The Biodiversity Board organizes internship training

On the occasion of International Biodiversity Day, the Himachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (HPSBB) held a one-day intensive training program for interns today with the theme “Be Part of the Plan,” which emphasized the significance of group action in conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. The program focused on the critical importance of “People’s Biodiversity Registers” (PBR) as a valuable tool for biodiversity documentation and management.

The goal of the program was to provide the interns the know-how and abilities needed to record the rich biodiversity of the state and promote biological resource conservation and sustainable usage.

Prominent specialists and leaders of Technical Support Groups (TSGs) participated in the one-day event, lending their essential views and insights. Attendees included experts from the Himalayan Forest Research Institute-Shimla, GB Pant Institute-Kullu, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT)-Palampur, UHF-Neri, HPU-Shimla, and University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF)-Nauni.

PBRs are the foundation for grassroots biodiversity protection since they are thorough recordings of regional biological resources and traditional knowledge, according to Dr. Attri of HPSBB.

The Biological Diversity Act of 2002’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) requirements rely heavily on these registries to be implemented successfully. PBRs assist in acknowledging the contributions of local people and making sure they get fair compensation for the usage of these resources by thoroughly recording biodiversity, the speaker stated.

The training was given by experts in a variety of subjects, including zoology, ecology, botany, and traditional knowledge systems. The experts emphasized the need for precise data gathering and the moral issues that should be taken into account while recording traditional knowledge.

Interactions between the interns and the Technical Support Groups (TSGs) that were formed to prepare for the PBR were another aspect of the training. The production of PBRs in various parts of Himachal Pradesh has been greatly aided by these groups, which are made up of community members and local specialists.

In his speech to interns, HPSBB Chairman Prabodh Saxena emphasized the vital role that interns play in maintaining the biodiversity of the state.

At the end of the training session, the interns promised to safeguard the state’s biodiversity by applying their newly gained abilities to their assigned tasks with diligence.c