Even as Conference of parties (COP 11) to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) kick started on Monday at Hyderabad International Conventional Centre (HICC), the dismal performance of nations in meeting the targets set in the previous Conference of Parties (CoP-10), in Japan’s Nagoya, remains to be an area of concern with just 14 out of 192 nations delivering. The irony is that India chairing COP 11 is not among the 14 nations.
“Given socio-economic conditions prevailing in developing counties including India, it may be impractical to expect them to show progress towards meeting the targets those are described to be ambitious. The real disappointment is that the developed countries are seen among the laggards. However, this is the time for India to show its commitment as the leader,” said Hogan, biodiversity policy coordinator at WWF (Worldwide Wildlife Fund for nature) International.
India is among the worst performing courtiers with just 4 % of protected land where as the country has failed to enhance the forest cover to 33% and stuck at 21 %.
“It’s all about political will and we would like to call upon the parties to come up with real commitment in terms of integrating their national development plans with the strategic plans to conserve biological diversity that is agreed in Nagoya,” said Sejal Worah, programme director of WWF-India.
Amidst a disappointing progress India made, Worah sought to draw world’s attention to what aws achieved so far in the country. According to her, the Tiger conservation is one area that India can stake its claim, while the plans are underway to study elephant-human conflict in the sates of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamilnadu. As far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned marine biodiversity conservation is one area with a scope for exploration, while the state is listed with Orissa and Tamilnadu in a national plan to be taken up to explore Western Ghats.
Rolf Hogan, biodiversity policy coordinator at WWF International, sadi hormonaisation of laws and allocation of funds are imperative for India in terms of biodiversity conservation. “Governments can only be serious about these targets if they are prepared to invest in achieving them. We need to see the rich countries helping poorer countries and all countries increasing their domestic budgets. At the same time the countries like India must identify the area s where their national governments can deliver,” he said.
2012 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.