Bio-diversity Conservation
Biotechnology Essential

By Khilendra Basnyat

BIO-DIVERSITY is the term used to describe all kinds of living being on earth, together with their ways of life and the wild places in which they live. This term was used right after the Earth Summit Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992.

Beneficial

At this conference, the leaders of over 150 countries’ governments promised to protect the bio-diversity of their countries and to help poor countries do the same. They believed that humans have no right to destroy the world’s living plants and wildlife. They also realised that any living plant and animals might be beneficial for humans either in helping to fight diseases or to produce new food crops.

The world’s rapid population growth has led to widespread forest encroachment in order to feed the millions that come to this earth every year. Deforestation, along with other development activities, have put tremendous pressure on limited natural resources including land, water and forest.

The equilibrium between environment and development has been disturbed by human development activities over the past few decades. Hence, several national and international efforts have been made to generate awareness among the general people about the significance of environment, ecological balance and bio-diversity.

Due to its unique geographical location and geo-ecological variation, Nepal is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity. The wide geo-ecological variation has promoted a variety of ecosystems, thick forests with a wealth of flora and fauna. Some of these are endemic of Nepal.

In fact, the diversity of physical geography due to the latitudinal variation has made it possible to include almost all types of climate, of broadly tropical, temperate and alpine regions. This is why Nepal is prominent for its biological diversity and is called a naturalist’s paradise.

Due to extended latitudinal climate and broad plant bio-diversity, Nepal possesses a huge potential of zoological realms. It is considered the house to about 850 species of wetland, aqua, migratory and residential birds, Apart from this, 155 species of Pisces, 43 species of mammals, 5,055 species and other varieties of reptiles, and loser invertebrates are found in this country.

Out of a total of 5,000 plant species, 190 are indigenous to Nepal. About 700 of them are valuable medicinal plants, Rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal, adorns most of this hilly and mountainous areas. Equally enchanting are the seasonal flowers bearing significant cultural and religious importance.

The wild fowls found in Nepal’s forests are the progenitors of the domesticated chickens.

Wild bananas, wild mango and wild apples found in Nepal are said to have immense genetic value. They have great demand in agricultural research.

Due to high population growth, intense environmental pollution and extended economic crises, deforestation has accelerated in Nepal, Consequently, bio-diversity is threatened.

Since the past few years, a variety of symposiums, workshop seminars and conferences have been held with optimistic talks and policies. However, the situation regarding bio-diversity presentation remains rather dismal.

In the last few years, billions of rupees were spent in the name of bio-diversity preservation. However, the expected objective is yet to be realised due to the lack of proper harmonised cultivation and its preservation.

The Ministry of Environment was established. Likewise, master plans of the forestry sector were launched with different modifications to emphasise research and development regarding the environment and bio-diversity. However, till now, not much progress can be seen and the concerned authorities have not kept pace with the genuine needs.

In reality, the hallmark of the Eastern Himalayas is the immense diversity of landscape and a rich variety of biological lives. Experts and policy-makers should assess gaps, opportunities and threats to bio-diversity and develop a long-term vision for conserving the rich bio-diversity of the eastern Himalayas.

Actually, a vision for the Eastern Himalayas requires a 20-year plan that leads to the conservation of the different animals and plants present within a well designed and well managed systems of protected areas.

For bio-diversity conservation, endeavours should be made to look forward to develop mechanisms for regional collaboration on information exchange and mutual support in scientific research. In addition, prevention of trade in wildlife products and an innovative institutional mechanism for future bio-diversity conservation is essential.

No doubt, the success of bio-diversity conservation depends on local communities, support. In order to meet their growing legitimate resources needs in a sustainable manner, areas adjacent to the protected areas should be designated buffer zones. This will help manage the resources in an effective way. Apart from this, consolidation of resources and updating the park management plan are of paramount importance to address the problems and challenges encountered by the local people of protected areas. Also a balance between bio-diversity conservation and judicious utilisation needs to be addressed for the longevity of our life support systems.

Since Nepal is a land of many villages, bio-diversity conservation is essential to boost household income in rural communities. In recent years, wild biological and genetic resources, plants, medicinal herbs, etc. have good market value. The annual income of medicinal herbs is about 10 million US dollars. However, about 90 per cent of the herbs are exported to India at low prices because of absence of processing facilities within the country.

In fact, destructive activities of human in general and damaged habitats around the protected areas in particular have threatened Nepal’s bio-diversity. It has been estimated that if Nepal were to lose its remaining humid tropical forests, ten species of valuable timber, six species of fiber, six species of fruit trees, four species of traditional medicinal herbs and about fifty species of little known trees and shrubs would be lost for ever.

What is more, several wildlife habitats for 200 species of birds, 40 species of mammals and 20 species of reptiles and amphibians would be greatly affected. It was in this regard that during the early 1970s, Nepal’s protected areas were established totaling 21,000 square kilometre, representing about 14 per cent of the country’s total land area. This area includes eight national parks, four wildlife reserves, two conservation areas and one hunting reserve.

Nepal’s wildlife resources outside the protected areas are threatened and virtually unprotected. In fact, the lists under the national parks and wildlife conservation act, 1973 fails to include some identified endangered species due to financial problems. The small gene bank established by the National Agricultural Research Council is also incomplete. It is due to scarce human and financial resources.

In reality, the government has realised the importance of bio-diversity conservation, especially since the treaty of the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed on June 12, 1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The priority areas in the environment and sustainable development have been identified in the Ninth Five-Year Plan.

The government has also drafted a Bio-diversity Trust Fund (BTF) to provide financial support for bio-diversity conservation. BTF focuses on the management of protected areas. The profile of BTF includes objectives, legal structure process/modus operandi, government or administrative mechanism, funding sources and criteria for funding capabilities. Likewise, the government has almost finalised the Bio-diversity Action plan, which will address the management planning, resources allocation and capacity building.

Need

Despite continuing efforts, Nepal has witnessed the fast depletion of its precious bio-diversity over the last few decades. Since biotechnology helps restore depleting bio-diversity, there is a need to adopt this technology as soon as possible.

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