One On One | Dr VB Mathur, The Chairman of National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai
Eminent environmentalist of the country, Dr VB Mathur is the chairman National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai. Dr Mathur is the former head of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. In a freewheeling interview with Abhilash Khandekar, he tells Urban Update how biodiversity governance is being strengthened in rural and urban India. Excerpts: Dr VB Mathur
“Biodiversity mainstreaming is key to achieving SDGs” Abhilash Khandekar Senior Journalist
How do you think the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act 2002 has happened over the past 18 years? Has it been implemented in letter and spirit? Are you satisfied?
Considering the importance of biodiversity for human well-being and development, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India became a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in the year 1994. In pursuance to the CBD, India enacted the Biological Diversity (BD) Act in 2002, and notified the Rules in 2004, through an extensive consultative process initiated in 1994.
34 July 2020 | www.urbanupdate.in
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was set up in Chennai in 2003. India become a party to CBD’s Nagoya Protocol on Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS) in 2014. Hence, processes and the time lines go much beyond the 18 years. BD Act is implemented through a three-tier institutional mechanism, at national, state and local levels: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) set up by the State Governments at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) set up by the elected bodies at the local level. As per the provisions of the Act, all the three institutions set up under the Act are autonomous and statutory bodies. Accordingly, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) have been established in all 28 states. Protection of forests and wildlife being in the concurrent list, twenty-six (26) states have notified the state specific rules in accordance with the provisions of the Act. At the local body level, 2,53,767 BMCs have been set up in all the 28 States and 3 UTs. 18 States and 2 UTs have notified the list of threatened species of Plants and Animals. 18 Biodiversity Heritage Sites have been notified across 11 States.
The NBA has recently empowered all UTs to establish the UTs Biodiversity Councils similar to the State Biodiversity Boardsas part of the decentralization process. Obviously my satisfaction level is mixed. While I am happy that many things have happened, but I do realize that many more things remain to happen. Further, the implementation of the BD Act needs to be further strengthened and more benefits to the local communities who are the ‘conservers’ of the biological resources have to be provided. I must say that efforts to speed up effective implementation are currently on with full intent and purpose. Well after 18 years of the enforcement of the Act, one finds general apathy towards conservation of biodiversity in states. Especially among those who are expected, by the Act, to implement. Comment!
Conservation of biodiversity is a multi-sectoral endeavor and involves multiple stakeholder participation at various tiers of governance. The NBA has recently assessed that, at the Central Government level, there are 116 schemes implemented by
