ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 PUBLISHED BY THE CHAIRMAN WEST BENGAL BIODIVERSITY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 Dr. A. K. Sanyal Chairman It is a proud moment for me to present As a result the number of Biodiversity the Annual Report of West Bengal Management Committee (BMC) and People’s Biodiversity Board (WBBB) for the year 2018 Biodiversity Register (PBR) has escalated -2019. It highlights the significant work quite fairly and going strong with financial completed in West Bengal along with assistance from both the State Government & recording of important decisions. More National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). challenging path is lying ahead and we are Dissemination of information on varied gearing up to meet it. elements of biodiversity, similar to previous We are almost at the end of this decade years, has also been continued by the Board which has shown that climate change is not in as well though seriously challenged by acute the distant future. It is happening and its shortage of manpower, adding more impact is felt not only in the changing awareness materials, printed information, weather pattern but in scores of other issues thematic posters on different elements of in every level of socio-economy, geo-politics, biodiversity, commissioning and sponsoring health, livelihood and so on. Our mother earth of studies on varied biodiversity components, is not in a good state now. The most brochures, leaflets, TV/Radio programmes, concerned area is food security for the poor seminars and other extension materials and people. So, changing environment as well as distributed among different communities. gradual liquidation of biodiversity is the most Board is working with other institutions to pressing issue of our time. meet the larger goal of conservation of During the year under report the Board biodiversity, along with sustainable use of bio has constantly tried to build up the capacity -resources. and involve the villagers in the formation and In a specially designed initiative the management of the BMCs. Constant effort of Board introduced and continued the Nature the Board to build up the capacity of the Study Tours coined as ‘Bio Tour’ or ‘Jeevan BMCs, in documentation, in various Safar’ for the students from district schools customised tasks, based on the local needs of and also sponsored several awareness conservation, has been instrumental in programmes through the BMCs. Effort is on to shaping many BMCs. The Board has been able set up a state wide Bio-Club network in the to generate a momentum in documentation schools. Edited versions of Board’s activities throughout the state by taking up publication on identification of vary aggressive awareness generation programme. biodiversity components of our state are in ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 the pipelines along with other new that people will come forward with their publications to brought out soon. valuable suggestions and support for the The journey is still to achieve more and cause of conserving biodiversity in a more to undertake something unique and new each inclusive manner. I place on record my passing year by learning from the past. The sincere thanks to Sri Suvendu Adhikary, Board has introduced a dedicated portal for Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of online registration by submission of Form-I Environment, Government of West Bengal and sharing of benefit by the commercial during the period under report. Thanks are users of bio-resources of the state. also due to Principal Secretary and other officers & staffs of Department of The Board has been successful in Environment, Government of West Bengal for registering some TRVs with PPV&FR their support to the activities of the Board. In authority to help the marginal farmer’s get this opportunity, I convey my indebtedness to royalty benefit. The Board is working on PBR the Chairman and Secretary of NBA for data to introduce some climate resilient crops continued guidance and support. I would like in some ecologically vulnerable areas. to record my appreciation to the Member It calls for a concerted effort to uphold Secretary and other officials and staff of our the need to save biodiversity for a cleaner, Board for bringing this consolidated Report of greener, healthier and happier world. I hope the activities of the Board during 2018-2019. ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 iodiversity also includes not aware right this moment then we have to genetic differences within see more extinction of species and one day we each species - for example, will be disappeared. Therefore, the 150 between varieties of crops and countries came together to deliberate and to breedsB of livestock. Chromosomes, genes, and formulate certain guidelines and rules and DNA-the building blocks of life-determine the regulations upon the said issue. The United uniqueness of each individual and each Nations Convention on Biological Diversity species. Protecting biodiversity is in our self- was one of the major aftermaths of the 1992 interest. Biological resources are the pillars United Nations Conference on Environment upon which we build civilizations. Nature's and Development termed the Earth Summit products support such diverse industries as or Vasundhara in Rio de Janeiro. agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pulp India is a vast country and has been and paper, horticulture, construction and endowed by nature in terms of great diversity waste treatment. The loss of biodiversity of environment. From the Indian Ocean to the threatens our food supplies, opportunities for lofty Himalayas and beyond to the cold recreation, sources of wood, medicines and deserts of Ladakh, the physiognomic diversity energy. It also interferes with essential and myriad of climatic situation have given ecological functions. Earth's biological rise to a countless habitat across the length resources are Vibrant to humans economic and breadth of the country. and social development. This diversity has made India one of the As a result, it was felt at the international seventeen mega diversity countries in the level that biological diversity is a global asset world. India already accounts for 7.8% of the of remarkable value towards present and global recorded species. India is also rich in future generation. But the threat to species traditional and Indigenous knowledge both and its extinction at an alarming rate due to coded and informal. West Bengal is the only malpractices of human beings and their State in India which touches Himalayas in the activities compelled philanthropists to think north and has a sea on its south. As such the about the conservation of biodiversity. physical environment of the state varies from Declines in the numbers of such charismatic Bay of Bengal in south to the snow-capped animals as pandas, tigers, elephants, whales, Himalayas in the north through vast stretches and various species of birds, have drawn of alluvial plains in the middle, small patches world attention to the problem of species at of hills and isolated mounds in the western risk. Species have been disappearing at 50- part. Soil characteristics, temperature and 100 times the natural rate, and this is rainfall also vary widely from one part to predicted to rise dramatically. Based on another. These have been resulted in rich current trends, an estimated 34,000 plant and diverse vegetative cover consisting of all mos 5,200 animal species including one in eight of forest types, vast expanses of grasslands, the world's bird species face extinction. And, different agricultural crops as well as about 30% of breeds of the main farm animal cropping practices. Fach of these supports a species are currently at high risk of extinction. particular type of biodiversity. Varieties in 45% of the Earth's original forests are gone, ecosystem such as fresh water, brackish cleared mostly during the past century. Up to water. estuary and marine also contributed to 10 per cent of coral reefs, among the richest the richness of State’s biodiversity. ecosystems, have been destroyed, and one third of the remainder face collapse over the Further, West Bengal falls in the next 10 to 20 years. Coastal mangroves, a vital transition zone between peninsular Indian nursery habitat for countless species, are also sub-region, Indo-Malayan sub-region of vulnerable, with half already gone. If we are oriental zone and Palearctic. This also helped West Bengal in its great array of natural eco ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 systems embellished with ingress, biological diversity importance to be notified colonization and interspersion of life forms as heritage sites and their managements. In from all adjoining region. Richness of India three tier arrangements have been biodiversity is reflected by the fact that West made: National Biodiversity Authority at the Bengal though acquire 2.7% of total area of top, State Biodiversity Boards in the middle the country, but four Viz., the Himalaya and Biodiversity Management Committees at (Central Himalaya), Gangetic Plain (Lower the bottom level (Municipality, Block and Gangetic Plain), Coast (East Coast) and Panchayet Samity) to surveillance, conserve Deccan Peninsula (Chhoto Nagpur), out of 10 and protect Biodiversity. The National recognized biogeographic zones of India are Biodiversity Authority with its headquarter at represented in the State. In West Bengal, huge Chennai was established in 2003 to amount of biodiversity related data has implement India's Biological Diversity Act, already been accumulated through surveys, 2002. It is a statutory, autonomous body and identification and inventorying activities of it performs facilitative, regulatory and the botanical, zoological, anthropological, advisory functions for Central and State forest and ashery survey of India, State Forest Governments on issues of conservation, Department and several other institutes, sustainable use of biological resources and autonomous bodies as well as Non- fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising Government Organizations. For greater out of use of biological resources.