Thazhakara Panchayat’s second volume of People’s Biodiversity Register

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Current Affairs Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity

Jul 8, 2024

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Thazhakara Panchayat (Kerala) has published the second volume of the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR).

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Three other gram panchayats – Maruthonkara, Kadalundi, and Sreenarayanapuram have also submitted updated PBRs to Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB)
The PBR plays a crucial role in conservation, sustainable resource utilisation, and protection of traditional knowledge.

Kerala’s PBR Efforts:

Kerala was the first state in India to publish the first volume of the PBR across all local bodies .
The KSBB aims to complete the updation of PBRs in 50% of local bodies in Kerala before the end of 2024 .

Key Biodiversity Findings:

The Indian black turtle (Indian pond terrapin) was once common in Thazhakara but its numbers have declined due to poaching for meat .
Populations of Indian garden lizards, barn owls, Indian flying foxes, and plants like henna and palash have also decreased .
Meanwhile, rock pigeons, rufous treepies, and other species have increased in number.
Thazhakara has 38 sacred groves, 10 paddy polders, and 35 ponds.

People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

Mandate: Section 41 of the Biological Diversity Act (2002) mandates the development of PBRs at local level.
Purpose: Contain information on locally available bio-resources, including the landscape and demography of a particular area or village. Bio-resources: Encompass plants, animals, microorganisms, or their genetic material and by-products (excluding value-added products) with actual or potential use or value, excluding human genetic material.
Focus: Conservation, sustainable use, Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), and safeguarding traditional knowledge. It prioritises the conservation of threatened species and enhances biodiversity protection efforts at the grassroots level.
Management and Validation: PBRs are maintained and validated by Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).
Integrating PBRs with BMC management plans and linking them to local body planning processes involving income-generating groups helps secure livelihoods and mainstream biodiversity issues effectively.

The Indian black turtle:

A medium-sized omnivorous turtle species found across the Indian subcontinent.
Distribution in India: Western Ghats, south of Gujrat, southeast coast, and parts of northern and northeastern India.
The species is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus Giganteus):

It is a large bat species native to the Indian subcontinent.
Inhabits tropical regions from Pakistan to China and as far south as the Maldives, roosting in trees like banyan, fig, and tamarind, often near water.
Listed in CITES Appendix II and Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.