Nagaland’s unique biodiversity insurance against changing climate: NSBB

May 22, 2023 47 Views No Comment

May 22 is International Day for Biodiversity

Kohima, May 22 (MExN): The state’s unique floral and faunal biodiversity is the insurance against the adverse impacts of the changing climate, the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB) stated on Sunday.

The local plant species are always more adaptable to changing weather conditions and therefore, the insurance, the Board justified the assertion in a message issued on the eve of International Day for Biodiversity (IDB), observed annually on May 22.

The NSBB further noted that the survival of human beings is totally dependent on biodiversity, and all their basic needs are met from biodiversity, directly and indirectly.

However, human beings cannot exist without biodiversity, but vice versa is very possible, maintained the message issued by Supongnukshi, Chief Conservator of Forests & Member Secretary, NSBB.

The NSBB also highlighted that Nagaland is rich in biodiversity with various types of forests, flora, and fauna, including agriculture/horticulture and aquatic biodiversity.

“Our state’s rich biodiversity is manifested by its position in the Global Biodiversity Hotspot of the Indo-Malayan Region and the Eastern Himalayan endemic bird area,” it said and attributed the same to the wide range in climatic conditions, elevation gradients, and vegetation types.

Among others, Nagaland has the tallest rhododendron in the world, as well as the tallest and rarest orchids such as the Tiger orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum), Cymbidium tigrinum, and Bulbophyllum rothschildianum, it highlighted.

However, the NSBB noted that with the passage of time, there has been a deterioration of biodiversity not only in Nagaland but across the world.

The world leaders have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with the objectives of conservation, sustainable utilisation, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of biodiversity and knowledge associated with it, it noted.

In India, the Biodiversity Act was enacted in 2002, and the Biological Diversity Rules were framed in 2004 to fulfill the CBD’s objectives. The Government of Nagaland also ratified the Biodiversity Act 2002, and framed the Nagaland Biodiversity Rules 2012.

As per the BD Act, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) have been constituted in all villages and all biological resources are documented in the form of base People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), the Board informed.

Further, it pointed out that in Nagaland, where 88.3% of forests are community-owned, multi-pronged strategies are required to ensure the continued provision of ecosystem services for humanity .

These include mainstreaming of biodiversity concerns into planning and implementation, and the recognition and adoption of traditional knowledge and community management of natural resources.

As such, the role of all stakeholders is equally important for biodiversity conservation, the NSBB stated, appealing to all the BMCs, all stakeholders, civil society organisations, NGOs, academic institutions, all government organisations including law enforcement agencies, women’s and church organisations and all citizens to come forward for biodiversity conservation and also to ensure the availability of biological resources for future generations.