Environment and Ecology: May 2023 UPSC Current Affairs | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

United Nations Forum On Forests (UNFF) 

Definition of Forest

• There is no precise national definition of 'forest' in India at the moment.
• States are in charge of defining what constitutes a forest.
• The T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs the Union of India decision of the Supreme Court in 1996 established the states' right to define forests.
• The Supreme Court decided that the word "forest" must be interpreted in accordance with its "dictionary definition."
• This definition applies to all legally recognized forests, regardless of whether they are designated as reserved, protected, or otherwise.

What is the Importance of Forest?

• Forests provide habitats to millions of animals and support numerous ecosystems.
• About 90 percent of all earth’s species dwell in forests.
• Forests serve as watershed regions because nearly all of the water in forest areas comes from forest-derived water tables as well as rivers, lakes, and streams.
• The forest cover protects streams and rivers passing through forests from the sun's radiation and drying.
• Forests act as a repository for biodiversity genes resulting in a diverse range of plant and animal life forms in distinct forest settings.
• Forests serve a vital part in purifying the air we breathe. During the day, trees and plants take carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis.
• Because trees and plants regulate atmospheric temperatures through evapotranspiration and provide an environmental breeze, forests act as climate stabilizers.
• Plants and trees assist in the recycling of soil nutrients by shedding leaves and small branches.
• Plant and tree roots also help to break down soil into smaller particles and increase water infiltration.
• Forests also have a role in the natural cycle of water evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in the form of rain.

UNFF - History

• Agenda 21 and the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation, and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests (Forest Principles) were both accepted at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992.
• The UN formed the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) after the Earth Summit to carry out the Forest Principles and Chapter 11 of Agenda 21.
• The IPF/IFF procedures covered topics including the root causes of deforestation, traditional forest knowledge, international financial aid, technology transfer, the establishment of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, trade and the environment, among others, between 1995 and 2000.
• A set of 270 action ideas for the promotion of the management, protection, and sustainable development of all types of forests were produced as a result of the IPF/IFF processes.
• The Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, Chapter 11 of Agenda 21, the results of the IPF/IFF Processes, and other significant developments in international forest policy served as the foundation for the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), which was established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2000.

UNFF - Principal Functions

• To promote a shared understanding of sustainable forest management and to make it easier for agreements related to the management of forests to be put into action;
• To continue policy development and dialogue among governments and major international organizations as identified in Agenda 21 and to address forest issues and newly emerging areas of concern in a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated manner;
• To improve policy and program coordination and collaboration on forest-related issues;
• To promote global collaboration and to track, evaluate, and report on the above functions and goals' progress;
• To increase political support for the sustainable management, conservation, and development of all types of forests.
• Encourage and assist countries, including those with low forest cover, in developing and implementing forest conservation and rehabilitation strategies;
• Increasing the area of forests under sustainable management, and reducing forest degradation and loss of forest cover in order to maintain and improve their forest resources with a view to enhancing the benefits of forests to meet present and future needs, particularly the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities who rely on forests.
• Strengthen interaction between the United Nations Forum on Forests and relevant regional and subregional forest-related mechanisms, institutions and instruments, organisations and processes, with the participation of major groups identified in Agenda 21 and relevant stakeholders;
• To facilitate enhanced cooperation and effective implementation of sustainable forest management and to contribute to the Forum's work.

United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030

• The agreement on the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests was reached in January 2017 during a special session of the UN Forum on Forests, and it provides an ambitious vision for global forests in 2030.
• The plan was approved by the UN Economic and Social Council on April 20, 2017, and then by the UN General Assembly on April 27, 2017.
• The Strategic Plan includes six voluntary and universal Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be met by 2030.
• It includes a target of increasing forest area by 3% globally by 2030, which equates to an increase of 120 million hectares, or more than twice the size of France.
• It expands on the vision of the 2030 Agenda and recognizes that real change necessitates decisive, collective action both within and outside the UN System.

UNFF - Global Forest Goals

Six voluntary and universal Global Forest Goals and 26 related targets have been agreed upon as part of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (2017- 2030).

• Goal 1: Increase efforts to prevent forest degradation and contribute to the global effort to address climate change while reversing the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation, and reforestation.
• Goal 2: Increase the economic, social, and environmental benefits of using forests, especially by enhancing the lives of those who rely on them.
• Goal 3: Significantly increase the extent of globally protected forests, other sustainably managed forest areas, and the percentage of forest products derived from sustainably managed forests.
• Goal 4: Increase financial support significantly from all sources for the implementation of sustainable forest management, and strengthen partnerships and collaborations in the fields of science and technology.
• Goal 5: Strengthen the role of forests in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting governance structures to execute sustainable forest management, notably through the United Nations forest instrument.
• Goal 6: Strengthen collaboration, coordination, coherence, and synergy on matters pertaining to forests at all levels, including within the framework of the United Nations and among Collaborative Partnership on Forests members organizations, as well as between sectors and pertinent stakeholders.

UNFF - Collaborative Partnership on Forests

• The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) is an association of 14 secretariats for conventions, institutions, and international organizations that deal with forests.
• On the advice of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, it was created in April 2001.
• The CPF strives to assist the UNFF and its member nations in their work as well as to promote greater coordination and cooperation on forests.
• The Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award was established in 2012 by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to honor Wangari Maathai, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Threats to the Forest

• Climate change is one of the most pressing issues confronting the planet today.
• While forests can aid in the fight against climate change, they are also extremely vulnerable to changing weather patterns.
• The type of forest that can grow in a given region is determined by the climate.
• Forests must adapt to changing climate conditions. The adaptation process, on the other hand, frequently takes longer than the changing climate conditions allow.
• Deforestation has the potential to have a significant detrimental influence on forest biodiversity.
• Deforestation is projected to be responsible for the loss of 13 million hectares of forest each year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Natural disturbances are working with climate change to accelerate the further degradation of forests.
• Invasive plant and insect species are gaining an advantage over native species as a result of climate change.

Conclusion

There is plenty of room for private and public initiatives, growth in bilateral and multilateral cooperation at a regional level, an increase in the general public's understanding of sustainable forestry, and for forests to become fully sustainable globally in anticipation of the increasing demand that will be placed on them as our population grows. These initiatives have momentum, the potential for new technologies, and widespread public acceptance. All that is required is more time for discussion and agreement inside the UNFF.

Eretmoptera Murphyi

Context

The invasion of a tiny insect is altering Antarctica’s soil & its ecosystem. The other fear is that it can spread through other islands as it can survive in water.

Details

Location

• Antarctica’s Signy Island, half of which is always covered in ice, has been dealing with a flightless midge, for years.

Impact

• Eretmoptera murphyi feasts on dead organic matter and has led to faster plant decomposition, thus increasing the soil nitrate levels by three-five times compared to places on the island where the midge is absent and only native invertebrate species live.

About the insect

• It is a native of South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island, and was accidentally introduced to Signy in the 1960s during a botany experiment.
• It’s proliferation became apparent in the 1980s. 

How they spread?

• Experts have proposed some theories for the cause of the spread of murphyi, the most prominent one being through humans.
• It is possible they clung to the soles of researchers and tourists who walked over their colonies and travelled longer distances than they could have by any other means.
• The other fear is that it can spread through other islands as it can survive in water. 

Sludge to Fertilizer

Context

A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee has found that the sludge from sewage treatment plants (STP) in India, which is rich in organic chemicals, has “high potential” for use as fertilizer.

About sludge

Forest Fires in Goa

Why in News?

The inquiry of bushfires that broke down in March 2023 by Goa Forest department has found that the fires were largely triggered by natural causes.

What did the Forest Department Inquiry Find?

• Cause behind Forest Fire: The report suggests that a conducive environment and extreme weather conditions — deficient rainfall in the preceding season, unusually high temperatures, low moisture and humidity — led to the fires.
  • Very little rain in Goa since October 2022, along with heat-wave-like conditions and low humidity, created conditions that were ripe for forest fires.
• Goa's Forest Fire:
  • The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) classifies 100% of Goa’s forest cover as “less fire prone”.
  • Also, Goa does not experience crown fires (caused by friction of trees) which mostly occur abroad.
    • Surface fires are common in moist deciduous forests of Goa.
  • Minor surface fires that burn undergrowth and dead organic matter on the forest floor are common due to the slash-and-burn techniques used by villagers to clear grazing land for cattle.
  • Cashew farmers often start minor constrained fires to clear weeds and reduce undergrowth.

What are Forest Fires?

• About:
  • Forest fires are uncontrolled fires that occur in areas with a significant amount of combustible vegetation, such as forests, grasslands, or shrublands.
• Causes of Forest Fire:
  • Natural: Lightning is the most prominent cause which set trees on fire. However, rain extinguishes such fires without causing much damage.
  • Spontaneous combustion of dry vegetation and volcanic activities also cause forest fires.
  • High atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity) offer favorable circumstance for a fire to start.
  • Man-Made: Fire is caused when a source of fire like naked flame, cigarette or bidi, electric spark or any source of ignition encounters inflammable material.
• Types:
  • Crown fires burn trees up their entire length to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous wildland fires.
  • Surface fires burn only surface litter and duff. These are the easiest fires to put out and cause the least damage to the forest.
  • Ground fires (sometimes called underground/subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that become dry enough to burn. 
• Advantages:
  • Cleaning the Forest Floor
  • Providing Habitat
  • Killing Disease
  • Nutrient Recycling
• Disadvantages:
  • Kill or Injure unintended Plants/Trees
  • Can Lead to Erosion and Sedimentation
  • Can Devastate the Ecosystem
  • Threat to Human Life
• Vulnerability in India:
  • The forest fire season normally extends from November to June in India.
  • A report by the Council of Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has noted:
    • A tenfold increase in forest fires over the past two decades and says more than 62% of Indian states are prone to high-intensity forest fires.
    • Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and the Northeastern states are most prone to forest fires.
    • Mizoram has seen the highest incidence of forest fires over the last two decades, and 95% of its districts are forest fire hotspots.
  • The ISFR 2021 estimates that more than 36% of the country’s forest cover is prone to frequent forest fires, 6% is ‘very highly’ fire-prone, and almost 4% is ‘extremely’ prone.
  • Also, An FSI study has found that nearly 10.66% area under forests in India is ‘extremely’ to ‘very highly’ fire prone.

What are the India’s Initiatives Related to Managing Forest Fires?

• National Action Plan for Forest Fires (NAPFF): It was started in 2018 with the goal of reducing forest fires by informing, enabling, and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing them to collaborate with state forest departments.
• National Mission for Green India (GIM): Launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, the GIM aims to increase forest cover and restore degraded forests.
  • It promotes the use of community-based forest management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest practices, which contribute to preventing forest fires.
• Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FFPM): FFPM is implemented by the FSI under the MoEF&CC. It aims to strengthen the forest fire management system by utilizing advanced technologies such as remote sensing.
  • It is the only government-sponsored programme dedicated to assisting states in dealing with forest fires.

What should be done to Mitigate Forest Fires?

• Create Fire Breaks: Fire breaks are areas where vegetation has been removed, creating a gap that can slow or stop the spread of a fire.
• Monitor and Manage Forests: Monitoring forests and managing them appropriately can help prevent fires from starting or spreading.
• Early Detection and Rapid Response: Early detection of a forest fire is critical for effective mitigation.
• The Forest Survey of India (FSI) is using satellite imaging technology (like MODIS) to analyse forest fire affected areas and boost prevention.
• Fuel Management: Reducing the accumulation of dead trees, dry vegetation, and other combustible materials through activities such as thinning and selective logging.
• Firewise Practices: Safe practices must be adopted in areas near forests viz. factories, coal mines, oil stores, chemical plants and even in household kitchens.
• Practice Controlled Burning: Controlled burning involves setting small fires in a controlled environment.

Threats from Plastic Recycling

Why in News?

A recent report by Greenpeace Philippines titled "Forever Toxic: The science on health threats from plastic recycling" was published at the Second Session of Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee Meet in Paris, suggesting that recycling may not be the solution to Plastic Pollution as it is often believed to be.

What are the Key Findings of the Report?

• Higher Level of Chemicals:
  • Recycled plastics often contain higher levels of chemicals such as toxic flame retardants, benzene and other Carcinogens, environmental pollutants including brominated and chlorinated dioxins, and numerous endocrine disruptors that can cause changes to the body’s natural hormone levels.
  • Plastics contain more than 13,000 chemicals and 3,200 of them are known to be hazardous to human health.
• Poisonous Pathways:
  • There are three poisonous pathways for recycled plastic material to accumulate toxic chemicals,
  • Direct contamination from toxic chemicals in virgin plastic.
  • Substances like plastic containers for Pesticides, cleaning solvents and others that enter the recycling chain and can contaminate plastic.
  • The recycling process, when plastics are heated.
• Increased Risk of Plastic Fires:
  • With an increase in plastic stockpiles, the risk of large fires at recycling facilities has gone up, especially in those that hold e-waste plastics with used batteries.
  • A survey in the United States and Canada in 2022 found a record 390 fires in plastic recycling and waste facilities.
  • In the 12 months up to April 2023, large fires have been reported at plastic recycling facilities in Australia, Canada, Ghana, Russia, Southern Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom and in Florida, Indiana, North Carolina of the United States.
• Increase in Plastic Production:
  • Plastic production is forecast to triple by 2060, with only a minimal increase in recycling predicted.
  • Since the 1950s about 8 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced.
  • Not only that just a tiny proportion (9%) of plastics are ever recycled, but also those that end up with higher concentrations of toxic chemicals, multiplying their potential harm to human, animal and environmental health.
• Implications:
  • Plastic production, disposal and incineration facilities are most often located in low-income, marginalized communities across the world, which suffer from higher rates of Cancer, Lung Disease and adverse birth outcomes associated with their exposure to the toxic chemicals.

What are the Recommendations?

• Global plastic pollution can be reduced by 80% by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policies and market shifts using existing technologies and also shift to a circular economy.
• Plastics have no place in a circular economy and the only real solution to ending plastic pollution is to massively reduce plastic production.
• There is a need for an ambitious, legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that accelerates and provides the conditions needed for a just transition away from dependence on plastic.
• The Treaty should promote safer, toxics-free materials and reuse-based, zero-waste economies, creating new jobs to support these practices, protecting human and planetary health, minimizing resource use and delivering a just transition for workers and affected communities across the plastics supply and waste chains.

CPCB’s New Guidelines for India’s Stone Crusher Sector

Context

It has been known that stone crushing units are a significant source of fugitive dust emissions and severe air pollution.

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released the Environmental Guidelines for Stone Crushing Units in response to the increasing concern.
• The recommendations made by the non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has its headquarters in New Delhi, are in accordance with the principles.

Key Guidelines Released By CPCB

The CPCB recommendations cover a range of topics related to stone crushing, including source emissions, product storage, transportation, water use, and legal compliance.

Key features of the guidelines are:

• Stone crushers shall seek approval to establish and consent to operate (CTO) from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) before starting operations.
• Stone crushing plants must adhere to the Environment (Protection) Rules, the emission requirements set down in 1986, and the standards indicated in the CTO by the applicable SPCB/PCC.
• They should install enough pollution control equipment, such as dust suppression systems, covers, screens, and sprinklers, to restrict the dust emissions from crushing, loading, and unloading processes.
• They should also keep their items in silos or covered areas to prevent wind-blown.
• The stone crushers are required to responsibly use water, ensure its availability and purity, legally purchase their raw materials, and maintain correct records of their dealings.
• A District Level Committee will be constituted under the guidance of the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner in order to routinely carry out unexpected inspections for the surveillance of stone crushing plants situated within their jurisdiction.
• Every six months, the stone crusher should examine the health of its employees.

Challenges Related with Stone Crushing Units

• Stone crushing units are one of India's major sources of air pollution.
• These machines create crushed stone, which is used as a primary building material in many different construction projects.
• The substantial amount of dust generated during the stone-crushing process has an effect on the health of the workers and those nearby.
• Additionally, this activity is connected to stone mining, which damages the environment.

Recent occurrences

• The Haryana government proposed relaxing the rules governing the placement of new stone crushers near residential areas in December 2022. This was opposed by environmentalists because they believed it would have an adverse effect on farms and the quality of the air.
• Numerous stone crushers in India are purportedly operating without SPCB certification or environmental clearance, according to a CSE investigation from June 2023.
• The bulk of these units lacked adequate pollution control measures or monitoring systems, which was another concern mentioned in the report.

Initiatives to Address the challenge

• The Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) outlawed the operation of brick kilns, hot mix plants, and stone crushing facilities as part of the execution of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
• In order to prevent the air quality in Delhi-NCR from getting worse and prevent PM10 and PM2.5 levels from going over the "moderate" national Air Quality Index (AQI) category, numerous government entities are included in GRAP's proposed actions.
• In a report done in May 2023 by Pune University researchers, it was shown that a typical stone crushing plant there had successfully implemented pollution control measures and reduced its dust emissions by 90%. Other stone crushers in India may decide to imitate similar factories, the study said.

What is the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)?

• The establishment of the CPCB as a statutory body was permitted by the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, which was passed in September 1974.
• The CPCB was also given the power and obligation to perform its tasks by the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981.
• It is India's apex body for environmental preservation and pollution control. It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and collaborates with other agencies as well as State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs).
• The CPCB is divided into many sections that handle various facets of pollution control, including management of air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, environmental assessment, laboratory services, information technology, and public involvement

Conclusion

While the CPCB rules cover a number of essential pollution control features, some still need modification. The rules do not address solitary stone crushers' noise emissions or when they should operate, which frequently annoy and upset neighbours.
Furthermore, it is crucial to urge SPCBs to adequately enforce the standards and to provide stone crushers precise deadlines to follow the rules.

Global Greenhouse Gas Watch

Context

The World Meteorological Congress – the supreme decision-making body of WMO, approved (in its 19th session) a new greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring initiative – Global Greenhouse Gas Watch.

Background

• In 2022, the WMO Executive Council decided to develop an architecture for a global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure to build on and expand WMO’s long-standing activities in GHG monitoring.
  
• The Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W): It aims to establish internationally coordinated monitoring of GHG fluxes (top-down) to support the provision of actionable information to the UNFCCC Parties and other stakeholders

Need

• Currently, most GHG monitoring undertaken globally relies heavily on research capabilities and research funding.
• The intermittent nature of research funding and the competitive processes used for its allocation makes sustained global monitoring difficult to achieve.

PBR and Biodiversity Management in India

Why in News

• The National Campaign for Updation and Verification of People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) was launched in Goa, marking a significant milestone in the documentation and preservation of India's rich biological diversity. It was organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Till now, 2,67,608 PBRs have been prepared in the country.

What is the People's Biodiversity Register?

• About:
  • The People's Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including conservation of habitats, preservation of land races, folk varieties, and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, and micro-organisms.
  • Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are created as per the Biological Diversity Act 2002 for promoting conservation, sustainable use, and documentation of biological diversity.
  • Local bodies in the states and union territories constitute BMCs, which are entrusted with the preparation of People's Biodiversity Registers in consultation with local communities.
• Importance:
  • It helps in conserving biodiversity, which is key to maintaining balance in nature. It also enables local communities to share the benefits derived from genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
  • It supports the implementation of the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, which aims to regulate access to biological resources and ensure fair and equitable benefit sharing.
  • Being a bottom-up exercise, it is also a means of understanding the overlap of cultural and natural biodiversity.
  • It envisages a decentralised way through an inclusive approach.
  • It aligns with the concept of “Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)”, introduced by the Indian Prime Minister at COP26 in Glasgow.
  • This concept calls upon individuals and institutions globally to promote mindful and deliberate utilisation of resources to protect and preserve the environment.

What is the Status of Biodiversity Management in India?

• About:
  • With only 2.4% of the earth’s land area, India accounts for 7-8% of the world’s recorded species.
  • 4 of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots are located in India: The Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma area, and Sundaland.
  • Two of these, the Indo-Burma area and Sundaland, are distributed throughout South Asia and are not precisely contained within India’s formal borders.
• Biodiversity Governance in India:
  • India’s Biological Diversity Act (BDA) 2002, is in close synergy with the Nagoya Protocol and aims to implement provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
  • The Nagoya Protocol sought to ensure commercial and research utilisation of genetic resources led to sharing its benefits with the government and the community that conserved such resources.
  • The BDA was hailed as an important step towards preserving India’s vast biodiversity, as it recognised the sovereign right of countries over its natural resources.
  • It seeks to address issues of managing bio-resources in the most decentralised manner possible.
• It also envisages three layered structures:
  • The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level.
  • The State Biodiversity Boards (SSBs) at the state level
  • Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local level.
  • The act also strengthens the country’s stand with respect to anyone claiming an intellectual property right over biodiversity-related knowledge.
• Challenges related to Biodiversity Conservation:
  • Introduction of Invasive Species: Invasive alien species include plants, animals and pathogens that are non-native to an ecosystem cause environmental harm or adversely affect ecological balance.
  • According to CBD reports, invasive alien species have contributed to nearly 40% of all animal extinction.
  • Global Warming and Climate Change: It poses threats to plant and animal species as many organisms are sensitive to carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere that may lead to their disappearance.
  • Use of pesticide, rise of tropospheric ozone, sulphur and nitrogen oxides from industries also contribute to the degradation of natural ecosystems.
  • Choking Marine Biodiversity: Due to lack of efficient plastic waste management, microplastics are getting dumped into oceans choking and starving marine life and causing liver, reproductive, and gastrointestinal damage in animals and directly impacting marine biodiversity.
  • Genetic Modification Concern: Genetically modified plants impose high risks to the disruption of ecosystem and biodiversity because the better traits produced from engineering genes can result in the favouring of one organism.
  • Hence, it can eventually disrupt the natural process of gene flow and affect the sustainability of indigenous variety.

Way Forward

• Community-led Conservation: There is a need to engage local communities, including indigenous peoples, in the conservation efforts. Encourage their active participation by involving them in decision-making processes, establishing community-managed conservation areas, and recognizing their traditional knowledge and practices related to biodiversity conservation.
• Technology and Data-driven Conservation: There is a need to utilise emerging technologies such as remote sensing, drones, and artificial intelligence to monitor and track biodiversity changes, identify high-priority conservation areas, and assess the effectiveness of conservation interventions.
• Protecting Entire Biosphere: Conservation should not be limited to the species level but should be about the conservation of the entire ecosystem, including the local communities.
• India needs more biosphere reserves to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainability of the ecosystem.