Lok Sabha Question No. 1082 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-07
Subject: Protection of Bio-diversity
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Prabhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  No.1082

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2020

## Protection of Bio-diversity

## 1082:   SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (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?

## ANSWER

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.