By Prof. K Aravindakshan
Biodiversity is an important factor in maintaining the habitat of human society. We must preserve nature and the bio-inorganic resources available to us as its gifts in order to preserve not only modern human society, but entire generations to come. If the opposite happens, nature and human society alike will be devastated. The director of the UN agency UNESCO, which is based in New Delhi, Dr. These are the words of Eric Fott. In addition to India, he oversees countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. In addition to his position as Director of UNESCO, Dr. Fault is also responsible for ensuring an eco-friendly approach to all development projects in these countries. The system is ‘Team UN in India’. This expert is also responsible for overseeing the country’s sustainable development goals. UN agencies have conducted numerous studies and published reports on biodiversity. One of these is the 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an authoritative study. Many of the core issues involved are those related to biodiversity threats. These include climate change, invasion of new species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution, urbanization, and widespread deforestation. Ecologists say that the development frenzy that is taking place in many states in the name of industrialization of our country as a whole is leading to the total destruction of protected areas like the Western Ghats, which are rich in biodiversity. People like Madhav Gadgal have warned. Rulers who collectively exploit natural resources in the name of development are utterly ignoring the ecological impacts on the earth’s surface. The weight is already beyond what the earth can bear. Do not overdo it. Ensuring clean air, quality drinking water, healthy food facilities, limited access to nutritious food, shelters with limited amenities and travel facilities can all be applied without disturbing the balance of nature; Should be able to. Whether nature is viewed from the point of view of the environment, culture or religion itself, there is no alternative but to protect the environment. The potential for such a policy approach is high. The notion that everything is lost is misplaced. We have done a lot for nature conservation over the last five decades. Biodiversity reserves lay the foundation for the economic growth and development of any nation. To this end, in 1971, UNESCO established the World Network of Biosphere Reserves – a network of biological collections – globally.
Read more; Sustainable Development Goals and Biodiversity Conservation
The aim was to pave the way for human society and nature to move forward in a way that would enable them to utilize natural resource utilization to ensure sustainable development and sustainable development along with natural resource conservation. It has been found that there are 30 biodiversity hotspots in South India alone. One of these is the Hurulu Biosphere Research in Sri Lanka, to which we are little familiar. In 1977, it came to the fore. It is an evergreen forest area with an area of 25,500 hectares. In India, the Nilgiris Blue Mountains in Tamil Nadu were discovered by UNESCO in 2000. However, these hills extend to the states of Karnataka and Kerala and now to 12 regions of Madhya Pradesh. All of this is documented in a study conducted by researchers in 2020. South Asia as a whole is rich in diverse ecosystems. When India, Bhutan and Nepal stand together, it is clear that the potential for sustainable economic development is endless. So many natural resources – rivers, lakes, forests, mountain ranges – are spread all over the region. The extent and height of the biodiversity hotspots formed here are so high. Some of the hills are over 8,586 meters high. Orchids and many rare medicinal plants thrive here. The number of residents here is not small – over 35,000. Their main livelihoods are farming, animal husbandry, fishing, dairy production and marketing, and poultry farming. Apart from small countries like Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka, India also has a long coastline. In addition to fishing, nature has also provided facilities that can facilitate the lives of the people through the collection of forest resources. There are not enough mangroves here to protest against the constant threat of seasickness. But we must never allow the destructive tendency of state governments, including those in democratically occupied coastal areas, to continue to wreak havoc, including mangroves, in the name of developmental frenzy.
Read more; Earth refineries
The fact that the destruction of the Western Ghats, which stretch from Gujarat to Kerala, has been happening at a similar pace in recent times cannot be ignored. Violence against nature under the guise of democratic rights should never be allowed. For India, while there is nothing that can be done to curb climate change, efforts should be made to minimize its impact. What is needed is the help of UNESCO to develop ecosystem management plans based on science and not on the basis of superstition. All biosphere reserves are globally recognized, whether on land, at sea or off the coast. Only the government has the power to approve these. Not all countries around the world may have Jiva diversity zones. Some governments may not even have the political will to find them. For others, it may be lack of knowledge or lack of financial resources. In any case, if the goal is to secure the future of any country, it must take it without finding the resources and ensuring their protection as a financial obligation. It should enable millions of people to live in harmony with nature and to live a better life in the long run through the rational use of natural resources. It is not enough to observe the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 every year, just as April 22 is Earth Day. We must protect the earth and the biodiversity that is part of it.