Programmes

The Board has completed the following prgrammes in the last two years:
(i) Biodiversity Awareness Workshops for Panchayath Presidents

An awareness programme for Panchayath Presidents of all local bodies in Kerala was organized for the Board by Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA). A handbook on biodiversity was prepared and published in Malayalam for the awareness programme. Resource persons from KFRI, Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Kerala Agriculture University and Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) handled classes of the awareness programme. The resource persons underwent three TOT Programmes and finalized the presentation schedules for the presidents of local bodies. The training programme was attended by selected Panchayath Presidents and faculty of KILA. The three major modules identified for the final awareness workshop include (i) introduction to biodiversity, (ii) protection of biodiversity and (iii) conservation of biodiversity.

The programme began in March 2006 at KILA and concluded in October 2006. Altogether, 29 batches covering above 753 Panchayath Presidents attended the classes.



District-wise details of total Panchayats and No. of Presidents attended:

Sl No
Districts
No of Panchayats
No of Panchayat Presidents attended
1
 Thrissur
81
70
2
 Pathanamthitta
55
37
3
 Alappuzha
73
53
4
 Kollam
70
53
5
 Kottayam
74
62
6
 Idukki
92
31
7
 Ernakulam
90
64
8
 Thrissur
91
51
9
 Palakkad
90
67
10
 Malappuram
101
75
11
 Kozhikode
77
69
12
 Wayanad
24
17
13
 Kannur
84
77
14
 Kasaragod
39
27
 
TOTAL
999
753

This programme was well appreciated by NBA and other State Biodiversity Boards. Considering the request of NBA the handbook was translated and printed in English and supplied to NBA and other State Biodiversity Boards.

(ii) Biodiversity Technical Programme Co-ordination (BTPC) Facility in KFRI

The BTPC facility was established at KFRI with a Programme Coordinator to implement and coordinate the technical programmes of the Board. The project staff for all the technical programmes was selected and appointed. All computer files of KSBB activities have been transferred to the BTPC facility, and further course of action has been chalked out after a meeting of all PIs and project staff. The technical committee members prepared guidelines for constituting Biodiversity Management Committees in English and Malayalam; prepared the methodology for the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Register and the flow chart of activities in this regard, and prepared a preliminary list of expert taxonomists/scientists working in Kerala on various aspects of biodiversity.

Biodiversity Documentation at District level
Thrissur district was identified for biodiversity documentation based on secondary data during 2006-2007 by the board. The following Principal Investigators (PIs) were selected for biodiversity documentation under various topics:

Animal diversity
(Wild and domesticated )
Dr. Francis Xavier, Kerala Agriculture University
Dr. Jiji Joseph, Periyar Tiger Reserve Foundation, Thekkady
Forest plant diversity
Dr. K.K.N. Nair, Kerala Forest Research Institute
Domesticated plant diversity
Dr. R. Ansari, Malabar Botanical Garden
TK and IPR
Dr. S. Rajasekaran, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute
Biogeography-GIS and Data Base
Dr. N. Neelakandan, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS)

Dr. K.K.N Nair of KFRI was the Coordinator of the programme. The secondary data available pertaining to Thrissur District from all the sources was collected for biodiversity documentation. The format for data collection was prepared, and the software Bio-Geographical Information System (BGIS) developed by CESS was used to document the data. About 2612 species of plants and 2601 species of animals were documented in this process. The report is now available in both soft and hard copies.

Technical Support Groups

KSBB has identified experts at State and district levels in various fields to assist the activities. A directory of taxonomists in Kerala is prepared and the taxonomists will provide assistance in the validation of data collected for the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs).

PRIORITY PROGRAMMES:
A massive people's movement across the state covering all panchayats, municipalities and corporations, recording all the living organisms, and knowledge on their traditional use thereby establishing the right on such knowledge Biodiversity based sustainable development programmes in each local body for the benefit of the local people and, conservation of biodiversity rich areas in each panchayat such as sacred groves and wetlands.
Call for a Water Revolution: With a State Wetland Conservation and Wise use Policy and Action Plan, a State Wetland Conservation and Wise Use Act and, a Wetland Authority to facilitate taking stock the wetland resources, allocation of water for different stakeholders, conservation and sustainable use of wetland biodiversity for the benefit of common people.

Identification and conservation of biodiversity rich areas outside the Protected Areas and in the low lying riparian forests.

Restoration of the native agro- biodiversity by reviving and organic farming of traditional crop varieties.
Call for launching a State Organic Farming Policy and phasing out the use of chemical pesticides within a reasonable time period to restore the agro biodiversity.

Encourage reviving and farming of domesticated native animal diversity.
A legally binding “biodiversity code of conduct” for implementing any new development project by government departments, public and private institutions, national and multinational corporate bodies, construction corporations, Local Self Governments and NGOs .

Proposal for enactment of a comprehensive land-use legislation to arrest further destruction and modification of land forms and for conservation of biodiversity.

Strengthen the eco-clubs, nature clubs and biodiversity clubs for creating awareness on biodiversity conservation and its values for human well being.