Biodiversity Conservation - India

In The Financial Express, India, Oct 25, 2004
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Here is an Article on BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION in India
Also News Items On :-
1. India-Denmark Biotech Collaboration
2. India-Swiss Biotech Collaboration
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FARM FRONT Column

States should cooperate in preserving biosphere reserves
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=72281

ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Monday, October 25, 2004 at 0000 hours IST

The Union government has at last woken up to the reality of declining
forest cover and loss of biodiversity. It has planned a series of
measures restoring biosphere reserves (BRs) and mangroves, setting up of
news ones, protection of coral reef and conservation and management of
wetlands. But all these measures can be implemented if the concerned
state governments cooperate.

It has been planned to set up at least one biosphere reserve in each of
the bio-geographical zones in the country as representative of the
specific eco-system.
At present there are only 13 BRs spread across the country and 13 others
have been identified for which concrete proposals and concurrence of the
concerned state governments are awaited. The concerned state governments
have been also asked to ensure that each BR has an effective management
policy and an appropriate authority or mechanism to implement it.
BRs, however, differ from wildlife sanctuaries. The BRs emphasise on
overall biodiversity and landscape rather than some specific flagship
species. Taking advantage of the biodiversity in BRs, it has been
decided to emphasis on research and take into account the overall
development activities and resolve conflicts between development and
conservation and ensure people’s participation which is absent in
wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Out of the 13 existing BRs in the country, the UNESCO has recognised
only three having international importance, namely Nilgiri in Tamil
Nadu-Karnataka-Kerala border, Nanda Devi in UP and Gulf of Mannar in
Tamil Nadu. The state governments have been urged to identify other BRs
for such recognition.
The Gulf of Mannar BR is a marine protected area. However, this area is
facing several problems like cyanide fishing, encroachment by
unauthorised fishermen, pollution, coral mining and beach erosion.
Other existing BRs in the country are Nakrek in Garo hills in Meghalaya,
Manas in Kokrajhar, Bangaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darang
districts in Assam, Sunderbans in coastal West Bengal, Great Nicobar in
the southern parts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Similipal in Mayurbhanj
district in Orissa, Dibru-Saikhowa in Dibrugargh and Tinsukia districts
in Assam, Dehang Debang in East Siang, West Siang and Debang valley
districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Pachmari in parts of Betul, Hoshangabad
and Chindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, Kanchanjunga in parts of
north and west Sikkim and Agasthyamalai in Kerala.
Six lead and coordinating institutions have been identified for
facilitating research and in-situ and ex-situ conservation in some
existing BRs. They are - TBGRI, Trivandrum for Nilgiri and Gulf of
Mannar BRs; Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar for Simlipal BR;
GB Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment & Development, Almora for
Nanda Devi, Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa and Dehang Debang BRs; Botanical
Survey of India, Kolkata for Sunderbans and Nokrek; Zoological Survey of
India, Port Blair for Great Nicobar; EPCO, Bhopal for Pachmarhi. It is
also planned to strengthen the expertise in these institutions for
taking up the mandated work in BRs.
Apart from checking poaching and illegal trade in forest produces, there
is an urgent need for imparting vocational training and providing
marketing support to promote supplemental alternative livelihood for the
local tribals so that economic factors do not exert pressure on precious
ecology. The government, though, has recognised this issue but has not
so far spell out a programme for implementation. Proper socio-economic
analysis of the local population living in the buffer and transit zones
also should be carried out.
Inventorisation of fauna and flora resources needs to be speeded up with
greater vigour. Nilgiri is the only BR where such inventorisation is
completed.
There is also a need for sustainable use of medicinal plants and
maintenance of animal corridors in the interest of nature tourism The
Union government has also noted the shrinkage of area under mangroves.
It has urged the concerned state governments to protect the identified
35 mangrove areas and identify new areas. Mangroves in India account for
only about 7% of the world’s mangrove area of 70,000 sq km. In India
total mangrove area is spread over 4,900 sq km along the coasts, of
which Sunderbans in West Bengal account for a little less than half of
the total area. Next in order of mangrove areas is in Gujarat and
Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The Union government has also voiced concern over the mismanagement of
coral reef and wetland areas. A note to the concerned state government
said: “Coral reef requires more attention and investment as these are
very important eco systems. The state governments may look into the
possibility of extending the on-going activities so that coral reef are
protected before it is too late. Simultaneously, action is required to
protect coral areas from pollution and direct as well as indirect
damages.” Hope the concerned state governments act with urgency.
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India and Denmark sign pact on biotech collaboration
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=72390
ASHOK B SHARMA
OUR ECONOMY BUREAU
Posted Online : Tuesday, October 26, 2004 at 0000 hours IST

NEW DELHI: India and Denmark on Monday signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) for promoting development of long-term cooperation
in biotechnology between the two countries, and for facilitating joint
collaboration on specific areas of interests.
The MoU envisages exchange of scientists, technicians, training of young
scientists as well as joint execution of scientific research and
development projects.
The MoU was signed by the Union minister of state for science and
technology and ocen development, Kapil Sibal and the Danish minister for
science, technology and innovation, Helge Sander.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sibal said that India is poised to make a
quantum jump in biotech business from the current level of $500 million
to a whopping $9 billion in the next five years. He said that
biotechnology holds tremendous promise to solve human problems in the
field of food and medicine. “With the population growing at the rate of
1.8% and per capita per acreage production of food crops not showing any
sign of improvement, the problem can only be addressed through
biotechnology,” he said.
Mr Sibal called for greater partnership between public and private
sector to take innovations from laboratories to the market place.
In his address, Mr Sanders said that his country is giving tremendous
importance to high technology areas including biotechnology.
He said Denmark is about to set up a hi-tech foundation for research and
development in biotechnology, nano-technology and information technology
(IT) for which about two billion Euros will be spent during the seven
years starting from 2005.
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$15 m Swiss fund for Indian SMEs (BIOTECH)
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=72395
ASHOK B SHARMA
OUR ECONOMY BUREAU
Posted Online : Tuesday, October 26, 2004 at 0000 hours IST

NEW DELHI: There is a huge scope for collaboration between India and
Switzerland in the area of biotechnology, according to the ambassador of
India to Switzerland PL Goyal.
Mr Goyal was speaking at the joint Swiss Organisation for International
Development (SOFI) - CII conference on “New Business Opportunities in
the Indian Biotechnology Sector” in Zurich, Switzerland, recently. The
Indian envoy said that a large funding of about $15 million was being
made available by Switzerland for small and medium companies in India.
This fund for Swiss investments in Indian small and medium sector is
managed by SOFI. This fund is likely to go up in the coming years, he
added.
Mr Goyal said that the new agreement on scientific research and
technology signed between India and Switzerland recently, would also
help boost joint research and development of technology between the two
countries in the coming years.
Advisor in the department of biotechnology, Dr BM Gandhi, speaking on
the occasion, said that the Indo-Swiss Biotech Collaboration had started
way back in 1989 and was now doing very well. He said that India was
developing its biotech industry well and the government of India had
spent $500 million on biotech research already. Biotech parks were also
developed across India and the states were taking deep interest in
setting up these parks. He said that over 500 patents had already been
filed in this sector and this industry would become very important in
the Indian economy in the coming years.
A representative from the Swiss Economic Office speaking on behalf of
ambassador Jorg Al. Reding said that Switzerland was keen on building
ties with India in the area of biotechnology and said that the
Indo-Swiss biotech collaboration could be used as an important tool to
promote collaboration.
Executive vice president, Tata Consultancy Services, Dr M Vidyasagar, in
his presentation, talked about how India could become an important
partner in the area of drug discovery and R&D. He also highlighted the
fact that how a completely new outsourcing model needed to be evolved
for partnerships in drug discovery, separate from the “IT model,” as
this model would require to be much more interactive.
Vijay Dahiya of Panacea Biotech discussed at length the scope and
opportunities of contract research services in India. Mr. Koen Wentink
of Avestha Gengraine in his presentation talked of how companies in
India were slowly moving up the value chain in the biotech sector. Dr MV
Deshpande from the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune said that there
was scope for increasing joint research activities.
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