Two-day workshop on biological diversity laws concludes

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 17

The two-day Regional Workshop on Biological Diversity Laws concluded at the Central University of Punjab (CUP) here on Sunday. The theme of the workshop was, “Strengthening human resources, legal frameworks, and institutional capacities to implement Nagoya Protocol”.

The aim was to understand the reasons for conservation of bio-diversity (CBD) and sustainable development, steps taken at international level for CBD, explain steps taken by the government to ensure CBD by incorporating principles of international environmental law and demonstrate the idea of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of resources.

Above 180 participants comprising faculty members and students from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states had registered themselves for the programme.

Prof Sairam Bhat from NLSIU, Bengaluru, keynote speaker at the inaugural session, talked about the importance of conservation of bio-diversity. He said the country was not only diverse in cultures and languages, but was also a bio-diversity hotspot on the world map. He expressed hope that the workshop would act as a platform to generate innovative solutions for the successful implementation of Nagoya Protocol.

In his presidential address, CUP Vice-Chancellor Prof RK Kohli presented a brief account of the rich biological diversity of the country. He said out of around the 34 biodiversity hotspots identified in the world, four were in India, i.e. in the Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Sundalands and the Western Ghats. He referred to deforestation, pollution, intrusion of exotic plants in domestic soil and over-exploitation of medicinal plants as the main causes responsible for our bio-diversity degradation.

On the occasion, principals, faculty members and students of Delhi Public School, DAV College, Baba Farid University, SD Professional College, Bathinda, and CUPB were present.