| The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (Central Act
18 of 2003) envisages to provide for conservation of biological
diversity of the country, sustainable use of its components, fair
and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of
biological resources and generation and dissemination of knowledge
thereof. The Act has been put forth as the country’s response
to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992.
India is the first country to have an Act of this kind, consequent
upon which the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has been
set up in the year 2004. . The National Biodiversity Authority
and State Biodiversity Boards have the charter of acquisition
of data and information pertaining to biological resources, reposition
(storage and retrieval) of such information, generation of a knowledge
base and dissemination of the knowledge for the benefit of citizenry.
In this sense, the Act is different from most other legislations
and therefore, has to adopt an unbeaten path.
In accordance with the above provisions of the Act, the Science,
Technology & Environment Department (STED) took up the proposal
for setting up of Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) in October,
2003. Based on the approval by the Chief Minister on 25.01.2005,
the notification constituting the Board was made in February 2005
[GO (Ms) No. 1/2005/STED dated 28.2.2005] and published in the
gazette on 01.06.2005. Until such time the Board was fully functional,
it was incubated under STED/Kerala State Council for Science Technology
and Environment (KSCSTE). During February 2006 the new Environment
Department was formed in Kerala [vide order GO (Ms) No. 10/2006/GAD
dated 6.1.2006] and the KSBB was transferred to the Environment
Department [vide order GO (Ms) No.64/2006/GAD dated 16.2.2006].
The headquarters of the Board is at the State capital, Thiruvananthapuram.
The major functions of the State Biodiversity Board, as per the
Biological Diversity Act 2002 shall be to:
(a) advise the State Government, subject to any guidelines issued
by the Central Government, on matters relating to the conservation
of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and equitable
sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of biological
resources;
(b) regulate by granting of approvals or otherwise requests for
commercial utilisation or bio-survey and bio-utilisation of any
biological resource by Indians; and
(c) perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry
out the provisions of this Act or as may be prescribed by the
State Government.
Vision: Conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable utilization
for the benefit of human beings.
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