(a) whether the Government is aware that bio-diversity is under serious threat due to climate change;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the innovative efforts made for protection and conservation of biodiversity during the last three years;
(c) whether the Government proposes to amend the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 to deal with the challenges of climate change; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a)and(b) Climate change is one among many factors that may lead to destruction of biodiversity. For conservation of biodiversity, the Government of India enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and framed the Biological Diversity Rules in 2004 to deal comprehensively on matters pertaining to conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of biological resources and associated knowledge.
The Act is implemented through a three-tier institutional mechanism, at national, state and local levels through National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards set up by the State Governments at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) set up by the elected bodies at the local level.
The Section 41 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 empowers each local body to constitute a BMC within its area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity and chronicling of knowledge relating to biological diversity. As of now, over 2,05,794 BMCs have been constituted across 27states.
One of the main functions of the BMCs is to prepare People''s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), in consultation with local people as per Section 41 of the Act. The PBRs contain comprehensive information on availability of the knowledge of local biological resources, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them. So far, nearly 12,732 PBRs have been documented in 25 states across the country.
As per Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 the State Government may, in consultation with the local bodies, notify in the Official Gazette, areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS). So far, 17 Biodiversity Heritage Sites have been notified by 11 State Governments.
In accordance with Section 38 of the Act, The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, in consultation with the State Government concerned, has notified the species which are on the verge of extinction or likely to become extinct in the near future in 18 States and 2 Union Territories. This notification confers power to the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) for regulating access to the notified species and to take measures to preserve those species.
(c) and (d) No amendmentof Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 is proposed to deal with the challenges of climate change.
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