Reasons Why Saving & Increasing Biodiversity Is Imperative

As the world celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity today, May 22, here’s a closer look at the significance of biodiversity for humans as a species and for planet Earth.

Everything that is visible, invisible and alive in the natural environment around us is a symbol of biodiversity. All that is created in nature on this earth is a part of biodiversity. Water, forests, animals, rivers, mountains, seas, swamps, deserts, greenery, trees, plants, flowers, fruits, herbs, grass, animals, birds and humans. Yes! All this is a part of biodiversity. It comes under biodiversity.

Biodiversity is a very broad and lively subject. It includes the entire number of different species present on earth, their diversity, genetic diversity of genes within a species, diversity of the ecosystem. It also includes forests, grasslands, marine systems. During the Earth Summit organized by the United Nations in the year 1992, it was said about biodiversity that “the variability among life from all sources is called biodiversity.” This variability includes terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological changes.

Biodiversity includes diversity within species, between species, and ecosystems. The United Nations is continuously working for biodiversity conservation in collaboration with national and international organizations in other countries. In India too, special programs are being successfully conducted at the governmental, non-governmental, social and community level for the conservation and promotion of biodiversity.

For the conservation of biodiversity, the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Forests and other departments of the Central Government are operating special schemes related to biodiversity conservation in various states and union territories in coordination.

Biodiversity is deeply related to nature, environment, animals, humans and other living units. Biodiversity provides services to the ecosystem such as air and water, purification, soil formation, climate management. Biodiversity is also essential for food security as it provides species diversity to crops and animals. Biodiversity is the source of medicinal resources such as plants and animals which have their own importance in nature.

India is considered very rich in terms of biodiversity. Due to geographical diversity and climatic variations in different areas of India, various forms of biodiversity are seen. Various types of ecosystems are found in India. These include forests, grasslands, deserts, marine ecosystems. About 18 thousand different types of plant species are found in India. About 90 thousand different types of animal species are found in our country.

The forest areas, grasslands, swamps, deserts, marine ecosystems, rivers, mountains in our country are also very important in maintaining biodiversity. India has a wide mountain range on the Western Ghats. Similarly, the Himalayan mountain range, the Sundarbans area, the chain of mangrove forests of Madhya Pradesh — are all unique examples of biodiversity. Along with this, all the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in our country are also symbols of biodiversity.

The Biodiversity Act 2002 has been passed in India, which provides regulation for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This act is related to conservation of biodiversity and nutritional use of its components, increasing the fair and full share in the benefits earned from the use of bio-resources and knowledge, and regulation of related or ancillary subjects. Under this rule, continuous work is being done for conservation and promotion of biodiversity.

It is worth mentioning that in terms of biodiversity, nature has showered its love on Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India. Madhya Pradesh has an abundance of natural resources. There is diversity of forests and wild animals. There is a unique relationship between the presence of forests and rivers here, which conserves biodiversity. Son, Narmada, Tapti, Chambal, as well as other rivers originate from the lap of forests here. Rivers like Ken, Betwa, Mahi, Pahuj, Shipra, Kalisindh, Parvati, Nevaj improve life and biodiversity.

Various mountain ranges and their catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh are important from the point of view of biodiversity. There are tropical dry deciduous teak mixed sal forests here. Districts like Mandla-Dindori-Seoni-Balaghat have sal forests, while Gwalior, Shivpuri, Bhind and Datia in the Chambal region have small shrub forests. Betul-Harda and some other districts of Madhya Pradesh have valuable teak forests.

Apart from wood, bamboo and various types of minor forest produce and medicinal species are found in abundance from these forests. All this is included in biodiversity. Incidentally, let us tell you that the Forest Department was established in Madhya Pradesh in the year 1860 and since then, scientific management of forests began. Madhya Pradesh is probably the most fertile state of India. It is a state where the work of making a working plan was done since 1994 as per the first forest policy of India. The tradition of scientific management of forests is conserving and promoting biodiversity in accordance with the current objectives and policy guidelines of the Government of India. The Biodiversity Act of the year 2002 was notified by the Government of India.