Tuesday, September 6, 2011

New UNEP-GEF Project on Biodiversity for Sikkim

GANGTOK, 02 Sept: Sikkim is one of the five Indian states selected for a new UNEP-GEF funded project of the Ministry of Environment & Forests for “Strengthening Implementation of the Biological Diversity Act (BDA) and Rules with Focus on its Access and Benefit Sharing Provisions”. The total outlay of the project is US$ 9.8 million over a period of four years 2011-14. 
Member-Secretary, Sikkim State Biodiversity Board, APCCF Dr. Anil Mainra and Principal Research Officer, Usha Lachungpa attended the Inception Meeting organized by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and MoEF on 23 and 24 August, informs a press release.
The project will focus on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Provisions of the BDA by assessing and quantifying the economic value of biological diversity at local, state and national levels using appropriate methodologies to determine benefit sharing which will help in better implementation of the Act and inform national decision makers on prioritizing conservation action, the release informs. Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) will be formed to facilitate the process of compilation of Peoples’ Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) at selected places.
Developing tools, methodologies, guidelines and frameworks on Prior Informed Consent (PIC), Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT), Material Transfer Agreements (MTA), and Benefit Sharing agreements for realizing ABS provisions will help in developing ABS agreements. This would facilitate and enhance stakeholder decision-making on the provisions of ABS based on the economic valuation of bio-resources that will be carried out in the project.
Establishing National, State and Local level databases on biodiversity with ABS potential and developing ABS agreements as per the act provisions will help better use of our biodiversity potential and facilitate better negotiation skills at all levels, the release further mentions.
Developing relevant public awareness and participation programmes and establishing state level platforms for public, NGO and private sector partnerships would strengthen ABS and will help in better coordination of activities besides ensuring all stakeholders to be involved in the project and contribute to the conservation and sustainable use aspects.

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