Capacity building of BMCs and bio-resource-based industries

13 Aug, 2019

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 aims to address conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in India and provides a mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources (bio-resources) and traditional knowledge. Bio-resources constitute an important source of livelihood for millions of people from forest-fringe communities across the world. However, the economic value of most of these forest resources are often not captured by the market nor documented. Their potential is underestimated due to lack of awareness among the stakeholders and lack of knowledge about management and use of bio-resources. This has resulted in the improper management and rapid depletion of bio-resources.

Strengthening implementation of policy, legislation and administrative measures for biodiversity conservation and management is part of the National Biodiversity Action Plan. However, very few ABS agreements have resulted into benefit sharing with local communities. For the ABS to meet the biodiversity conservation objectives, fair and equitable sharing of benefits needs to incentivise local stewardship for biodiversity conservation.

Considering ABS as an important issue, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH jointly launched the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) project. The project aims to explore potential bio-resources, their availability, the existing mechanism of supply chain, inclusive of value addition, and scope for ABS. The assessment of selected bio-resources having ABS potential and value chain has been studied in the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. Conclusively, three such best practices are being developed as part of the Indo-German project with the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board (UBB). The three-potential bio-resources i.e., Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) and Kuth* (Saussurea lappa) [*Cultivated] and Chyura (Diploknema butyracea) were selected, and their value chains have been identified and documented.

A workshop to streamline the process of ABS for the identified bio-resources was conducted on 13^thAugust 2019 at the Uttarakhand State Biodiversity Board, Dehradun. The workshop was attended by the growers, representatives from Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) formed in the identified villages by the department under Indo-German Biodiversity programme, NGO’s, traders and pharmaceutical companies. Three companies procuring the bio-resources were invited for the workshop i.e., Manorma Industries, Dabur India Pvt. Ltd., and Human India Pvt. Ltd. Representatives from BMC’s formed in the identified villages by the department and as part of Indo-German Biodiversity Programme also participated in the workshop.

Discussions focused on the Strategic Operational Plan (SOP) for Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT). It was concluded that the value chain of all the three bio-resources are best fit for PIC and MAT. UBB and GIZ will initiate the PIC and MAT procedure soon. These will be the first cases of PIC and MAT in Uttarakhand and a stepping stone in completing the ABS cycle. This model will be replicated for completing other ABS in the state.

*

The ABS Partnership Project is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under Indo-German Biodiversity Programme, and is commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to strengthen the capacities of regulatory bodies like the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at central level and three State Biodiversity Boards of Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu at the state level in cooperation with selected BMCs in the respective state jurisdiction.