International Biodiversity Day

Thingreiphi Lungharwo *

Manipur State observes International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 2017 :: Pix - IT News

Biodiversity is a gift from nature for reciprocity of lives on earth to continuefor the benefit and well-being of mankind. The diversity of life on earth underpins the natural resources that provide food and livelihood throughout the world. For indigenous peoples, biological diversity serves as cornerstone of their works, belief system, inspiration of art and culture and their very existence. If we think deeply, the state of biodiversity has an effect in our daily lives consciously or unconsciously.

For Indigenous women, their livelihood are tied to biodiversity and resources surrounding their environment as care giver to her family and community. And the loss of biodiversity will affect them disproportionately. Therefore a greter understanding and appreciation of women's role in biodiversity conservation needs to be recognized and provide incentive for improved management and conservations practices. Moreover women should be engaged in planning, management and implementation related to biological resources.

As for the Christian, the account of creation in the book of genesis tells about the creation of all kinds of living creatures in the sea and the land before God created man. He then created man in his image and placed him for stewardship of his creation.

This is relevant to all faith of our stewardship roles and responsibilities to protect biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources as faithful followers of our faith wherever we are placed. For us North Easterners, it is a great opportunity to be in the eastern Himalaya-a land of mega biodiversity hotspots of the world. It is therefore, our responsibility to do our part as good steward in conserving biological resources endowed in our territories.In India, 64 percent of the country biological resources are found in the North East.

It is recognized that the overall resilience of the territorial landscape depends on the state of diversity at the ecosystem, genetic and species level. It is the intrinsic relations and custodian role of the people that conserved the biological diversity where today 80 percent of the planet biological diversity are found in the territories managed, owned and controlled by Indigenous Peoples. The imperative therefore, is to recognize the conservation practices of our communities and provide incentives in conserving the biological resources.

The main cause of loss of Biodiversity is attributed to the influence of human beings by changing the integrity of landscape for resource exploitation, urbanization and industrial development fragmenting habitat and over harvesting where now is exacerbated by climate change.

Manipur host innumerable biological resources of high value notably Sanghai, Shirui Lily, Nongin, Uningthou to name few and many medicinal herbs, orchids, wild fruits and flowers, birds, insects, fishes and other crops that are endemic but yet to be explored.Indeed many festivals in Manipur are christened with the biological resources found in our localities such as Sanghai festival, Lily festival, Orange festival, Lemon festival, Chilly festival, Millet festival, Garlic festival and so on. This is but manifestation of our intricate linkage with our biological resources.

Manipur Government has promoted some of these initiative and other conservation program but it must be translated into policies and implementation to ensure balance of social, economic and environmental development objectives with participation of women and local communities. As Manipur position to promote tourism, the appropriate choice' will be to promote eco-tourism or community tourism and not contemporary tourism. The recent concluded Shirui Lily festival will be a good point to do the post festival evaluation in order to strengthen the existing programmed policies.

As we observed International Biodiversity Day on this day May 22 with the Theme Biodiversity for Sustainable Tourism, let us be reminded that biodiversity is important foundation for Sustainable Tourism. And that it is our duty to be a responsible individuals in, developing tourism and pro-, tecting biological diversity for our well-being.