What the article is about :
- The article talks about the Global biodiversity crisis and discusses about India’s commitments to protect biodiversity.
Relevance:
- GS3: climate change, Environmental degradation and pollution.
- Paper 1: Essay
Analysis:
- The world nature conservation day, celebrated on 28th July, seeks to highlight the need to work for a healthy planet by preserving our environment and protecting our natural resources.
Importance of conservation of nature in Indian civilisation:
- The vedas, upanishad and puranas teach us the worship of the divine in the elements- rivers, mountains, lakes, animals, as also stars and planets.
- The Prithvi Sukta in Atharva veda serves to remind us of our relationship with nature: mata bhumih putroham prithiyah
Extent of biodiversity loss:
- Statistics put the loss of the earth’s original forest cover at as high as 45% over the last 8,000 years.
- The Food And Agriculture Organisation recently estimated that about 13 million hectares of the world’s forests are lost due to deforestation each year.
Impacts of biodiversity loss:
- Sudden changes in weather pattern causing heat waves, ocean warming, diminishing amount of snow and ice, melting glaciers, forest fires and floods.
- It will threaten the livelihoods and food production worldwide.
India’s commitments towards biodiversity conservation:
- As a member of the High ambition coalition for nature and people initiated at the “one planet summit” in Paris in January 2021, India is committed to protect at least 30% of our lands, waters and oceans.
- The recent launch of the 75 day long awareness campaign, “swachh sagar, surakshit sagar” covering 75 beaches across the country.
- The government has banned the single use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential from July 1, 2022.
Need of the hour:
- In their joint report, UNEP, WEF, and the economics for land degradation initiatives have rightly urged the G-20 nations to step up.
- There is need to mainstream the conservation and the need to address and achieve climate targets.
- Sustainable development outcomes should be integrated into national policies and decision- making frameworks at the local level.
