Biodiversity action plan set to get Cabinet nod

New Delhi, November 5: Aimed at preserving the rich and varied biodiversity resources of the country and making sustainable use of its components, the proposal for a National Biodiversity Action Plan is all set to be approved by the Government on Thursday.

The action plan will come six years after the enactment of the Biological Diversity Act and aims at promoting conservation of India’s biodiversity and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from a sustainable use of these bio-resources. The proposal, moved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, is slated to come up for clearance at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.

Between eight and 14 million species — animals and plants put together — are estimated to exist in the world, of which only 1.7 million have so far been identified and described. India is known to have 46,000 species of plants and 89,000 species of animals that have been documented so far.

The proposed action plan will strengthen India’s strategy of according special status and protection to biodiversity-rich areas by declaring them as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and ecologically fragile and sensitive areas. It will also focus on diverting pressure on reserve forests by supporting alternative measures for meeting fuel wood and fodder needs of people.

Afforestation of degraded areas and wastelands, and creation of ex situ conservation facilities like gene banks would also be institutionalised under this action plan. Among the other proposals likely to come up before the Cabinet is the setting up of a National Wine Board on the lines of boards for tea and coffee.

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