KENDRAPARA: Union minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh on Monday said the Centre in collaboration with Odisha government has undertaken significant measures including rehabilitation of mangroves as part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) which encompasses reforestation activities in Bhitarkanika and Baitarani delta to safeguard biodiversity and alleviate the effects of cyclones.
Responding to a question from Bhadrak MP Avimanyu Sethi in the Lok Sabha, Singh said the Planning and Convergence department of Odisha government has formulated the Odisha sustainable development goals indicator framework (OSIF) document. It has devised indicators for monitoring the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the state.
The indicators used to assess the achievement of SDG goals have direct relevance to biodiversity conservation efforts. These indicators include percentage change in mangrove areas, marine protected areas, percentage of tree outside forest in total forest cover and conservation of local wildlife species among other things.
The minister said to evaluate the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation initiatives in coastal and riverine regions of Odisha, various essential metrics and indicators are commonly utilised. These metrics encompass trends in species populations, particularly focusing on distinctive or threatened species such as Olive Ridley turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, estuarine crocodiles and horseshoe crab which are emblematic of these areas.
Singh further said the Union government has taken several initiatives to conserve biodiversity within the coastal and riverine ecosystem of Odisha including Bhadrak. For overall biodiversity assessment of Bhadrak and surrounding regions, the people’s biodiversity register has been documented that includes information regarding agricultural, fallow and marshy lands, swamps, ponds, riverine tracts, creeks, estuaries and oceans.
The measures undertaken to protect and restore habitats critical for sustaining biodiversity in coastal and riverine ecosystem of Bhadrak and surrounding regions include planting indigenous and mixed species in forest areas, formation of Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSSs) and eco development committees, creation of water bodies and raising of mangrove and casuarina plantations, he added.