Today, May 22, at the Green Valley Educational Institute in Ellahi Bagh in Srinagar, the J&K Forest Department and the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Biodiversity Council (JKUTBC) observed International Biodiversity Day.
Every year, on May 22, people throughout the world commemorate World Biodiversity Day to call attention to the value of biodiversity and the need of protecting it.
In his message, Roshan Jaggi, PCCF & HoFF, and Chairman of the J&K Biodiversity Council, urged people to raise widespread awareness about the need of protecting biodiversity at the community level.
JKUTBC official Dr. Syed Tariq relayed the message of Asaf Mehmood Sagar (PCCF), Member Secretary JKUTBC, and Director-JKFRI: “Today, the world comes together to commemorate World Biodiversity Day, a momentous occasion to recognise the importance of biodiversity and raise awareness about the urgent need to protect and conserve “our planet’s rich natural resources.”
This year’s World Biodiversity Day highlights the active role that ecosystems play in maintaining life on earth and asks for collaborative action to conserve our natural heritage with the theme “Agreement to Action to Build Back Biodiversity,” he said.
He said that biodiversity, or the “incredible variety of life forms on our planet,” is crucial to long-term prosperity. It includes everything in an ecosystem, from plants to animals to microbes, and the complex web of relationships between them. Aside from providing us with necessities like food, medicine, clean water, and air, the biodiversity of our world also has aesthetic, cultural, and recreational benefits.
However, he pointed out that human activities are mostly to blame for the worrisome rate at which biodiversity has been declining in recent decades. Destroying habitats, changing climates, polluting, overusing natural resources, and introducing exotic species are all major dangers to the world’s ecosystems. He went on to say that this worrying trend not only endangers the lives of numerous animals but also threatens our own wealth and security.
Chairman of the National Society for the Protection of Water Resources, Wetlands, and Forests Nazir Benazir spoke at the event, informing the audience of the significance of Biodiversity and Mission Life.
We must prioritise biodiversity protection, sustainable land and wetland management practises, and measures that guarantee the sustainable use of natural resources,” remarked Green Valley Public School’s chairman during the event.
The Director General of the J&K Forest Research Institute in Srinagar, Mohammed Lateef Bhat, used World Biodiversity Day to remind people that “we are all interconnected and that the fate of our planet rests in our hands.” He also stressed the need of acting quickly to save biodiversity in order to ensure a sustainable future for present and future generations.
Officers from the J&K Forest Department, JKUT’s Biodiversity Council, and the Jammu Kashmir Forest Research Institute were also present for the event.
