India News | India Committed to Mainstream Biodiversity Consideration Across All Sectors: Environment Minister
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Mainstreaming biodiversity consideration in all key sectors of development and promoting human well-being and inclusive growth are "the main mantra" of India's governance strategy, Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Oct 12 (PTI) Mainstreaming biodiversity consideration in all key sectors of development and promoting human well-being and inclusive growth are "the main mantra" of India's governance strategy, Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday.
Addressing virtually the high-level ministerial segment of the UN Biodiversity conference roundtable on 'putting biodiversity on a path of recovery', he said the recent digital reporting by India has "significantly" contributed to achieving the global conservation target under Aichi Biodiversity Target-11 and the Sustainable Development Goal-15.
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"I am very pleased to convey India's strong commitment to the global 30 by 30 initiative," he said.
The minister noted that a new biodiversity science based on the principles of sustainability and landscape conservation is emerging across the globe, focusing on the many ways in which society is both shaping and responding to changes in biodiversity.
India's "unique" biodiversity mission would enable it to further develop processes and strategies for the protection, restoration, conservation and sustainable management of its unique biodiversity and natural ecosystems, he said.
It would also contribute towards meeting India's international commitments for biodiversity conservation, land degradation neutrality and climate change mitigation, he said.
"Mainstreaming biodiversity consideration in all key sectors of development and promoting human well-being and inclusive growth is the main ‘mantra' of our governance strategy," he added.
The minister said India has always relied on a network of formal and informal institutions to fulfil its biodiversity conservation obligations.
Yadav said land restoration is "the best solution" for addressing biodiversity loss and therefore there is an urgent need to restore the degraded lands.
India has committed to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, more than its earlier target of 21 million hectares at a UN conference to combat desertification would help in enhancing India's biodiversity, he said.
"I am also happy to inform that one of the India's intended National Determined Contributions as part of the Paris Agreement is to create additional carbon sink of 2.5 -3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover, will also enhance biodiversity in India," he said.
The minister said India is committed to joining hands in shaping the global conservation policy while making its own contribution in enhancing its conservation estate.
"I am very pleased to say that India has already set aside over 17.41 per cent of its geographical area for meeting the conservation objectives and more areas are being identified to enhance this coverage," he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)