'Man-made' disasters due to loss of biodiversity: Purandeswari

"Utilisation of biodiversity has always been part of Indian ethos. But now we have lost relevance of our ethics. We have forgotten to use our biodiversity for our utility but rather we are looking at biodiversity to exploit it," she said.

She was speaking after inaugurating the international conference on 'Disaster Management: Preparedness, Response and Rehabilitation' at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) here.

Purandeswari noted, "the reason why we are faced with many kinds of "man-made disasters" could be attributed to loss of biodiversity. The incapability of us to protect biodiversity is leading to lot more tragedy when disaster strikes us."

Coral reefs and mangroves have potential to save the coasts. But 70 per cent of coral reefs have got damaged, she said, adding, "this is the kind of disaster (man-made) we are bringing upon ourselves besides terrorism and war that we are faced with sporadically."

She pointed out that when Tsunami had struck India in 2004, Puducherry was largely not affected compared to others states due to presence of its mangroves.

She said that there are lessons to learn from different countries that have faced natural disasters by working together on their experiences on disaster mitigation.

The minister further emphasised the need for increased interactions among different governments across the world whenever there was talk of disaster management, preparedness and rehabilitation. (MORE)