People’s Biodiversity Register - ENVIRONMENT

People’s Biodiversity Register - ENVIRONMENT

News: Thazhakara creates People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

What’s in the news?

Thazhakara, a gram panchayat in Alappuzha and one of the first in Kerala, has created and published a People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), involving local communities.

People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

The People’s Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of locally available Bio-resources including the landscape and demography of a particular area or village. It is prepared by Biodiversity Management Committees (under Biodiversity Act 2002) in consultation with local communities. 

About Biodiversity Management Committees

• BMCs are local bodies created under the Biological Diversity Act 2002, with the mandate to ensure the conservation, sustainable utilization and equitable sharing of benefits from biodiversity.

• The act has made it mandatory for every local self-governing institution in rural and urban areas to constitute Biodiversity Management Committees within their area of jurisdiction. BMC must prepare a PBR in consultation with local people.

Kolkata was the first major metropolitan city in India to make a detailed People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR). Previously, the Forest Survey of India’s report had flagged the West Bengal Capital for the least greenery among all metro cities.

Thazhakara’s PBR will aid in conservation efforts and guide local projects in sectors like agriculture and waste management, emphasizing biodiversity conservation and fair benefit-sharing.

The example above demonstrates ethical values such as community involvement, transparency, conservation ethics, and equitable benefit-sharing in biodiversity management.