Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced plans to extend the biodiversity action plan to more panchayats across the State in the next financial year.
Speaking after presenting the awards for biodiversity conservation for the years 2019 and 2020 at a function here on Thursday, he said the action plan taken up in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would be implemented by the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) constituted by the local bodies.
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Highlighting the need for taking up biodiversity conservation as a social responsibility, he said the 10-year programme was aimed at conservation and sustainable utilisation of biological resources for the betterment of communities.
The pilot project has been implemented in Athirappilly grama panchayat.
Mr. Vijayan said the Government was committed to environmental protection while formulating infrastructure projects. This approach had helped the State retain its high ranking in the Sustainable Development Goal index. Pointing out that Kerala had also come up with models in biodiversity conservation, he said the State was the first to set up BMCs in all local bodies.
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Participatory programme
The Chief Minister said the digitisation of the People’s Biodiversity Register had been taken up as a participatory programme. He urged the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) to take the initiative to create better awareness of the laws related to biodiversity conservation.
Minister for Local Self-Government M.V. Govindan who presided over the function said conservation of biodiversity and environment was a prerequisite for achieving sustainable growth. He said a regional-level action plan was being implemented to mitigate the impact of climate change and ensure sustainable use of biological resources.
Chairman, KSBB, George Thomas and members K. Satheeshkumar, T.S. Swapna, K.T. Chandramohan and K.V. Govindan were present.