Biodiversity is vital to social and economic development: Environment Minister
Updated: May 22, 2015 03:17:44pm
Srinagar, May 22 (KNN) The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar said biodiversity, the variety of life on earth, is vital to social and economic development, and is indeed fundamental to our survival.
“Over the years, retrospective wisdom and the development experience have guided us in favour of the commonsensical understanding that protecting the variety of life forms and their infinitely complex interactions, form the very basis for long-lasting and inclusive development,” he said in the International Day for Biological Diversity held in Srinagar today.
The day is being celebrated all over the country by different states and organisations with the theme ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’.
Javadekar said there is need to work together to conserve biodiversity to ensure the future for the present generation and the coming generations.
“The future we want thus depends heavily on the restorative and ameliorative action that we engage with, in relation to our wealth in biodiversity today. This challenge can only be met with broad stakeholder participation,” he said.
On the occasion, the minister said challenge before India to imbibe and translate the theme of ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’ is imperative in the light of our privileged status as a megabiodiverse country, past and projected demographic transitions and commitment to democracy as a political principle.
“These three facets make it non-negotiable that we galvanise the political will, scientific and technological know-how and financial resources to contribute to the agenda set out in the outcome document from the Rio+20 Conference, ‘The future we want’,” he said.
He also emphasised the strengths to draw upon to meet the goals of ending poverty and hunger; achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture; ensuring healthy lives.
“Promoting multiple varieties of staple food grains; switching to cropping patterns, wider seed and plant variety choices, water conservation and utilisation patterns, and farming practices that combine the best of traditional wisdom and science with a whole-system perspective; valuing the therapeutic properties and medicinal uses of various parts of plants and animals; all form key aspects of the way ahead,” he added.
In this event, the BIOFIN India project has been formally launched with the release of a brochure. Another brochure on announcement of India Biodiversity Awards 2016, the third in the series was also released, along with a release of a publication on good models of biodiversity governance emanating from India Biodiversity Awards 2014. (KNN/ST)
“Over the years, retrospective wisdom and the development experience have guided us in favour of the commonsensical understanding that protecting the variety of life forms and their infinitely complex interactions, form the very basis for long-lasting and inclusive development,” he said in the International Day for Biological Diversity held in Srinagar today.
The day is being celebrated all over the country by different states and organisations with the theme ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’.
Javadekar said there is need to work together to conserve biodiversity to ensure the future for the present generation and the coming generations.
“The future we want thus depends heavily on the restorative and ameliorative action that we engage with, in relation to our wealth in biodiversity today. This challenge can only be met with broad stakeholder participation,” he said.
On the occasion, the minister said challenge before India to imbibe and translate the theme of ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’ is imperative in the light of our privileged status as a megabiodiverse country, past and projected demographic transitions and commitment to democracy as a political principle.
“These three facets make it non-negotiable that we galvanise the political will, scientific and technological know-how and financial resources to contribute to the agenda set out in the outcome document from the Rio+20 Conference, ‘The future we want’,” he said.
He also emphasised the strengths to draw upon to meet the goals of ending poverty and hunger; achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture; ensuring healthy lives.
“Promoting multiple varieties of staple food grains; switching to cropping patterns, wider seed and plant variety choices, water conservation and utilisation patterns, and farming practices that combine the best of traditional wisdom and science with a whole-system perspective; valuing the therapeutic properties and medicinal uses of various parts of plants and animals; all form key aspects of the way ahead,” he added.
In this event, the BIOFIN India project has been formally launched with the release of a brochure. Another brochure on announcement of India Biodiversity Awards 2016, the third in the series was also released, along with a release of a publication on good models of biodiversity governance emanating from India Biodiversity Awards 2014. (KNN/ST)
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