Environment

CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP) TO CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

COP Presidency and follow up India successfully hosted the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held from 8-19 October 2012, in Hyderabad, along with the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety (COP/MOP6).
CBD CoP-11 adopted 33 decisions on a range of strategic, substantive, administrative, financial and budgetary issues. One of the most important outcomes of CoP-11 was the commitment of the Parties to double the international financial ﬂows for Biodiversity by 2015, and to at least maintain this level upto 2020.
In this meet, Prime Minister of India announced India’s ratification of the Nagoya Protocol.
The Prime Minister also launched the ‘Hyderabad Pledge’, wherein he announced that the Government of India had decided to earmark a sum of US$50 million to strengthen biodiversity conservation in India and to promote similar capacity building in other developing countries.
The brand Ambassador of CoP-11, namely, the Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEES), a 16 coach train exhibiting India’s biodiversity was flagged off on World Environment Day on 5th June 2012, travelling across India to cover 57 stations.

OTHER INITIATIVES BY INDIA

MEF as president of CoP-11 co-chaired 7th Trondheim Conference held in Trondheim, Norway from 27-31 May 2013.
India also chaired CBD’s Working Group on Review of Implementation held in Montreal from 16-20 June 2014.
India contributed US$ 90000 as part of cost of CBD’s meeting on Article 8j.
India is contributing US$ 10000 per annum for two years of Presidency to Intergovernmental platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES).
Process is underway for establishment of National Biodiversity Museum and garden at
India has prepared National Biodiversity Targets in line with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and submitted its Fifth National Report to the CBD.
India has worked closely with the CBD Secretariat for expediting ratifications of Nagoya Protocol, and its early entry into force.

NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY

At the national level, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established by the Government of India in October, 2013 at Chennai (Tamil Nadu) under Section (8) of the Biological Diversity Act.
The State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) are to be established by the State Governments and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCS) to be constituted by the local bodies.
NBA is an autonomous, statutory and regulatory organization which is intended to implement the provisions of Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The main objectives of NBA are :
To regulate access to biological resources of the country.
To respect and protect the knowledge of local communities related to biodiversity.
To secure sharing of benefits with the local people.
Conservation by declaring areas as biological diversity heritage sites.
Protection and rehabilitation of threatened species.

GENETIC ENGINEERING APPRAISAL COMMITTEE (GEAC)

The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MOEFCC), under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 has notified the “Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export & Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989″ (Rules, 1989).
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex body under the Rules, 1989 has the mandate to approve large scale trials and environmental release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and ensure that research and testing of GIVIOS are conducted in a safe and scientific manner under bio-safety guidelines.