The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is finally taking the much delayed steps towards the preparation of a People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) to identify biological resources in the hundred wards and document it.
An amount of Rs.5 lakh has been set aside for this purpose in the development fund for the financial year 2014-15. These registers are meant to serve as a repository of natural resources found locally, compiled by the people living there and relying on them. It lists plant and animal resources and the traditional knowledge systems associated with them. The register will also contain data on local and tribal healers.
It is based on local-level PBRs that conservation projects specifically addressing the grassroots-level issues will be developed. They are supposed to be executed by the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) that has already been constituted in all the local bodies in the State.
The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) mooted the preparation of such a register in 2009 so that it can lead to new discoveries and development of new commercial products, patenting of such products and equitable distribution of benefits.
Funding structure
The preparation of the register, though, got delayed for various reasons at the local body level. Several local bodies had put off the project following disputes regarding the funding structure.
The initial plan was to set aside Rs.70,000 for every local body to prepare the register. But the larger municipalities and Corporations found this allocation unfair, considering the large areas involved, and the amount of increased workload.
Taking account of his concern, a Government Order issued on November 30 last year, said that panchayats would be given Rs.1.25 lakh, municipalities Rs.2.5 lakh, and Corporations Rs.5 lakh.
The Deputy Director of Agriculture will be the implementing officer and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has also decided to appoint two coordinators to oversee the preparation of the register.
