‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’
Environment Minister’s Message on International Day for Biological Diversity
As we celebrate the 2015 International Day for Biological Diversity, let
us work together for conserving biodiversity to ensure the future we
want for us and our coming generations. For, we have borrowed this
earth from our children, and not inherited it from our ancestors.”
The
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, has emphasised the need to work
together to conserve biodiversity to ensure the future for the present
generation and the coming generations. In his message on International
Day for Biological Diversity being celebrated today, Shri Javadekar said
that this earth has been borrowed from children and not inherited from
ancestors. The Minister said that the imperative challenge before India
is to imbibe and translate the theme of Biodiversity for Sustainable
Development, due to its privileged status as a megabiodiverse country,
past and projected demographic transitions and commitment to democracy
as a political principle.
International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated to recognize
the pivotal role of biodiversity to life on earth and human well-being,
as well as to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity and
the threats to it. It was on this day in 1992 that the text of the
Convention of Biodiversity was adopted. This year’s theme is
‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’. During the preceding
years, Biodiversity and Poverty Alleviation in 2003, Biodiversity: Food,
Water and Health for All in 2004, Biodiversity: Life Insurance for our
Changing World in 2005, Protect Biodiversity in Drylands in 2006 and
Biodiversity and Agriculture in 2008, have been some of the other
themes.
The International Day for Biological Diversity is being celebrated all
over the country today. The main event is being held in Srinagar, Jammu
& Kashmir.
Following is the text of the message:
“Today we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, to
recognise the pivotal role of biodiversity to life on earth and human
well-being. On this day in 1992, the text of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted. To mark this, 22nd May has been
proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Day for
Biological Diversity, to increase awareness about the importance of and
threats to biodiversity.
The theme this year, ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’ is very
topical, as the international community accelerates its efforts to
define the post-2015 agenda, including adopting a set of goals for
sustainable development.
This year’s theme reflects the bigger and very crucial paradigm shift
that the world has undergone from seeing ‘development’ and ‘environment’
as two ends of a spectrum, where one must be compromised in order to
enhance the other, to having development while protecting environment.
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. In
other words, environment, or more specifically biodiversity and its
invaluable and often irreplaceable ecosystem services, from the air we
breathe to the water we drink, are the very foundation on which viable
long-term development rests. Former themes for the International Day for
Biological Diversity have captured this fact in snippets. Past themes
have been: Biodiversity and Poverty Alleviation (2003); Biodiversity:
Food, Water and Health for All (2004); Biodiversity: Life Insurance for
our Changing World (2005); Protect Biodiversity in Drylands (2006); and
Biodiversity and Agriculture (2008) among others.
The 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’.
Nature has generously endowed our country. With only 2.4% of the world’s
land area, India has 7-8% of the recorded species of the world, with
over 46,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. India is
also an acknowledged centre of crop diversity, and harbours many wild
and domesticated animals, fish and millions of microbes and insects. The
ecosystem diversity is also unparalleled. These are 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 and promoting well-being for all at all ages;
ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation
for all and in making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable. Promoting multiple varieties of staple
foodgrains; 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.
Communities that are inclusive and resilient are also the only ones that
will be safe in the long run. The income-poor in India and the world
over face the negative fallouts of depleting and degraded natural
resources in disproportionate measure to those who are responsible for
such depletion and degradation. Sustainable development rests on a
viable and sound natural resource base.
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. From the right knowledge, to the right
resources and the right spirit of working together for the common good,
may the International Day for Biological Diversity 2015 help us draw on
synergies and strengths across sectors to achieve the vision of
Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.
The Day is being celebrated all over the country by different States and
organisations. The main event is being held in Srinagar in the State
of Jammu & Kashmir. In this event, the BIOFIN India project is
being formally launched today with the release of a brochure. Another
brochure on announcement of India Biodiversity Awards 2016, the third in
the series is being released today, along with a release of a
publication on good models of biodiversity governance emanating from
India Biodiversity Awards 2014. Also being released today is an India
Business and Biodiversity Initiative publication on best practices on
biodiversity management by some companies.
As we celebrate the 2015 International Day for Biological Diversity, let
us work together for conserving biodiversity to ensure the future we
want for us and our coming generations. For, we have borrowed this
earth from our children, and not inherited it from our ancestors.”
*****
HK
(Release ID :121919)
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