Govt sets 11 goals to ensure biological diversity

The government has set 11 goals to ensure biological diversity in the country, which is home to the world's 7-8 per cent of recorded flora and fauna to mark 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity.

"Though India has only 2.4 per cent of world's land area, it accounts for 7-8 per cent of the recorded plant and animal species of the world. In the International Year of Bio-diversity being observed this year, we have set 11 goals to achieve the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference.

"Promoting conservation on biological diversity of ecosystems, habitat and biomes, conservation of species diversity, protecting traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, controlling threats from invasive alien species are some of the goals we have set for us," Ramesh added.

Other goals include reduction of pressure from habitat loss, ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources and promoting sustainable use and consumption.

The minister also informed that India will hold the eleventh Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2012 in New Delhi.

"This would mark the twentieth anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit and will be called "Rio + 20" CBD Conference.

"The hosting of this COP shows not only India's role as a major mega-diverse country, but also its commitment to playing a global leadership role in biodiversity conservation," he added.