In May 2023, a national campaign for the updation and verification of people’s biodiversity register was launched in Goa in order to document and protect the rich biodiversity of India. In this article, we give you details about the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), a topic relevant for the IAS exam environment, ecology and geography segment.
What is the People’s Biodiversity Register?
- People’s biodiversity register is a comprehensive record of different aspects of biodiversity that occur in an area which contains the following aspects:
- Conservation of habitats
- Preservation of landraces, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals
- Microorganisms
- Accumulation of knowledge related to biodiversity present in an area
- Under the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment), the objective is to create a People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) in every village in the country.
- In different states, the Biodiversity Management Committee so far has created 2,67,608 PBRs.
- Mission LiFE calls upon individuals and institutions globally to promote mindful and deliberate utilisation of resources to protect and preserve the environment.
- The Biodiversity Management Committee was created under the Biological Diversity Act 2002 in order to promote the conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biodiversity in the country.
- The Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) is tasked with the preparation of people’s biodiversity register in concentration with people and BMCs are constituted by the local bodies in the states and union territories.
- The Peoples Biodiversity Register is considered an essential step towards bridging the gap between the intellectual property rights of local people and the benefits derived from the genetic resources to enable people to share the benefits.
- The objective of the PBR is that the comprehensive availability and knowledge of the local resources and their medicinal use are formally recorded and maintained.
Biological Diversity Act, 2002:
- The Biological Diversity Act, of 2002 was passed by the parliament of India to protect biodiversity and facilitate the sustainable management of biological resources within the local communities.
- The biological diversity Act was passed with the objective to fulfil the criteria required by the United Nation convention on Biodiversity (CBD) of which India is a member.
Know more about the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 in the linked article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1
Who prepares People’s Biodiversity Register?
The Biodiversity Management Committees prepare the People’s Biodiversity Registers.
Q2
What is the role of PBR in biodiversity conservation?
By ensuring that different aspects of biodiversity of an area are formally recorded and maintained, PBRs help in creating awareness of biodiversity among the people and encourage stakeholders including policymakers to regulate access to biological resources of the country with the purpose of securing equitable share in benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.
Q3
Which is the first biodiversity register in India?
Kolkata is the first major metropolitan city in India to prepare a detailed register of biodiversity.
People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) [UPSC Notes]:- Download PDF Here
| Related Links | |||
| Importance of Biodiversity | Causes of Biodiversity Loss | ||
| Biodiversity Conservation | Importance of Biodiversity | ||
| Natural Vegetation in India |
NCERT Notes on Biodiversity | ||
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