institute of India (WII)offers training programmes, academic courses and advisory in wildlife research and management. The Institute is actively engaged in research across the breadth of the country on biodiversity related issues.

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is a statutory body under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 with its headquarters at Chennai. Its basic mandate is to advise the Government on animal welfare issues, and create awareness regarding animal welfare. AWBI gives financial assistance to the eligible Animal Welfare Organisations for Shelter Houses, Model Gaushalas, for setting up Bio-Gas Plants, Famine/Drought Relief, Earthquake Relief, etc., in the various states.

Zoological Survey of India is a nodal organization under Ministry of Environment and Forests which plays a significant role in fulfilling India's commitments under various international conventions. This organisation is a vast repository of National Zoological Collection in the form of various types and reference collections needed for the bio-systematic research and conservation strategies.

Source: National Portal Content Management Team

BASIC countries discuss the policy on climate change

The 6^th meeting of the Environment Ministers of the four BASIC countries namely, Brazil, South Africa, India and China are being held. It is to assess the post Cancun climate change policy and actions at the global and national level. The BASIC group was formed in Beijing in November 2009. Argentina, Algeria and Maldives were also been invited to this meeting. BASIC countries’ meeting is significant as it will be the first major international meeting of any group of countries since December, 2010 when Cancun Agreements were reached under the leadership of Mexico as the Chair of 16^th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. In the run up to Durban in South Africa, where the next Conference of Parties will take place in December, 2011, the Parties are expected to finalize the rules and modalities for implementing the Cancun decisions. A meeting of the two Ad-hoc Working Groups of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol is already scheduled in Bangkok in April this year to discuss the issues emerging from the Cancun decisions and decide on a work programme for actions.

The rules for international assessment and review (IAR) of the targets of developed countries and international consultations and analysis (ICA) of developing countries actions are also to be prepared and finalized which includes legal options for the outcomes in future. Issues related to the work of the Transitional Committee set up by the Parties to design the Green Climate Fund and operationalizing the Technology Executive Committee set up to facilitate the process of diffusion and deployment of climate friendly technologies also forms vital part of discussion. The ministers agreed that non-government experts from the BASIC countries to work for development of policy based on equity for a sustainable development before the Durban meet. The group also agreed that the guidelines for monitoring, reporting and verification mechanism for developing countries to be simplified like the way implemented in developed countries.

India continues to work closely to ensure a positive outcome at Durban and beyond, while advancing the interests of other countries and partners. The environment ministers from BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) endorsed for Cancun Agreements could not be a substitute for the Bali road map, which should continue to be the template for future work of the countries. The ministers were unanimous that the issues of equity, intellectual property rights and trade should go back to the negotiating table before the next climate conference slated to be held in December 2011 at Durban in South Africa. The ministers affirmed that second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol is the commitment to review mechanism for developed and developing countries. This would also target to emission reduction for all the countries including the developed world. This factor played a crucial role in reaching any agreement at Durban.

Climate change conference in Cancun

This beach resort, swarming with tourists and sports utility vehicles and having opulent hotels and evident unsustainability, may not be the ideal place for a climate change conference but the real issues of climate change are too critical not to be debated anywhere.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference that gets under way here on Monday may not result in much in terms of emission reduction agreements. The main focus could be on forestry issues and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) plus where significant progress could be made.

The response to the conference is lukewarm but no less than 15,000 delegates are expected to attend the deliberations. REDD plus aims to reward the developing nations for protecting, restoring and sustainably managing forests and it offers one of the cheapest options for cutting global greenhouse gases, according to the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

Principal climate change scientist at the CIFOR Louis Verchot said that among the key issues likely to be addressed was whether to include REDD plus as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

In India, the mechanism of REDD has not been implemented and there are several issues related to ownership of forests, forest rights and protection. The CIFOR said $ 4.5 billion was promised so far, much of it from Norway in bilateral agreements but money was not the sole consideration. A major breakthrough would be needed in the UNFCC negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Mexican government is committed to ensuring that participants' mobilisation and energy consumption during the conference results in the smallest environmental impact, in compliance with its obligations as host of the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) and the Sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol (CMP6).

A statement says one of the main goals of the Mexican authorities is to ensure that a large amount of the energy used during the conference comes from renewable sources, hence, minimising as much as possible the release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere.

In the framework of the Mexican-Italian environmental cooperation programme, the Mexican government is engaged in supplying energy through a system of photovoltaic cells with an estimated output of 130kW. The installation of a wind power generator with a 1.5-MW capacity will contribute to Cancun's electric output through an additional renewable source.

Regarding transportation, delegations of participating countries will be provided with hybrid vehicles for their transfers during the conference.

The Mexican government has implemented a special hotel assessment programme here, aimed at enhancing sustainable operation. Through the programme, Environmental Leadership for Competitiveness, implemented by SEMARNAT, hotels will set eco-efficiency projects to reduce the use of raw materials, energy and water during the conference. It is expected to avoid the consumption of approximately 2,00,000 m {+3} of water and the release of 4,000 tonnes of CO {+2} into the atmosphere.

Measuring emissions

Participants attending COP16/CMP6 will be able to access online and through the booths located at the conference venue a carbon footprint calculator to measure emissions associated to their air and ground transportation, lodging and meals. This calculation will allow the users to mitigate their respective emissions by opting for one of the projects listed in the voluntary Mexican market or those associated to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Indigenous communities' projects in the Mixe and Chinanteca regions of the Sierra Madre in Oaxaca, through the voluntary forest Mexican market are an example of the options available for carrying out this exercise.

Around 10,000 trees and bushes will be planted in Cancun. This will contribute both to carbon capture and sequestration, to further beautify the Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard, which is the city's main artery.

A residual waste management programme will operate during the conference. It is aimed at enhancing the processing of different waste materials and their incorporation to productive cycles avoiding their final disposal. The programme includes the placing of recycle bins in the official meeting areas of COP16/CMP6 events, other locations within Cancun.

Biodiversity Summit Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties - COP10

Delegates from across the world have gathered in Nagoya, Japan for the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) summit. Governments are meeting to discuss progress on biodiversity targets, as set by parties to the convention in 2002. The Nagoya summit will also consider adopting new set of targets for 2020 that aim to tackle biodiversity loss.

COP 10:
Pursuant to decision IX/35, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) will be held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, from 18 to 29 October 2010.
COP 10 will include a high-level ministerial segment organized by the host country in consultation with the Secretariat and the Bureau. The high‑level segment will take place from 27 to 29 October 2010. This meeting will take place during the International Year for Biodiversity (IYB) as declared by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 61/203. During the course of the year events will occur in every region of the world to raise public awareness of the importance of biological diversity to human well-being. Strategic Issues for Evaluating Progress and Supporting Implementation of the Convention will be considered. It is anticipated that the negotiations on an International Regime on Access and Benefit-sharing will result in the adoption of an instrument on Access and Benefit-Sharing.

COP 10 - About the Conference of the Parties:

The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings. To date the Conference of the Parties has held 9 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting (the latter, to adopt the Biosafety Protocol, was held in two parts). From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Since then these meetings have been held somewhat less frequently and, following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, will now be held every two years. The Ninth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Bonn, Germany (28 - 30 May 2008).

Conference of the Parties (COP):

Background and Status

The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings. To date the Conference of the Parties has held 9 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting (the latter, to adopt the Biosafety Protocol, was held in two parts). From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Since then these meetings have been held somewhat less frequently and, following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, will now be held every two years. To date the Conference of the Parties has taken a total of 252 procedural and substantive decisions. The Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was be held in Bonn, Germany (19 - 30 May 2008). The Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties will take place in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010.

Meetings of the Conference of the Parties:

COP 10 - Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 18 - 29 October 2010.

COP 9 - Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Bonn, Germany, 19 - 30 May 2008

COP 8 - Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Curitiba, Brazil, 20 - 31 March 2006

COP 7 - Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 - 20 February 2004

COP 6 - Sixth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, The Hague, Netherlands, 7 - 19 April 2002

COP 5 - Fifth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nairobi, Kenya, 15 - 26 May 2000

ExCOP 1 - First Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cartagena, Colombia & Montreal, Canada, 22 - 23 February 1999 & 24 - 28 January 2000

COP 4 - Fourth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Bratislava, Slovakia, 4 - 15 May 1998

COP 3 - Third Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4 - 15 November 1996

COP 2 - Second Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Jakarta, Indonesia, 6 - 17 November 1995

COP 1 - First Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nassau, Bahamas, 28 November - 9 December 1994

Major themes at meetings of the Conference of the Parties:

First ordinary meeting	Guidance to the financial mechanism; Medium-term programme of work;
Second ordinary meeting	Marine and coastal biological diversity; Access to genetic resources; Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; Biosafety;
Third ordinary meeting	Agricultural biodiversity; Financial resources and mechanism; Identification, monitoring and assessment; Intellectual property rights;
Fourth ordinary meeting	Inland water ecosystems; Review of the operations of the Convention; Article 8(j) and related issues (traditional knowledge); Benefit sharing;
Fifth ordinary meeting	Dryland, mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems; Sustainable use, including tourism; Access to genetic resources;
Sixth ordinary meeting	Forest ecosystems; Alien species; Benefit-sharing; Strategic plan 2002-2010;
Seventh ordinary meeting	Mountain ecosystems; Protected areas; Transfer of technology and technology cooperation.
Eighth ordinary meeting	Island biodiversity; Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands; Global Taxonomy Initiative; Access and benefit-sharing (Article 15); Article 8(j) and related provisions; Communication, education and public awareness (Article 13).
Ninth ordinary meeting	Agricultural biodiversity; Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; Invasive alien species; Forest biodiversity; measures; Ecosystem approach; Progress int he implementation of the Strategic Plan and progress towards the 2010 traget and relevant Millennium Development Goals; Financial resources and the financial mechanism.

COP also sets out a series of standing items for the provisional agenda of its meetings, namely:

• Organizational matters;
• Reports from subsidiary bodies, the financial mechanism and the Executive Secretary;
• Review of the implementation of the programme of work;
• Priority issues for review and guidance; and
• Other matters.

2010 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY:


The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth.

International Day for Biological Diversity 2010:

Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation

The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed annually on 22 May.

The theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2010 is Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation. Celebration on this theme provides unique opportunity to raise public awareness on the importance of biodiversity to sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.