People’s Biodiversity Register:
Thazhakara has become the first grama panchayat in Alappuzha and one of the first in Kerala to update and publish a comprehensive People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) with the involvement of local communities.
- People’s Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including the conservation of habitats, preservation of land races, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and the accumulation of knowledge related to the area’s biological diversity.
- The Biological Diversity Act (2002) mandates the development of Peoples’ Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) at the local level to document as well as safe guard bioresources and associated knowledge.
- As per the Biological Diversity Act 2002, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are created for “promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity” by local bodies across the country.
- BMCs have been constituted by the local bodies in the States and Union Territories and are entrusted with the preparation of the PBRs in consultation with local communities.
- It will play a crucial role in conservation, sustainable resource utilisation, and protection of traditional knowledge.
- It will help local bodies in preparing various projects in agriculture, drinking water, and waste management, among other sectors, with a focus on biodiversity conservation and equitable sharing of benefits.
