UNESCO joins efforts for protection of 4 world natural sites in Indi

New Delhi, Jul 25 (UNI) The UNESCO today launched the World Heritage Biodiversity Programme for India with focus on four designated world natural sites of Keoladeo, Kaziranga, Manas and Nanda Devi.

It is surprising that India enjoying enviable biodiversity has only five of its sites inscribed on the World heritage natural sites.

The UNESCO programme aims at building pride for the country's unique biodiversity and political and public support for law enforcement and other approaches to conserve protected areas.

It also aims at professionalising protected area management by creating partnerships between Government, NGOs, private sector, local communities and other stakeholders.

The programme which has the partnership of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun; Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore, was launched by Minister of State for Environment and Forests S Regupathy.

The Minister said the programme rightly focusses on building partnership with the community, because without local partneship no programme for conservation can be successful.

UNESCO has earmarked 1.9 million US dollars for initial phase of the programme which has a four year duration but could be extended.

However, some government representatives felt the amount allocated for the programme was paltry as it involved huge infrastructure for its implementation.

Expressing his views, Director General, Forests J P Srivatava said the biotic pressure on the country's natural site was very high, so they needed special and sustained focus.

He hoped that the lessons learnt duriung the four year UNESCO programme would be helpful in conservation of other protected areas.

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