Protect Ecosystems and Sustain Benefits of Ecosystem Services

We are bringing out this issue of the Newsletter while the Nation is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day. A republic is where the supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.

We want to see this supreme power in India is used effectively to restore and protect our many degraded and destructed ecosystems. The theme of this issue is Eco-restoration with a lead article and a few news on how MSSBG progresses in promoting effective ecosystem management.
The year 2020 was planned to be a super year for biodiversity until the pandemic overthrew all the proposals and businesses across the world. We have entered the year 2021 with plans and policies for developing a new normal for the world that can drive us to achieve sustained health and wellbeing for both humans and the planet’s life. The fundamental lesson the virus taught us is that if the disruption in the integrity of biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services goes beyond its threshold the impacts can be horrific and will be decisive for sustaining human life. Thus, it becomes imperative for nations and people to protect the planet to prosper all life. With this purpose, the United Nations have planned the decade 2021-2030 as the span for Eco-restoration to reduce and remove threats on sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Ecosystem restoration and reduction of threats on biodiversity without undermining the needs and aspirations of the local community families in partnership with them are two high priority interventions for MSSRF. The Community Botanic Garden, which we promote has set many examples for sustainable management of terrestrial ecosystem and conservation of biodiversity. The Garden’s operational territory in the southwestern part of the protected Nilgiri mountain ranges. The post-2020 global biodiversity framework targets protected areas increases of at least [20%] by 2050, ensuring ecosystem resilience and enhancing biodiversity and the ecosystem services. The importance of cultural diversity and application of traditional knowledge in conservation success has also been widely recognized by global advocates and organizations like CBD, FAO, IUCN, WWWF.

We submit this piece of information and news for your reading and follow up actions at your capacity that can contribute to the larger efforts in the protection of the integrity of our ecosystems and landscapes.

N. Anil Kumar
Senior Director (Biodiversity)

January 26, 2021