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Issueno.7|May2020
Indo-GermanBiodiversityProgrammeNewsletter
ThisnewslettersharesprojectupdatesandthematicnewsfromourprogrammeAservicebyIGBP,GIZ
DearReader
It’sclosetotwomonthsinCOVID-19lockdown.Withlockdownofindustriesandtrafficoveranextendedperiod,peoplestartednoticingcleanerair,riversandlakesandquietersurroundings.Whilethelockdownheightenedourcollectiveawarenessoftheenvironment,italsocausedseveresufferingformillionsofpeopleandmigrantworkerswholosttheirjobsandincomeandwereforcedtotakedesperatemeasurestoreturntotheirvillages.ToaddtothemiserycycloneAmphanhasbatteredfewmillionsinthestatesofOdishaandWestBengalandBangladeshintheneighbourhood.Recoveryfromtheunprecedentedeconomicshockwillbepossibleonlywithgovernmentstimulusandrebootingtheeconomy.Canweprepareaneconomicrecoveryplanthatprovidesjobstothemillionswhohavelostlivelihoodsduringthelockdown,whileatthesametimefurtheringourcollectiveawarenessoftheenvironment?Cantherebeafiscalstimulustoimplementnature-basedsolutionsatscale,decarbonisingeconomicsectorsforeconomic,socialandenvironmentalbenefitsandhelpbuildresilience?Thesearesomequestionsthatpolicymakersandpractitionersacrossallsectorsandscaleneedtoponderupon.
ThisseventhissuemarksthecompletionofoneyearoftheIGBPnewsletter.Theanniversaryissueisabitdifferentfromthepreviousones.ThisissuefeaturesarticlesandapoemonwetlandsbyacolleagueonthethemesoftheInternationalDayforBiologicalDiversity-“Oursolutionsareinnature”andtheWorldEnvironmentDay–“Biodiversity”,whichemphasisetheimportanceofworkingtogethertobuildafutureinharmonywithnature.We’vefeaturedarticlesontheinterlinkagesofbiodiversitywithscience,conservation,healthandculture.We'vealsoincludedexperiencessharedbyourpartnersandbeneficiarieswhohaveworkedwithus.
Wethankyouforyourcontinuoussupportandwelcomeyourfeedbackandideastowardsfurtherimprovingourengagementwithyou.
Staysafeandhealthy.
Warmly,RavindraSingh,ProgrammeDirector
UPDATESFROMTHEPROJECTS» Human-WildlifeConflictMitigation
SPOTLIGHT» ScienceandKnowledge:Theworldhasgoneviral!» ConservationofBiodiversity:Howbirdscanhelpussaveforestsandlivelihoods» Health,FoodandBiodiversity:Sustainableagri-supplychains» People,CultureandBiodiversity:Benefit-sharingandbioresourcetraceability» DiversityofLifeandValues:Apoemonwetlands
EXPERIENCESFROMPARTNERSANDBENEFICIARIES»
Scienceandknowledge©www.cbd.int
TestimonyfortheABSProject» TestimonyfortheHP-FESProject
ABOUTTHEPROGRAMME
UpdatesfromtheProjects
Human-WildlifeConflictMitigation
©GIZ/NeerajKhera
VirtualDiscussionwithSFSOfficerTraineesatCASFOSDehradunonHuman-WildlifeConflictMitigationwasorganisedfrom22-24April2020aspartofthe‘2018-20StateForestServicesInductionCourse’undertheproject.GIZandDirectorateofForestEdu…
News»
Spotlight
Theworldhasgoneviral!Reimaginingdevelopmentpost-COVID-19lockdown
Withmorethan4.5millionconfirmedcasesandover300,000deathsacross216countriesduetoCOVID-19overthelast4-5months,theworldhasgoneviral.Withnotreatmentorvaccineinstoretopreventormanagethespreadofthenovelcoronavirus,countriesaftercountriesrespondedtothepandemicbyimposingeconomicandsociallockdownastheonlyviableoptiontobreakthechainoftransmission,containspreadofthediseaseandpreventhealthsystemsfromcollapsingunderanexponentiallyrisingpatientload.Thelockdowncauseddisruptioninmostoftheeconomicactivities–industrialproductionalmostcametoahalt,surfaceandairtrafficstopped,andglobalandlocalsupplychainsexceptforessentialcommoditiesandservicesbrokedown.Consequently,theenvironmentalexternalities
oftheseeconomicactivities–carbonemission,pollution,effluentdischargeandnoisedeclinedremarkably.Citiesacrosstheworldexperiencedimprovedairquality,riversandlakesbecamecleanerwithreducedindustrialeffluents,andpeoplestatedwitnessingbirdsandwildlife..
Keepreading»
ConservationofBiodiversity©www.cbd.int
Health,FoodandBiodiversity©www.cbd.int
HowbirdscanhelpussaveforestsandprovidelivelihoodACaseStudyfromHP-FESProject
Humanbeingshavealwaysbeenfascinatedbybirdsandforgoodreason.Beitduetothesheervarietyofcolours,shapesandsizesortheircaptivatingsongs.Butlittle,dowerealisethatbirdsareanintegralpartoftheecosystemwheretheyplayanimportantroleinprovidingawiderangeofecosystemservices.Sincebirdsinhabitallhabitatsonearth,theirmerepresence/absencecanindicatethehealthofanyecosystem.
Birdsplayanimportantroleinmaintainingthediversityoffloraandfaunabecausetheyoccupynearlyallthetrophic
levelsinthefoodchainfromconsumerstopredators.Forexample,frugivorousorfruit-eatingbirds,suchasblackbirds,actasconsumersandinfluencethegerminationprocessofaseed..
Keepreading»
Grey-hoodedWarbler©GIZ/JyotiKashyap
Biodiversity-FriendlyPracticesforSustainableAgri-SupplyChainsACaseStudyfromtheSpiceSector
Theagriculturesectorcanplayavitalroleintherapidtransitiontoagreeneconomy.Thissectorincludescrops,agroforestryandfoodprocessing.MostoftheAgriandFoodsectorisdependentdirectlyonnaturalresourcesforproductionandprocesses,andhaveahugeimpactonit.Moreover,thecurrentpracticesfollowedbyproducersarenotverysustainable,andcreatechallengesofbiodiversityloss,soilerosion,watercontaminationandpests.Variousstudieshavereportedthatoverexploitationofnatureandunsustainableuseofnaturalresourcesdestroyshabitats,biodiversityandresultsinunsustainablesupplychains,thusincreasingcompetitionforbothbusinessesandproducerswhorelyuponit.
Theagriculturesectorisamajornaturalresource-basedtradethathasthepotentialtoprovidebiodiversitybenefitsbyapplyingsustainablemanagementsystemsandadoptinginnovativetechnologiesandpractices..
Keepreading»
People,CultureandBiodiversity©www.cbd.int
BenefitSharingandBioresourceTraceabilityDigitalApplicationtoTracetheOriginofBioresources
India’sBiologicalDiversityActrecognisesthecrucialroleoflocalcommunitiesinconservingandmanagingbioresourcesthatoccurintheirvicinity.Theirlivesarecloselyinterlinkedwiththesebioresourceswhichserveasanimportantsourceoffoodandlivelihood.TheprovisionofAccessandBenefitSharing(ABS)intheBiodiversityActisakeytooltoempowersuchcommunitiestogenerateresourcesforthemanagementoftheirlocalbiodiversity.
Ensuringfairandequitablesharingofbenefitsforconservationandsustainableuseofbiodiversityisoneof
thecoreobjectivesoftheBiodiversityAct.Tofulfilthisobjective,identifyingthebenefit-claimerswithwhomthesebenefitsorABSissharedrequirestracingtheoriginofthebio-resourcetotheplaceofgenesis.However,lackoftraceabilityinthesupplychaindoesn’talloweithertheStateBiodiversityBoardsorcompaniestracetheoriginofabio-resource..
Keepreading»
©GIZ
Wetlands-DiversityofLife,DiversityofServicesSpecialfeatureontheoccasionofIDB2020
Whatissospecialaboutthe‘landwhichiswet’,Theplaceswhere‘terra’and‘aqua’haveceremoniouslymet.Fromcradlingcivilizationsthousandsofyearsago,Tonourishingbillions;thewetlandsbestow.
Withespecially‘tailored’plantsandsoil‘unique’,Keepingthewaterandnutrientsinmotion,justsotospeak.Not‘mosquito-infestedwastelands’butbiodiversity’sabode,
©GIZ/PradeepMehta
©GIZ/HarishKumar
Guardingthecoastlineandstowingawaycarbonload.
Riversandlakes,tolagoonsandpeatlands,Reefs,marshes,andmangroves,andevensaltpans.FromTundratoTropicstheyrangesowide,Justlikethemultitudeofservicestheyprovide.
Keepreading»
ExperiencesfromPartnersandBeneficiaries
TestimonyfortheABSProjectBySSRasaily,MemberSecretary,UttarakhandBiodiversityBoard
“TheIndo-GermanABSprojectinUttarakhandwasofgreathelpandsupporttoUBB,IwishtheprojectcouldhavelastedlongersothatwecouldjointlytakeupmoreworkonABS.”
TheconceptofAccessandBenefitSharing(ABS)intheConventionofBiologicalDiversityisnotverydifficulttounderstand.Butwhenitcomestoimplementation,boththeconcernedofficialsandtheUsersofbioresourcesfacemany
challenges.TheUttarakhandBiodiversityBoard(UBB)hasbeenattheforefrontofsigningmanyABSagreementswiththeUserindustrialunits.Overtheyears,we’verealisedthattheindustrieswillinglycomeforwardtosharebenefitsiftheyunderstandtheABSconceptproperly.SinceUBBenforcestheimplementationoftheABSprovisions..
Keepreading»
TestimonyfortheHP-FESProjectByHansaKumar,Resident,Pathrevi
“Ilookforwardtoself-dependencybysellingpineneedleproducts”
Pathreviisascenicvillage,situatedtotheNorth-EastofKarsog,inMandidistrictofHimachalPradesh.TherearepatchesofChirPinetreesacrossthevillage.Pineneedlesareasourceoffuelforforestfiresduringthesummermonths.TheHimachalPradeshForestEcosystemServices(HP-FES)projectencouragedthevillagecommunitiestousepineneedlesasaresourceformakingartefactsandearncash-income.Moreimportantly,thedirectdependenceofthecommunityonforestresourcesensurestheiractiveparticipationinforestprotectionandconservation.Thus,pine-needleweavingwasidentifiedasanentry-pointforusingtheFESapproachinmicroplanning.Thecapacitydevelopmentprogra..
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AbouttheProgramme
TheMinistryofEnvironment,ForestandClimateChange(MoEFCC),GovernmentofIndia,inpartnershipwithGIZIndiaisimplementingtheIndo-GermanBiodiversityProgramme(IGBP).
CommissionedinIndiaonbehalfoftheGermanFederalMinistryforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(BMZ)andtheFederalMinistryforEnvironment,NatureConservationandNuclearSafety(BMU),theprogrammeaddressesthechallengesofbiodiversityconservationinfiveprojects:
•AccessandBenefitSharing(ABS)•HimachalPradeshForestEcosystemServices(HPFES)•PrivateBusinessActionforBiodiversity(PBAB)•HumanWildlifeConflictMitigation(HWC)•WetlandsManagementforBiodiversityandClimateProtection
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VATno.DE113891176Taxno.04025056973
ChairmanoftheSupervisoryBoardMartinJäger,StateSecretary
ManagementBoardTanjaGönner(ChairoftheManagementBoard)ThorstenSchäfer-Gümbel
Inchargeofthisnewsletter:RavindraSingh,ProgrammeDirector
Editor(s):NehaOwaisy,JuniorCommunicationOfficer
Withcontributionsfrom:IGBPTeam
PhotoCredits:Titleimage©GIZ/AashimaNegi|©GIZ/DhivyalakshmiS.|©GIZ/NeerajKhera|©GIZ/PoonamPandey|©GIZ/RiteshSharma
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