“If we lose biodiversity , we will lose jobs, food , medicines, and our livelihood will be under threat. Unless the decline is halted ,the negative impact on daily lives will grow exponentially”, says Braulio F.de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
From the common man to the big corporate, the future of our growth depends on conserving the variety and richness of biodiversity. Already large fishery areas in the north-west Atlantic have collapsed under the impact of loss of marine biodiversity and climate change, he states. With alarm bells already ringing loud and clear, the CBD is all set to bring to the discussion table issues such as halting the depletion of biodiversity, resource mobilization, firming up bio-safety protocols and getting stakeholder like industry to do their bit, at the upcoming global summit in Hyderabad for which it is all decked up.
Balancing Approach Needed
In the background of financial crisis in many countries, the CBD faces a tough task to move ahead especially as member-nations need to set targets and allocate funds. The 1-day jamboree, started on October 1 and is witnessing the participation of 20 heads of nations and over a hundred environment and forest ministers. A total of 10,000 international delegates are taking part in the 11th Conference of Parties (CoP 11)
Two Objectives
The summit will see a forward movement on the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-Safety (adopted in 2000). Especially updating of regulatory guidelines on LMOs(living modified Organisms). The seconds major focus will be carrying forward the October 2010 Nagoya (Japan) agreement on a decade (2010-2020) strategy to achieve global biodiversity targets. Issues such as reviding national strategies and setting realistic targets will come up, he told in a telephonic interview to one of a leading newspaper from Canada.
India’s role & Other details:
India is among the mega biodiverse countries. T is rich both in traditional knowledge and diverse flora and fauna. The country has made good progress in nature conservation. It has had a national biodiversity authority for over 10 years. However , a number of species face the threat of extinction ,including tiger and big vultures, Dias said.
The major drivers of biodiversity loss like demand for food and water, pollution, global warming impact are on the rise in countries like India and many developing countries.
In December 2011 at a meeting in Tokyo, a global platform for business and biodiversity was formed japan, Canada, the Netherlands from the developed countries and Brazil and south Africa from the developing world are active. India is not yet a member, but the world looks forward to industries from the country to play a more proactive role.
The Objective of this group is to raise awareness about each business, how it impacts bio diversity and the need to integrate policies and biodiversity into its plans.
MNCs have started to become more responsive now. Earlier it was ‘green washing’ or lip service. All that is changing as realization dawn that is changing as realization dawns that business will thrive only if we safeguard biodiversity. The CBD started engaging the private sector six years ago.
There will be several for a where the private sector and governments will exchange views. Here is need to have voluntary commitments from industry, as also partnership between private sector and governments to evolve sustainable development models. Similarly, access to credit, regulation, and certification, reporting on social and environmental responsibilities of companies will be discussed.
One of the useful fallouts of the summit held every four year is that the host country assumes Presidency for the following two years. It will be interesting to see the issues that India will bring forward.
India already having shown its intention by ratifying the supplementary protocol, we have to see what measures the nation takes from the Convention in its ecological jurisprudence. For that we will have to wait with deep seated breath as the real position of the nation as far as its environmental concern goes, calls for a deeper introspection.
About the Protocol
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another . It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
India to Ratify Nagoya Supplementary Protocol
Union minister of Environmental and forest jayanthi Natrajan at the meet in the national Capital appealed to countries that have signed the Nagoya- Kuala Lumpur supplementary protocol to Cartagena protocol to “Fast track” the ratification. Addressing the opening session of the sixth meeting of the conference of the Parties Serving as the meeting of the Parties (CoP_MoP 6) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) from October 1 to 5, that got initiated in the capital the Minister reassured the international delegates that India was committed to the covenant and had already initiated the process of ratification. The Nagoya- Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol dealt with liability and redress on damage resulting from living Modified Organisms (LMOs).
Source: CHRONICLE
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