HYDERABAD: In line with the revised guidelines of the National Biodiversity Act and international agreements like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Telangana State Biodiversity Board (TSBDB) released ‘Telangana State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (TSBSAP) 2023-2030’ on Thursday. The action plan was formulated in collaboration with the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS), Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI).
Dr Rajat Kumar, TSBDB chairman said that Telangana is the first State in the country to release an action plan by incorporating protocols of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022. Various tools such as the Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER) of various departments, the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) to calculate the contribution of the efforts made by departments like forestry, agriculture, irrigation, animal husbandry, and fisheries were deployed to draft the action plan.
Spread over 12 chapters, TSBSAP addresses various components of biodiversity, key factors that affect biodiversity, and methodologies to combat the loss of biodiversity in the State. The plan outlines the efforts to be taken in developing more resource-sharing mechanisms to help optimise the use of bioresources. It also includes measures for promoting the conservation of biodiversity through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and private sector units. The action plan also explores the scope of Public-Private Partnerships.
In his address, C Achalender Reddy, chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority, lauded the “structured and planned” approach of the action plan. He said that according to the new clause of 36B of the National Biodiversity Act, it is mandatory for the State governments to focus on biodiversity conservation. Development and biodiversity conservation should go hand in hand, he added.