Hyderabad conference on biodiversity is excellent opportunity on resource mobilisation. With over 180 participating countries Prime Minister of India hopes for a "positive outcome". India became the first champion of the Hyderabad pledge to announce US $50 million ( Rs. 250 crore) to strengthen biodiversity institutions within India and abroad on Tuesday(HT 17th October, 2012) .
United Kingdom became second country a day later by announcing one million pounds for implementation of Aichi targets under Nagoya Protocol of the Convention of Biological Diversity.
"Gesture of Prime Minister had positive impact on the negotiations and we are looking at concluding the negotiations by Thursday evening," said environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan, who is also president of the conference. _UNEP executive director Achim Stiener also complimented Prime Minister Singh for taking a lead by providing more funds. _Natarajan said that they were looking at a positive message that all the countries are committed to meet the Aichi targets agreed two years ago and would be willing to provide sufficient funds. _Political statement outlining the need to conserve biodiversity may be a boost to biodiversity conservation. _A joint study by India and United Kingdom had prescribed a need of anything between US $130 billion to US $430 billion to meet the Aichi targets.
Can money save biodiversity ? It has to be studied under field conditions. Biodiversity journals dont get that much impact factor. It is very difficult to find people working in this field who can identify the plants in their natural habitat and prepare a list of existing biodiversity due to more and more emphasis being given to functional sciences or molecular biology or applied sciences which will yield immediate or future positive outcome for the humanity. Biodiversity does the same but needs to be recognised. We were very keen to participate but the site suggested invitations were for the invited people and participants.
The Nagoya Protocol has accelerated domestic contribution to save biodiversity. How biodiversity could be saved if we have no experts of Alage, Fungi, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms in the world. Do we have a dozen experts in these fields all over the world what to talk of India. If you know their names please tell me . I know one person who is expert for Pteridophytes He is from Panjab University Chandigarh : Professor S P Khullar from famous school of Professor P.N. Mehra.
All over world its fashion to study molecular biology and morphology and anatomy and taxonomy have be relegated to the back seat. Its time to revive these disciplines.
_ The conference on climate change, which is scheduled to meet in Doha, Qatar, later this year shall decide on reduced emissions from deforestation of forests and geo-engineering.
"It is more a climate issue than that of biodiversity," said MAA Farooqui, additional secretary in the environment ministry. Can we mix two issues ?
Its important that we characterise and prepare a biodiversity map of India and world and lay emphasis on dwindling forests and biodiversity which is being lost or getting extinct at a rate faster than one can imagine.
This conference is good beginning. Let all botanists of India come together to complete the resolve of our Prime Minister.
