SHILLONG: The bio-diversity hotspots in the State are vanishing at a faster rate, cautioned State Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest and Environment MS Rao.

Giving an overview of the bio-diversity of the State during an official programme to mark the International Bio-diversity Day in Shillong, Rao said today, “Our State has bio-diversity hotspots to talk about but their richness is under threat.”

Guwahati, May 22: Assam plans to prepare a people’s bio-diversity register, which will document the biological resources in the state, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them. Assam forest and environment minister Rakibul Hussain announced this during a function organised here today on International Day for Biological Diversity.

Bhubaneswar: Forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Tuesday said that a legislation on biodiversity is soon to be considered by the State Legislative Assembly. Addressing a workshop on ‘Biodiversity conservation in Odisha: Challenges and Opportunities’ organised by the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), Bhubaneswar to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity-2012, Mishra said that biodiversity is important for our survival. Maintaining the equilibrium of biodiversity should get priority.

Overfishing and exploitation of marine biodiversity would result in the disappearance of fish species in the next 50 years, warned M.F. Farooqui, Special Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, on Tuesday.

Addressing a function organised in connection with the International Day for Biological Diversity, Mr. Farooqui said beyond the exclusive economic zone, everyone seemed to be exploiting the marine biodiversity and nobody was taking responsibility for conservation.

The National Biodiversity Authority will come out with targets for protecting the diversity of living organisms in time for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in India in October, according to its Chairman, Dr Balakrishna Pisupati.

AHMEDABAD: Forests and other departments in Gujarat have been very proactive in carrying out biodiversity conservation measures, significant among them being those related to whale shark, sea turtle, restoration of mangroves etc., Dr. A P Singh, member secretary, Gujarat Biodiversity Board, said.

Gujarat Biodiversity Board too has launched several measures for the conservation and development of biological diversity, including marine, he said, adding that Government of India had enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 for the conservation, development and regulation of biodiversity. The main objective of the Act is conservation of biodiversity and sustainable utilization of biological resources.

FOREST WEALTH: The policy process to arrest forest degradation needs to be modernised with up-to-date techniques and civil society participation that is timely and proactive
Use Eye in the Sky to Manage Forest Cover
Employ remote sensing and spatial maps to bettertrack forest degradation with sound initiatives
HARINI NAGENDRA