International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22: history and India's biodiversity law
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth: plants, animals, microbes and the ecosystems they form. Every year on May 22 the United Nations marks the International Day for Biological Diversity to draw attention to how much people depend on that variety for food, water, medicine and livelihoods.
What the video shows
This short VoxyTalksy explainer was published on May 22, 2019, the International Day for Biological Diversity that year. It is a visual presentation without an interview. According to the video's description, it highlights the 2019 theme, "Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health", and quotes the three goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
History of the day
- The text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted in Nairobi on May 22, 1992.
- The UN General Assembly originally marked the day on December 29, the date the convention entered into force in 1993. Through resolution 55/201, it was moved to May 22 from 2000 onwards, to commemorate the adoption of the text.
- The 2019 theme, "Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health", focused on how the loss of crop varieties, pollinators and soil life affects diets and human health.
Biodiversity law in India
India is one of the world's megadiverse countries and a party to the CBD. Its main law is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), set up in 2003 and headquartered in Chennai, regulates access to biological resources and related traditional knowledge.
- Each state has a State Biodiversity Board. Uttar Pradesh's board is in Lucknow.
- At the local level, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in panchayats and municipalities prepare People's Biodiversity Registers that document local plants, animals and traditional knowledge.
Why it matters for Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh's biodiversity ranges from the Terai forests and grasslands of Dudhwa to the Chambal ravines and the Ganga and its tributaries, home to the endangered Gangetic dolphin. Traditional crop varieties, such as the Kala Namak rice of eastern UP, are also part of this agricultural biodiversity.
What individuals can do
- Prefer local and seasonal food, including traditional grains and vegetables.
- Avoid single-use plastic near rivers and ponds.
- Plant native trees and shrubs rather than ornamental exotics.
- Support your local Biodiversity Management Committee by sharing knowledge of local plants and wildlife for the People's Biodiversity Register.
