he current global context of slow economic growth, social inequality and environmental degradation is creating unprecedented challenges for the international community. You know, Eric A Davidson is a professor at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science. He has mentioned in his book entitled ‘You can’t eat GNP: Economics as though Ecology mattered’ that a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment- a notion we can’t afford to ignore. This book offers a blueprint for a truly sustainable economy that recognizes the natural resources (like water, air, and soil) on which we ultimately depend. You know, peace can’t be achieved without bringing the pieces together likewise, sustainability can’t be achieved without a synergic mutual balanced approach between the social, economic and ecological pillars of sustainability. Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. India is a megadiversity nation which means it harbors the majority of the earth’s species and is therefore considered extremely biodiverse. India constitutes only 2.4% of the world’s land area but having 11 % of flora and 6.5 % of the fauna of the world. India contains 2.9 % of the IUCN-designated threatened species. India has 350 species of mammals, 1200 species of birds, 453 species of reptiles and 45000 plant species of which most are angiosperms. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are approximately 8.7 million species on earth, but only 1.2 million of these species have been scientifically described and catalogued. In India, the estimated number of species is around 90,000, with around 50,000 species of plants and 20,000 species of animals. The remaining species include fungi, bacteria and microorganisms. Biodiversity plays a critical role in maintaing the balance of our planet’s ecosystem and the survival of the life on earth. However, due to human activities such as deforestation, pollution, introduction of invasive species, climate change, and over-exploitation of natural resources, biodiversity is under threat. A number of challenges have emerged just because of the imbalance in the pillars of sustainability. In this backdrop, a new era demands a new vision and a responsive framework to ensure the survival of maximum diversity of species.
The balance between social sustainability, economic sustainability and ecological sustainability isn’t easy to achieve, because in the process of achieving its goal each pillar must respect the interests of other pillars in order not to cause imbalance. In drawing things to a close, it is imperative to mention here that there is a need to develop novel methods of conservation and management of biodiversity which in turn demands a new vision and a responsive framework to live in harmony with nature.
Various conservation methods for the protection, preservation and management of wildlife and natural resources are in place including Ex-situ and in-situ conservation, Gene banks, seed banks, Biodiversity hotspots, Flagship, Umbrella species. Conserving biodiversity is not an issue confined to any country or community. It is a crucial global concern. Several international treaties and agreements are in place in the attempt to strengthen international participation and commitment towards conserving biodiversity. Some of these are: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), World Heritage Convention (WHC), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or BOON CONVENTION), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Likewise, India has Biological Diversity Act, Wildlife Protection Act, Project Tiger, Project Elephant, National Wildlife Action Plan, Chipko Movement, Forest Conservation Act for the conservation, protection and management of biodiversity in India. In this backdrop, Govt. P.G College Sendhwa, District Barwani (M.P) organized a National Webinar on Biodiversity Conservation in India on 31-08-2023. I was invited as a key-note speaker and Dr. Praveen Kumar from T the Department of Zoology, Bihar National College Patna (Bihar) was invited to deliver a special talk on the selected theme. Some key aspects of my key-note address were recorded by the organizers of the National webinar and if you want to delve into it then hit the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hSmoPkOidk&t=124s&pp=ygUUZHIuIGFyc2hlZCBpcWJhbCBkYXI%3D No doubt, some of the conservation methods, national and international treaties and organizations are in place to conserve the biodiversity, still a lot of species are under threat and their number is depleting on a daily basis. Dire need is to get acquaint with the role of different species in maintaing the ecological balance which is prerequisite for the survival of human-beings and to understand the fact that the different species of animals, plants and minicreatures are the part and parcel of our interconnected system. There is a need to understand the linkages and bonds and to live in harmony with nature demands socio-economic development in accordance with ecological constraints. The balance between social sustainability, economic sustainability and ecological sustainability isn’t easy to achieve, because in the process of achieving its goal each pillar must respect the interests of other pillars in order not to cause imbalance. In drawing things to a close, it is imperative to mention here that there is a need to develop novel methods of conservation and management of biodiversity which in turn demands a new vision and a responsive framework to live in harmony with nature.
(The author an Assistant Professor at the Department of Zoology at Govt. Degree College Pattan in Baramulla district. has mailed this article to “Kashmir Horizon” for publication in this newspaper. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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