Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial Lecture : XI

interest, because, according to their understanding of the ecosystembased on many years of first-hand observations, the levels ofregeneration were primarily influenced by forest fires. Amla seedsrequire fire to germinate well, and the Solligas felt that the low levelsof regeneration were related to the suppression of forest fires in recentyears. The scientists did not initially give credence to this view andcontinued with their experiments. Only later did they come to theconclusion that the Solligas had indeed been right. So it is highlyappropriate for us to put in place a more inclusive system of obtaininginputs from all people.The recently enacted Biological Diversity Act provides excellentopportunities to bring together people’s knowledge with scientificknowledge. This ambitious act aims to promote conservation,sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits of India’s biodiversityresources, including habitats, cultivars, domesticated stocks and breedsof animals and microorganisms. With this in view it provides for theestablishment of a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), StateBiodiversity Boards (SBB) and Biodiversity Management Committees(BMC) at the level of Panchayats, Municipalities and City Corporations.The Act stipulates that “Every local body shall constitute a BMC withinits area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use anddocumentation of biological diversity including preservation of habitats,conservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticatedstocks and breeds of animals and micro-organisms and chronicling ofknowledge relating to biological diversity”. The NBA is authorized toscrutinize all Intellectual Property Rights related applications and ensurethat they properly acknowledge the contributions of providers ofindigenous knowledge. NBA is expected to consult all local BMCs inthis respect and to ensure appropriate arrangements for equitablesharing of benefits.While there are many significant initiatives such as Joint ForestManagement and Watershed Development towards decentralization ofecosystem management, none of the institutions set up for the purposehave a statutory backing. The BMCs have the required legislativesupport and should therefore be in a position to strike roots moreeffectively. Most significantly, BMCs would serve to take science rightdown to the grass-roots, since, the rules lay down that “The mainfunction of the BMC is to prepare People’s Biodiversity Register in17