Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial Lecture: II

• Constitute an inter-disciplinary National Bio-diversity Conservation Board for
conservation, monitoring and overseeing implementation of the work plan, and
managing conservation of different biota and the PAN (Protected Area Network).
• Evolve a national policy on conservation of biodiversity and periodically update the
same.
• Review the existing PAN, which must include biosphere reserves, national parks,
wildlife sanctuaries, sacred groves, fragile and unique ecosystems, game and
genetic reserves, etc. with reference to:
- Bio-geographical aspects involving all habitats from sea to alpine levels, and
from moist tropical forests to cold and hot deserts,
- Biological holdings and area of each protected area in relation to population size
of biota to be conserved, forest types, threatened biota, centres of diversity of
plants and animals species, and their relatives,
- Anthropological aspects,
- National information base on biological wealth, together with its value in
economic terms, and
- Management patterns.
• Review present conservation effort on different biota and prepare special
management plan for conservation of marine and freshwater habitats and forest
trees and microorganisms
• Draw up a plan to establish a representative PAN by:
- Excluding those areas that do not satisfy the minimum criteria, and
- Including new area in order to rectify the deficiencies, such as genetic reserves
for rice, sugarcane, mango, forage plants, banana, citrus musk deer, buffalo,
pheasants, butterflies, frogs, fish, etc.
• Establish minimal databases for each protected area with regard to:
- Climate, soil, water, air and other abiotic characteristics,
- Total biotic wealth with taxonomic identification-wild relatives of domesticated
biota
- Threatened biota and nature of threats, and
- Linking of such databases to central point
• Draw management plans for PAN by ensuring
- All-round involvement of people in order to develop a stake of the people in
PAN, including the welfare and developmental measures so as to reduce to the
minimum their dependence to PAN for goods, and
- Build up of a cadre of PAN conservators and science and technology
professionals fully trained in various aspects of management of these areas and
the underlying science and technology including restorative ecology. Since
conservation areas are often far away from cities and towns, and the personnel
often have to deal with dangerous animals, the rules regarding recruitment,
training, salary, promotion and career development need re-examination.
• Examine the tenurial status as well as land and water use patterns. Wherever
necessary, take steps to guarantee tenurial status in perpetuity and provide
protection against any future disruption in the particular habitat on account of
developmental projects. Such a disruption would mar the continuity of the biological
process.
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