Sunday Reading

New Delhi, 8 April 2010   

Biodiversity Focus

CONSERVATION STRATEGY IMPERATIVE

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

Over the past half century human activities have caused an unprecedented decline in biological diversity. Species are going extinct a thousand times faster than the natural rate – a loss being further compounded by climate changes and global warming. Ecological studies reveal that approximately one out of every eight human plant species is threatened with extinction.

In 2002, world leaders agreed to substantially reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 but not much headway has been made. Later headed by India, developing nations like China, Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela constituted the 18 Likeminded Megadiverse Countries (LMCC) way back in February 2004 during the seventh conference of parties (COP-7) meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). However, here too not much could be achieved.

Is the biodiversity crisis wrecking havoc on earth, on its species, ecosystems, soils, water and atmosphere, is the big question. As estimated by biologists, there are presently around 1.5 and 1.8 million species that have been named and recorded (Wilson 1998). The International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN), in a major assessment of the total number of distinct species, has emphasized the uncertainties caused by synonyms. The survey estimated that around 13,000 new species are currently named each year but current rates of resolving synonymies by different experts reduces this number to around 10,000 distinct new species added yearly to the known total (Hammond 2002).

One of the big uncertainties is the number of species living in marine ecosystems. Estimates of the total number of marine species have increased from 160,000 in 1971 to over 10 million at present. Among the species in land ecosystems, a great majority live in the tropical rain forests. Though uncertain, it is generally estimated that the true total of extinct species, as distinct from those that have been named and recorded, may be around 7 million with a possible range of 5 to 15 million.

The failure to protect and/or conserve biodiversity has thrown up a big challenge. To raise awareness about the problem, the United Nations declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. The UN Secretary General has very aptly called for a new biodiversity vision for all countries to “manage sustainably so that we can store carbon, protect watersheds and provide resources and income”.

In India, the concern for biodiversity is even less. Recently a government notification has withdrawn 190 species of plants out of the protective sphere of a law on biodiversity, triggering fears among environmental groups that these biological resources may now be plundered with ease.

Brinjal is one of these 190 species. The foreign company that developed Bt. brinjal without seeking permission from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has been violating the Act. It may be mentioned here that the National Biodiversity Act 2003 restricts access to India’s biological resources by foreign individuals or companies and seeks to ensure that the country and its people benefit from the use of such resources. Under existing laws, individuals or companies seeking Indian biological resources need permission from the NBA. 

The notification has been pushed without consultation with the State governments. While critics argue that the notification may be intended to facilitate exports, there is nothing to prevent a foreign company from exploiting such biological resources for research purposes. But most environmentalists have criticized the notification as this allows anyone to take up any of these 190 species without permission and do whatever they want with them.

In such a situation, the question arises whether the country has any strategy to protect its biological resources. As is well known, India is a vast reservoir of biological resources but it needs to be conserved. It has 350 different mammals (rated the eighth highest in the world), 1200 species of birds (eighth in the world), 453 species of reptiles and 45,000 plant species (fifth in the world) of which most are angiosperms. It has 50,000 known species of insects, including 13,000 butterflies and moths. The number of unknown species would be several times higher.

In relation to crops, the country is classified among the 12 mega diversity centres of the world. As many as 167 species of crops, 320 species of wild crop relatives and several species of domesticated animals are found here. Experts believe that the genetic diversity within these species is astonishing. For example, rice had around 30,000 varieties, sorghum 5000 varieties and pepper 500 varieties, but these do not exist today.  About two per cent or one in 50 of the remaining varieties of our important food plants are now lost every year.

There is no denying that biodiversity is the most crucial and one of the biggest wealth of the planet, though not yet recognized. The estimation of the value of biodiversity has become imperative today. For society, biodiversity requires a proper management set-up like the NBA of our country to determine how these resources are to be used from several perspectives such as food, medicine clean air, water etc. Unfortunately, majority of species are yet to be evaluated for their current or future economic importance though research in these areas has been intensified in many other countries.  

Thus, in India, there is a need to intensify conservation efforts to protect the biotic environment for the benefit of society and for future generations. Though it is difficult to control human population, which leads to shrinkage of wildlife habitats and loss of numerous life forms, ex-situ conservation of breeding plants and animals has to be given special attention.

The strategy in this regard should involve the following:  identification of species for ex-situ conservation; long term captive breeding; short term propagation and release of animals in the natural habitat; advanced technology in preservation of endangered species; advances in reproductive technology, and the establishment of gene banks etc.

Biodiversity being essential to life, those who conserve this wealth deserve more of the benefits. The landraces and genes taken by seed corporations from Third World farmers, and which are critical to the bioengineering of new varieties of plant crops, should not be used to undermine small farmers who have developed and conserved this valuable biological wealth. Conservation policies must begin with land reform and a healthy, new respect for local traditions, customs and values. Community-based institutions should be given the responsibility for managing local conservation measures and policies. In fact, conservation should be part of the definition of real development and sustainability should be the cornerstone.

Third World countries are voicing that the North, which prospered so handsomely in large parts due to the biological wealth appropriated during colonial and post-colonial periods, should help bear the conservation efforts so acutely needed by the South. The future of humanity is intrinsically linked to such conservation measures and the affluent countries have a duty to lend assistance in the form of loans and grants, technical assistance and the likes. Third World debt must be mitigated through constructive arrangements like the ‘debt-for-natural-swaps’ but on a larger scale than at present.

Experts agree, and quite rightly, that managing biodiversity is attainable, cost-effective and a vital goal for human society. Thus, increased support and encouragement is needed in this direction. We must learn to appreciate and respect the diversity of life, within the human community and take necessary measures to ensure that increases in global productivity have to be achieved in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner. ---INFA  

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)