PANJIM: With the Smart City Development Plan for Panjim proposing several concepts related to its biodiversity, Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has decided to draft a People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) and City Biodiversity Index (CBI), to assess and quantify the ecological and economic value of biological resources.
GSIDC, the nodal agency to implement the Smart City Mission project, has invited tenders for preparing People’s Biodiversity Register and City Biodiversity Index from scientific agencies, universities and non-government organizations.
“People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) are documents developed by local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 of India,” the RFP issued by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation states.
“The project aims to assess and quantify the ecological and economic value of biological resources present at local/BMC level using appropriate methodologies to determine benefit sharing which will help in better implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and its Rules 2004 and inform the policy maker on prioritising conservation action,” the document states.
Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation is of the view that documentation of local biological diversity prepared in the form of People’s Biodiversity Registers should serve the purpose of identifying the habitats/ecosystems for preservation, identification of local land races, folk varieties and cultivars, stocks and breeds of domesticated animals and microorganisms.
The year-long study will consist of city profile, physical features, administration of biodiversity, assessment of biodiversity, native ecosystem service it provides and governance and management of biodiversity.
The consultant has to submit an interim report within three months, mid-term report in six months and a draft strategy plan in nine months before submitting the final document.
Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation has said that People’s Biodiversity Registers would have comprehensive information on availability and knowledge of local biological resources, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them.
“The PBR is supposed to be the legal documents which would be referred by the BMC, Goa State Biodiversity Board and National Biodiversity Authority,” it added.
