The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) is all set to host a thematic Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Centre which will provide access to forest-related research data from institutions across the country.
IFGTB Director N. Krishna Kumar told The Hindu that a website, being developed as part of this project, will be commissioned shortly. It will provide access to research data for all stakeholders, ranging from forest researchers, students and Government departments to non-governmental organisations and farmers. The primary objective of the ENVIS Centre is to collect research data on the forest-related subjects and tie-up with various research institutions besides creating a databank.
He said that conservation and management of Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) had gained a lot of importance in India, which is rich in biodiversity and has over 2,800 trees. However, while tree resources have been found to have huge ecological and economical significance, research on this subject was scattered and stakeholders cannot access all information at one place. All of this is now set to change with the commissioning of the ENVIS Centre.
“The IFGTB has been researching on trees and genetically improving them for the past 25 years. All of this data would be made available in this website, which will be like a single-window for providing information on an assorted range of subjects,” the IFGTB Director said.
Besides a one-time allotment of Rs. 3.50 lakh for infrastructure such as computers, scanners, printers and other equipment, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests would provide Rs. 15 lakh every year for the ENVIS Centre. It would be part of a network that included 68 centres located in research institutes across the country. It would offer information on FGR, wetlands and wildlife besides other aspects of trees and forestry.
According to Kannan C.S. Warrier, IFGTB Scientist and ENVIS Co-coordinator, the website would provide information on the best crops for their agro-climate. Farmers can also obtain information by e-mail.