Conservation of nature has become of utmost importance in recent years for a variety of reasons

“Conservation of nature has become of utmost importance in recent years for a variety of reasons”. Justify the reasons and discuss the provisions of Biological Diversity Act, 2002”

Introduction

In the broadest sense, nature is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. “Nature” refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. Even though it ranges in scale from the subatomic to the cosmic, nature often refers to geology and wildlife. Nature refer to the general realm of various types of living plants and animals, and in some cases to the processes associated with inanimate objects that is the way that particular types of things exist and change of their own accord, such as the weather and geology of the Earth, and the matter and energy of which all these things are composed. We don’t normally use the term “nature” to describe the inhabitant and environment around us, rather we say, “natural environment” or wilderness that is wild animals, rocks, forest, beaches, and in general those things that have not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persist despite human intervention. For example, we do not consider manufactured objects and human interaction as part of nature, unless qualified as, for example, “human nature” or “the whole of nature”.

Biological Diversity

Biological diversity or commonly known as Biodiversity; it is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is considered as a mean of measurement for the health of ecosystems. Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1% of the species that have existed on Earth are extant.1 From the birth our planet till now over five major mass extinctions and several minor events have led to large and sudden drops in biodiversity.2 Since the emergence of humans, there has been major biodiversity reduction and an simultaneous loss of genetic diversity. This event is named the Holocene extinction; the reduction is caused primarily by human impacts, particularly habitat destruction. Conversely, biodiversity impacts human health in a number of ways, both positively and negatively.

Benefits from Biological Diversity

Biodiversity supports ecosystem through various services like cleansing the air, climate (e.g., CO2 sequestration), water purification, pollination, and prevention of erosion.Non-material benefits include spiritual and aesthetic values, knowledge systems and the value of education.

There are plenty of reasons to maintain the biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, and it is very much necessary to control this variation. In many cases it is seen that there is no direct benefits to humankind but non-the –less benefit is still there. Biodiversity tends to be closely tied in the popular imagination with philosophical or purely environmentalist ethics, but there are a number of very practical reasons to support biodiversity conservation.

For human health, robust biodiversity has led to the development of drugs that come from plants or microbes. Most of the medicinal drugs are derived from plants, animals, or microbial organisms.4

  1. Raup, D. M. (1994). “The role of extinction in evolution“. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 91 (15) . Retrieved on 10th March,2013
  2. Bambach, R.K.; Knoll, A.H.; Wang, S.C. (December 2004).“Origination, extinction, and mass depletions of marine diversity“. Retrieved on 11th March,2013
  3. The Holocene. Retrieved from: http://hol.sagepub.com/. Retrieved on 11th March,2013
  4. Herbs. Retrieved from: http://www.herbs.org/. Retrieved on 12th March,2013

In recent decades more research has been spent on developing synthetic drugs, as people believed that energy and money should be better spent on exploring new treatment options based on natural sources. So maintaining biodiversity has obvious benefits; the more plants, animals, and microbes that exist, the better the chances of finding treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions.

Biodiversity also helps humans in the agricultural, business, and industrial sectors. Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture. In agriculture, diversity among crops helps to reduce weakness to disease and to improve overall hardiness and crop performance. It allowed farming systems to evolve ever since agriculture was first developed some 10,000 years ago. Today’s crop and livestock biodiversity are the result of many thousands years of human intervention and essential to sustain agriculture and human well-being.5

There is a strong interrelation between biodiversity and agriculture. This is because while biodiversity is critical for agriculture, agriculture can also contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Indeed, sustainable agriculture both promotes and is enhanced by biodiversity. Maintenance of this biodiversity is essential for the sustainable production of food and other agricultural products and the benefits these provide to humanity, including food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

Most of the worst agricultural disasters throughout history can be linked to being overly dependent on only one strain of one kind of crop. A most appropriate example would be the Irish potato famine. Moreover, within industry, various living organisms provide many of the base materials used in manufacturing such as acting as biological catalyst for breaking down chemicals. So managing the biodiversity allows scientists to find even more ways to use these and other organic materials to push forward industrial development.

5.Convention on Biological Diversity. Retrieved from: http://www.cbd.int/agro/importance.shtml . Retrieved on 12th March,2013

Other than the advantages to biodiversity conservation, most ecological systems that humans need to survive also rely on a biologically diverse ecosystem to operate. For example, purifying water, the recycling of nutrients in soil, and the pollination of flowers, among many other things.6 It is extremely difficult for people to replicate these complex ecosystems with man-made alternatives. All life on earth depends on a varied and diverse natural environment that also includes humans as well.

THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ACT 2002

The Biological Diversity Bill was introduced in the Parliament on 15th May, 2000, and it was referred to the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee for Science, Technology, and Environment & Forests for examination and report. The main aim of this legislation is to protect India’s biodiversity. The aim is to conserve and sustain the use of biological resources, including habitat and species protection, environmental impact assessments (EIAs) of projects, integration of biodiversity into the plans, programmes, and policies of various departments/sectors; The Act helps to set National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local bodies NBA and SBB consult BMCs in decisions relating to use of biological resources/related knowledge within their jurisdiction. BMCs also promote conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biodiversity.7 The Biological Diversity Act 2002 extends to the whole of India. The Act comes into force on the date which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

6. Convention on Biological Diversity. Retrieved from: http://www.cbd.int/agro/importance.shtml Retrieved on 12th March,2013.

7. Salient Features of Biological Diversity Bill 2002. Retrieved from : http://envfor.nic.in/news/octdec02/bdb2002.htmm . Retrieved on 12th March,2013.

There are three main objectives which The Biological Diversity Act 2002 tries to achieve 8

  1. The conservation of biodiversity;
  2. The sustainable use of biological resources;
  3. Equity in sharing benefits from such use of resources.

Conserving of Nature, Wildlife and Resources

Biological Diversity Act 2002 is only implemented within India; Nature, wildlife and natural resources are all being conserved within this act. India is a home to rich and diverse wildlife tours because of her wide range of climate, soil, weather and other such factors. Due to such unique biodiversity, it has quite a lot rare as well as threatened animals and plants. All these animals needs to be protected. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species in India.9 Within this data; there are Asiatic Lion, the Indian white-rumped vultures and the Bengal Tiger. So this leads to the conservation of wildlife in India. And all these are protected under the Biological Diversity Act 2002.

Conservation of Wildlife According to Key Provisions of the Act

As there is an increase in impact of deforestation, continuous efforts are being made by some anxious animal lovers to protect the endangered species of wildlife and also for those which are on the verge of extinction. One of the key provisions of the act states that any sort of biological resources, species, environmental projects, and environmental impacts should be protected. The provisions supports the fact of the beauty of the existence of the wild creatures and the environment; the environment provide natural resources like woods, plants, fibres, and different types of foods. The wildlife also helps the scientists to study the species and help them to gain knowledge and invent various kinds of medicines. The most important would be here that the wildlife maintains a balance in the living system on Earth.

8. Biological Diversity Act 2002 – Ministry of Environment and Forests: Retrieved from: www.moef.nic.in/divisions/csurv/nba_act.htmMinistry of Environment & Forests. Biological Dive. Retrieved on 13th March,2013

9. Wildlife Conservation in India. Retrieved from: http://www.indianholiday.com/india-wildlife-holidays/wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india/ . Retrieved on 13th March,2013

Besides the government there are also NGOs working on wildlife conservation in India such as Wildlife Society of Orissa (Orissa), Rhino Foundation for Nature (Assam), Friends of Forests (Maharashtra), North Eastern Society for Preservation of Nature and Wildlife (West Bengal), Nature’s Beckon (Assam), Nature Conservation Society Amravati (Maharashtra), The Friends of the Doon (Uttaranchal) and Bali Nature and Wild Life Conservation Society (West Bengal). According to the provision of the Act, the local communities by using their resources can take part in the conservation of the resources. They can also charge for the services they might provide. In the act it is also stated that the organization must possess appropriate knowledge of law such as registration rules and regulation. 10

Conservation of Environment according to Key provisions of the Act

India has various vegetation which are includes tropical rainforests, deciduous forests and coniferous forests. India as a country is rich in natural resources. But when a research was conducted by the Indian government, on the usage of natural resources in our country, we found that the resources were depleting. 11 The forest and arable land was being depleted due to urbanization, overpopulation and over consumption. As I have mentioned before about wildlife, they were being lost due to illegal poaching, hunting and industrialization. These were the main reasons which were making few species extinct.Also, the water resources were being contaminated and soaked up due to industrialization.

The Government of India has undertaken many measures for the conservation of the resources. Under the Biological Diversity Act 2002, the government had set up Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at local village level, State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) at state level, and a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). They tried to encourage proper housing and infrastructure development techniques to avoid land acquisition problems. They also did mass public service messages to educate the people on the importance of resources. They increase the forest reserves. Also they showed the plan to do proper inventory of the resources and to adopt with the change in environment.

10. Biological Diversity Act 2002. WIPO resources. Retrieved from: <href=”#LinkTarget_275″>http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text.jsp?file_id=185798#LinkTarget_275 . Retrieved Time: 13th March,2013

11. The website for government of India. Retrieved from: www.india.gov.in. Retrieved Time: 14t March, 2013.

Conclusion

Biodiversity is the various ranges of species, within a living world. It is a contraction of the word ‘biological diversity’. Biodiversity has become a very important issue. This is because humans have become ignorant towards the environment. In order to maintain balance within the living world, the government of India pass the Biological Diversity Act 2002. The act was passed to protect the biodiversity of India. The act has been successfully implemented in protecting the wildlife, natural resources and the nature itself. The Indian government and other local and foreign organizations have been able to protect the environment under the act within India.

References

1. Bambach, R.K.; Knoll, A.H.; Wang, S.C. (December 2004).”Origination, extinction, and mass depletions of marine diversity”. Retrieved on 11th March,2013

2. Biological Diversity Act 2002 – Ministry of Environment and Forests: Retrieved from: www.moef.nic.in/divisions/csurv/nba_act.htmMinistry of Environment & Forests. Biological Dive. Retrieved on 13th March,2013

3. Biological Diversity Act 2002. WIPO resources. Retrieved from: http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text.jsp?file_id=185798#LinkTarget_275 . Retrieved Time: 13th March,2013

4. Convention on Biological Diversity. Retrieved from: http://www.cbd.int/agro/importance.shtml Retrieved on 12th March,2013.

5. Herbs. Retrieved from : http://www.herbs.org/. Retrieved on 12th March,2013

6. Raup, D. M. (1994). “The role of extinction in evolution”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 91 (15) . Retrieved on 10th March,2013

7. Salient Features of Biological Diversity Bill 2002. Retrieved from : http://envfor.nic.in/news/octdec02/bdb2002.htmm . Retrieved on 12th March,2013.

8. The Holocene. Retrieved from: http://hol.sagepub.com/. Retrieved on 11th March,2013

9. The website for government of India. Retrieved from: www.india.gov.in. Retrieved Time: 14th March, 2013.

10. Wildlife Conservation in India. Retrieved from: http://www.indianholiday.com/india-wildlife-holidays/wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india/ . Retrieved on 13th March,2013

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