Shillong, May 23 (Representative) The Meghalaya Biodiversity Board celebrated the International Day for Biological Diversity on Wednesday with the theme ‘Be Part of the Plan’ at U Soso Tham Auditorium here, with a focus on preserving the ecology of the hill state. The United Nations proclaimed May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity (DB) to increase understanding and awareness on biodiversity. Since the inception of Meghalaya Biodiversity Board (MBB) in 2012, Meghalaya commemorates IDB every year, both at district and state levels. Chief Secretary Donald Philips Wahlang said, “Meghalaya, which is part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, harbours rich and diversified flora and fauna. Varied altitude, topography, status of soil, and climatic conditions favour high species richness and support different types of forest.” In view of the rich biodiversity and the associated traditional knowledge available in the state vis-a-vis the increasing level of threats to species and their habitats, he said the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, along with the forest department, is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving the objectives of the Biological Diversity Act and Rules.
He informed that the constitution of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in all 6459 village-level local bodies and nine urban local bodies as per the number of villages and urban bodies given in the Census of India 2001–2011 has been completed by the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board. The Board has also prepared the People’s Biodiversity Registers for all the BMCs, and the work for upgrading them is ongoing, the chief secretary informed. The Board is conducting awareness campaigns in all the districts of the state as per the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and trying to activate the BMCs to stop deforestation and conserve and protect biodiversity, he said. This year’s theme for International Day for Biological Diversity, ‘Be Part of the Plan’, is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the Biodiversity Plan. The Best Biodiversity Management Committee Award 2024 was given to Paglapara BMC, Zikzak C&RD Block, South West Garo Hills District, and the State Level Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources Award to Jermanai Village, Umling C&RD Block in Ri-Bhoi District.