THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the devastating floods that caused major damage to the state’s ecology, a comprehensive study will be conducted into the impact of the deluge on Kerala’s biodiversity. The findings will be taken into consideration when finalising projects for the state’s sustainable development, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The study to assess the loss will be carried out by the State Biodiversity Board along with biodiversity management committees. Regional micro-level surveys will be conducted to study changes in the state’s biodiversity. The data collection will be completed within a month. A state-level expert panel will monitor the studies and survey.
The state has decided to entrust 100 experts in the biodiversity sector to lead the studies. The CM made it clear that all future projects aimed at the state’s sustainable development will be planned and executed based on these reports on biodiversity changes.
“The findings will be used to prepare a comprehensive plan for sustainable development with the help of national and international funding agencies,” he said in a Facebook post. The state suffered major ecological loss in the recent floods with hundreds of landslides reported from various parts of Western Ghats.
After the deluge, the National Green Tribunal had directed the government to come up with a final notification on the Kasturirangan report on ecologically sensitive areas as per the draft notification.