Global Warming a major challenge to biodiversity: DG ICFRE

Shimla, May 28: Global warming would pose a major challenge to biodiversity and water conservation, affecting agriculture, horticulture and forestry but its impact would be much more in Himalayan region, Director General of Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Ashwani Kumar said on Sunday, May 29.

"Global warming would change the cropping pattern, conservation of water would be a major problem and agriculture yield could drop by 15 per cent," he said while talking to mediapersons and called for intensive research for developing and cultivating new varieties, resilient to higher temperature and requiring less water to grow.

The DG Indian Council of He said "global warming is a slow process and so far an increase of 1. 75 degree has been recorded but it is a continuous process and advance preparations are required on several fronts to mitigate its negative impact."

Intensive research and scientific study is underway for conservation and use of biodiversity and farmers should cultivate high altitude medicinal plants which fetch handsome returns, he said adding that one tola (10 gram) of "agarwood oils" produced in eastern Himalays sells for Rs 6 lakh in international market.

Kumar said that "organic farming" has emerged as new area where farmers are getting 200 to 250 per cent higher returns and called for creating awareness among farmers about benefits of organic farming and setting up a laboratory for certification organic agri produce.

The state agriculture department should collaborate with ICFRE for this purpose so that the authenticity of the produce is established.

He said the Himalayan Forestry research Institute was working for regeneration of biodiversity in areas where natural regeneration has stopped and has taken up projects for regeneration of deodar and some other endangered species of plants which are on the verge of extinction.

PTI