The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Project

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TheNational Biodiversity Strategy and Action
PlanProject

• Peoples planning for
• biodiversity conservation and livelihood security

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Context

• UN Convention on Biological Diversity 1992
• NBSAP Primary vehicle of CBD implementation at
  national level
• Project of Ministry of Environment and Forests
• Funded by GEF/UNDP
• Coordinator Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group
  (Pune / Delhi)

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A Unique Process (2000-03)

• Pioneering effort
• Decentralised planning process
• All states of India
• Multi-sector peoples participation
• Transparency
• Inclusiveness
• Reached out to thousands of people
• Offers valuable lessons / model for public
  planning

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Ultimate Goals

• Biodiversity Conservation
• Livelihood Security

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Four Levels of Planning

• State (33 states and union territories)
• Sub-state (18 selected sites for detailed local
  plans)
• Inter-state eco-regions (10, cutting across state
  boundaries)
• Thematic (13 themes, e.g. Culture and
  Biodiversity)
• Each plan headed by a coordinating agency.

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Ministry of Env Forests
Steering Committee (advisory)
BCIL Ltd (admin)
15-member TECHNICAL POLICY CORE GROUP
State Co-ord Agency
Sub-state Co-ord Agency
Eco-regional Co-ord Agency
Thematic Co-ord Agency
NGOs / Activists Grassroots communities Forest
Dept officials Govt institutions Academics /
Schools / Universities Scientists Business
interests Armed forces Politicians Ordinary
citizens
PARTICIPANTS
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Scientific and Technical Inputs

• Wildlife Institute of India
• Bombay Natural History Society
• Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural
  History
• Zoological Survey of India
• Botanical Survey of India
• Indian Institute of Science
• Forest Departments
• Various university departments

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Independent plans

• 71 stand-alone plans
• One National Plan
• (Technical Report 101 strategies, 345 actions)

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Diverse Participatory Planning Tools

• School competitions
• Newsletters / brochures
• Posters
• Website
• Print articles

• School Biodiversity Registers
• Interactive Radio Drama
• Biodiversity Festivals
• Public hearings
• National, state, regional workshops

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Innovative tools

• School Biodiversity Registers
• 49 schools, 14 districts
• Interviewed local residents
• Local inputs for plan
• Awareness raising, capacity building

• Interactive Radio Drama
• 14 weeks
• Real interviews integrated with fictional drama
• Public inputs / awareness
• 800 responses
• 9.4 million listeners

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Innovative tools (cont.)

• Mobile Agricultural Biodiversity Festival
• Bullock cart procession
• 62 villages, 32 days
• Carts decorated 75 local seed varieties,
  traditional recipes, etc.
• Celebration of crop diversity
• 20,000 farmers participated in meetings
• 50,000 people saw the exhibition

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Tools and strategies

• Diverse methods
• Inclusive approach
• Successful model of planning

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Empowering Process

• Capacity Building
• Awareness Raising
• Local Implementation

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Capacity Building

• Networking
• Exposure
• Fine-tuning thoughts/ideas

E.G. Teachers Karnataka Forest Department
Sikkim Tribal networks Andhra Pradesh
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Awareness raising
Examples

• Encouraged use of radio Karnataka
• Initial school projects expanded to 20 schools,
  600 students Nagpur, Maharashtra
• Biodiversity festivals various states

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Local Implementation

• Traditional healers network Andhra Pradesh
• Garbage management Reduction of yak grazing in
  KNP Sikkim
• Water tank cleaning - Karnataka

Examples
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Current status of the plan

• Technical Report submitted by Core Group to Govt
  in 2003.
• Delay in releasing the plan officially.
• Status unclear.

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Transforming Future Planning

• Civil society at centre of environmental
  governance
• Decentralisation
• Multi-sector public participation
• Empowerment through participation
• ? Strengthening democracy