Nature has been abused without concern for biodiversity, says Chang

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 22 (EMN): Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate, and Law and Justice, CM Chang has underlined the need to conserve biodiversity by working on mission mode with an objective to turn the tide of destruction into a new and positive relationship between people and nature. He lamented that nurturing of biological resources for sustained supply to future generation has not been done.

Chang stated this while speaking at the International Day for Biological Diversity on the theme “Our solutions are in nature”, on May 22. The event was organised by Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB) in collaboration with Kohima Press Club in the conference hall of the Forest Office Complex, Ministers’ Hill, Kohima.

The minister asserted that the policy and planning mechanisms in every sphere of development should accommodate the concept and aspect of biodiversity conservation.

He pointed out that nature has been abused due to various reasons, mainly developmental activities without concern for biodiversity.

While citing the increase in human population and improvement in standard of living as among the reasons for exploitation of natural resources, Chang said human beings are completely dependent on nature, which provides healthy and vibrant ecosystems for meeting basic needs, despite all the technological advances.

“Biological resources provide basis of life on the earth, and human society depends on biological diversity for everything besides recreational and spiritual aspects,” Chang said.

He reminded that though Nagaland is a small state, it is very rich in biodiversity having varieties of flora and fauna. He added that Nagaland harbours a large number of plants species which are endemic to the state or the north-eastern part of India.

Chang said that the theme “Our solutions are in nature” is very relevant during this time of Covid-19 pandemic. Mentioning that there are community reserves in the state, he said students and communities surrounding community reserves were trained for nature conservation during awareness programmes.

“We are in the last year of UN decade of 2011-20 strategic plans on biodiversity and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Next year, we will enter 2021-30 UN decade of ocean science for sustainable development and UN decade on ecosystem restoration,” he said. He further appealed to the people to co-exist with nature, conserve nature, forest and wildlife, biodiversity, and take significance of biodiversity in planning and implementing development programme.

Supongnukshi Ao, chief conservator of forest and NSBB member secretary, expressed concern on the dwindling biological resources due to rampant exploitation. He informed that a biodiversity management committee has been formed in almost all the local bodies except some few districts which are yet to be covered.

“We are also documenting all the resources, plants, animals as well as traditional knowledge and practices and these documented resources will be the knowledge for that particular village. And whatever is documented in that particular documented register, it become theirs, and if any foreigner infringes upon the resources or the traditional knowledge, then they can approach any court of law for legal justice,” he stated.

He further stressed on the urgent need to conserve the resources “we have today”.

Chairman of NSBB Satya Prakash shared on the importance of creating awareness among the owners of the biological resources. According to him almost 88.3 per cent of forest areas is privately owned while only 11.7 per cent of forests is under the control of the government.
He also stated that students and children are playin an important role in conservation of biodiversity.
“Each species is equally important, and if we disturb a species, other species are disturbed,” he said.
A short film on “Our solutions are in nature” and an illustrative booklet on “Our solutions are in Nature” were also released during the programme.