Uttarakhand was in the process of drafting a bio-cultural community protocol and would also frame its biodiversity rules soon, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a three-day regional experts’ workshop on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, organised by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the State Biodiversity Board-Uttarakhand and GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.
Stressing on the need for all concerned to act for conservation of biodiversity in the Himalayas, the Chief Minister stated that biological resources were being lost due to pressures being exerted by rising population and other factors which were also causing a loss in biodiversity at an alarming rate.
“India covers about 2.7 per cent of the global land area and has about four per cent of global water resources but has to feed its population which is about 18 per cent of the global population. We are facing complex challenges. In Uttarakhand, there are 1,500 species of medicinal plants and the people have been traditionally conserving and using such herbs for themselves and their cattle. We are in the process of bio-cultural community protocol for conserving such traditional knowledge,” said the CM.
On learning that Uttarakhand lacked biodiversity rules, Rawat said that the State Government would draft the rules. He appreciated the fact that the State Biodiversity Board-Uttarakhand, had facilitated the formation of 750 biodiversity management committees under the Biological Conservation Act so far with attempts being made to form such committees in all the 7,500 Gram Panchayats in the State, said the chief minister.
Earlier, the National Biodiversity Authority secretary, T Rabikumar said that inspite of its rich biodiversity, it was unfortunate the Uttarakhand did not have biodiversity rules.
The State Biodiversity Board chairman Rakesh Shah said that the biodiversity management committees are being empowered. The State Government is also working on a project for conservation and development of the Kailash Mansarovar landscape with China and Nepal under the aegis of ICIMOD.
Regional programme manager of ICIMOD, Dr Rajan Kotru, Uttarakhand PCCF SS Sharma, delegates from Bhutan, China, Myanmar along with those from about half a dozen Himalayan States in India were also present on the occasion.