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  Issue no. 1 | May 2019  
  Indo-German Biodiversity Programme Newsletter  
Programme newsletter header
  This newsletter shares project updates and thematic news from our programme
A service by IGBP, GIZ
 
 
 
  Dear Reader

It gives us great pleasure to share the first issue of the IGBP newsletter on this International Biodiversity Day 2019! We hope this newsletter serves as a platform for us to reach out to readers within and beyond the biodiversity community. The compilation in this issue includes a short introduction to the themes we work with and interesting news from the programme.

Earlier this month the Global Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) conveyed disquieting news. The past 50 years have witnessed an increasing global demand for energy and material due to growing human population, global economy and trade. This demand has led to the worldwide deterioration of biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially in the last few decades when the drivers of this change actually accelerated. However, all hope is not lost! We can still conserve and restore nature, but only through intensive transformative change across the different dimensions of economy, society, politics and technology.

On this note, we would like to initiate the process of change by greater engagement with you dear reader. We hope this newsletter not only stirs your curiosity, but also inspires you to contribute in your own way to create a more sustainable future for the coming generations.

Happy reading!

Warmly


Konrad Uebelhoer
Programme Director
 
   
 
Projects
» Access and Benefit Sharing
» Forest Ecosystem Services
» Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
» Private Business Action for Biodiversity
» Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection
Spotlight
» Monitoring Tool on the Use of Bio-resources
» Forest Ecosystems Approach Using Micro Plans
» Training Modules on Human Wildilfe Conflict Mitigation
About the Programme
 
  Projects  
 
Access and Benefit Sharing
Image
©GIZ/Geetha Nayak
 
The project aims at strengthening the capacities of the National Biodiversity Authority, and the State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. It also intends to create awareness amongst commercial users of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
 
  Access and Benefit sharing »  
 
Forest Ecosystem Services
Image
©GIZ/Aashima Negi
 
The project aims to enable the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh to introduce the Forest Ecosystem Services (FES) approach in the state’s forest management system. This is in order to improve living conditions of the communities residing in the project areas of the state that are reached by the new FES methods.
 
  Forest Ecosystem Services »  
 
Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
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©Wildlife Institute of India
 
The project aims at providing technical support at the national level, and in selected states of India, for the effective implementation of measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in a holistic manner. The project pilot sites are in Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Karnataka.
 
  Human-Wildife Conflict Mitigation »  
 
Private Business Action for Biodiversity
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© GIZ/Dirk Ostermeier
 
The project pursues to identify and analyse capable mechanisms and instruments to promote biodiversity-friendly production and commercialisation. Special focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises that are part of agricultural supply chains. The test pilot approaches are operating in three partner countries–India, Brazil and Mexico.
 
  Private Business Action for Biodiversity »  
 
Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection
Image
©Wetlands International South Asia
 
The project aims to strengthen the institutional framework and capacities for an ecosystem-based integrated management of wetlands of international importance in India. Four Ramsar sites have been selected as potential pilot sites under the project. These are in Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
 
  Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection »  
 
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  Spotlight  
 
Monitoring Tool on the Use of Bio-resources
Cloud-based system called ABS-MS to track use
System Flow Diagram of ABS-MS
System Flow Diagram of ABS-MS
 
Currently in India many users accessing bio-resources for research and commercial purposes are outside the preview of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), leading to potentially illegal and unsustainable use. In addition, benefits arising out of its utilisation may not be reaching the providers due to lack of awareness and monitoring of bio-resource utilisation. Thus, the NBA is seeking to enhance its capacity to monitor the utilisation of Indian bio-resources and associated traditional knowledge with the help of a digital application. The application, called ABS Monitoring System (ABS-MS), is being developed in collaboration with the ABS partnership project. The ABS-MS is a cloud-based system that will integrate real-time information from globally available data-sources on scientific publications, patents, etc. The application unifies complex information in one standard format for efficient access through a sophisticated software.
Forest Ecosystems Approach Using Micro Plans
Nine plans to be implemented in Himachal Pradesh
 
©GIZ/Aashima Negi
Micro plans are community-based plans that focus on forests used by adjacent villages. The main stakeholders here are villagers, adjacent communities, cities and the forest department. The microplans focus on forest management to ensure the supply of forest ecosystem services (FES). These range from direct provisioning of fodder, fuel, non-timber produce, to cultural services like ecotourism. This is done by a periodisation of FES through the communities who have user-rights and the allocation of clearly defined zones in the forest and management practices for each FES. The FES project has strengthened the capacities of communities and the forest department of Himachal Pradesh to prepare nine such plans in the state. These micro plans are being implemented by the village communities with technical assistance from the FES project.
Training Modules on Human-Wildilfe Conflict Mitigation
A step closer to harmonious coexistence
Image
©GIZ/Neeraj Khera
 
Training courses on human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation are helping to integrate a new curriculum based on a competency framework on HWC in India using participatory methods. The trainings focus on a holistic approach to HWC mitigation looking at the Drivers, State, Impact and Response to this issue. The curriculum takes a landscape approach, using experiential learning methods, to explore the practical aspects of applying landscape approach across administrative boundaries, especially in the case of long-ranging species. The trainings focus on communications, media engagement, and community participation. Training methods include knowledge café, role plays, panel discussions on key management questions by experienced scientists and practitioners and discussions on case studies of HWC mitigation. These training modules are implemented by GIZ together with the partner training institutions.
News from the project
»  Training Module on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation for State Forest Officer Trainees
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Illustration by Neha Owaisy
 
 
  "Both nature and nature’s contributions to people are vital for human existence and good quality of life. This includes human well-being, living in harmony with nature, living well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth and other analogous concepts"

- Global Assessment report, IPBES
 
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  About the Programme  
 
  IGBP
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, in partnership with GIZ is implementing the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme.

Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the programme addresses the challenges of biodiversity conservation in five projects:

• Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)
• Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystem Services (HPFES)
• Private Business Action for Biodiversity (PBAB)
• Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (HWC)
Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection
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  Publications »  
 
 
 
  News from the projects »  
 
 
 
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