Himalayan Biodiversity and the Need for a Climate Change Knowledge Network Based on case study entitled : “Conserving Himalayan Biodiversity-Need for a Climate Change Knowledge Network” Authored by : Dr. Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar and Rashmi Gangwar, from RCE Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, Centre for Environment Education (CEE Himalaya), India Presented by : Dr. Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar, at Asia Regional Forum on Biodiversity, Cha-am, Thailand, November 2011 About 10 per cent of the world’s population lives in mountains and another 40 per cent occupies watershed areas below them. More than half of the world’s population relies on mountain water to grow food, produce electricity, sustain industries and, most importantly, to drink. Mountain water helps to sustain ecosystems in both highland and lowland areas, contributing greatly to the conservation of the world’s biodiversity. While mountains harbor some of the world’s richest biological diversity, they also provide homes for some of the world’s poorest people. Eighty percent of the world’s population relies on traditional medicines and wildlife resources, yet one in every eight species of plants, many originating in mountain biomes, faces extinction. In India, the much-hyped ‘Green Revolution’ degraded much of the crop diversity in the plains as it promoted and encouraged monoculture. Fortunately, this practice did not reach mountain areas due to accessibility. This inaccessibility proved a ‘blessing in disguise’ and saved the rich biodiversity of the mountain regions of India and the Himalayas. Majority of the population in both developing and underdeveloped countries rely heavily on biodiversity as a source of food, shelter and livelihood. In India, more so in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), communities survive by harvesting biodiversity products from the wild. The deterioration of biodiversity and the extinction of species is therefore a serious concern and people’s participation in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity becomes even more significant. Aside from the many factors that cause biodiversity loss, the impacts of climate change have made it imperative for governments and communities to address issues in biodiversity conservation. Mountain ecosystems are particularly vulnerable, and there is a felt need to establish connections between climate change and mountain biodiversity since this will affect the lives of mountain communities in the future. It is important for communities to understand the expected socio-economic consequences of the impacts of climate change to ensure their participation in conservation. They also need to understand what lifestyles and behavior stimulate climate change and thus contribute to biodiversity loss, particularly in the context of mountain regions. Success Stories in Biodiversity Conservation The Centre for Environment Education (CEE), which works as an International Resource Centre for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), believes that Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) campaigns are important in drawing attention to lifestyles that lead to conservation of natural resources and a healthy planet. Biodiversity conservation is one of the thrust areas for the centre and through its Himalayan initiative ‘CEE Himalaya’, various programmes have been and are being implemented to help conserve Himalayan ecosystems and species. Many of these activities have been integrated into formal education, non-formal education, or are part of action projects of non-government organizations. Formal education programmes include environmental education in schools, where ESD ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 121
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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