Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

The intricate balance between economic progress and environmental preservation lies at the heart of India's future. While development is crucial for societal well-being, neglecting the natural world jeopardizes long-term sustainability.

• Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into development sectors is crucial for India to achieve a sustainable future.

Body

• Agriculture Sector
  • Promoting agrobiodiversity: Incentivizing cultivation of indigenous crop varieties Supporting traditional farming practices that enhance biodiversity
    • Example: The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001, which safeguards farmers' rights to save, use, and share seeds of diverse varieties
  • Sustainable agriculture practices: Encouraging organic farming and integrated pest management
    • Example: The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) promoting organic farming clusters across India.
• Forestry Sector
  • Sustainable forest management: Implementing ecosystem-based approaches. Promoting community-based forest management.
    • Example: The National Mission for a Green India, aiming to increase forest cover and improve ecosystem services
  • Restoration of degraded forests: Implementing large-scale afforestation programs. Promoting native species in reforestation efforts.
    • Example: India aims to restore 26 Million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
  • Enhancing forest connectivity: Creating wildlife corridors. Implementing landscape-level conservation approaches.
    • Example: The recent efforts to create elephant corridors across multiple states
• Fisheries Sector:
  • Sustainable fishing practices: Implementing catch quotas and size limits. Promoting responsible aquaculture
    • Example: The Marine Fishing Regulation Acts of coastal states implementing mesh size regulations and seasonal fishing bans
  • Marine protected areas: Expanding and effectively managing marine protected areas.
    • Example: The recent expansion of marine protected areas in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
• Infrastructure and Urban Development
  • Green infrastructure: Integrating biodiversity considerations into urban planning Promoting green spaces and urban forests.
    • Example: The development of biodiversity parks in Delhi and other major cities
  • Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure: Implementing wildlife passages in roads and railways.
    • Promoting underground power transmission lines in sensitive areas.
    • Example: The wildlife underpasses and overpasses constructed on NH7 near Pench Tiger Reserve
• Energy Sector
  • Renewable energy with biodiversity safeguards: Implementing stringent Environmental Impact Assessments for renewable projects. Promoting wildlife-friendly wind and solar farm designs
    • Example: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) guidelines for wind power projects in forest areas.
  • Sustainable hydropower: Implementing environmental flow regulations Ensuring fish passages in dam designs.
    • Example: The e-flow notifications for the Ganga river system issued by the National Mission for Clean Ganga
• Tourism Sector
  • Ecotourism promotion: Developing community-based ecotourism models. Implementing carrying capacity limits in sensitive areas.
    • Example: The eco-sensitive zone notifications around protected areas regulating tourism activities.

Conclusion

Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation to promote SDG 14 and 15 across development sectors is essential for India to achieve long-term sustainability. As India strives to balance its development aspirations with its rich biological heritage, spotlighting biodiversity conservation offers a pathway to a sustainable and resilient future.