National meet on Biodiversity on Sept 6-8 in Chandigarh

Organized by the Punjab Biodiversity Board, the meet would be presided over by chief minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, who is also the chairman of the Board. Union Minister of Environment Jairam Ramesh would inaugurate the three-day event.

Issues relating to conservation of biodiversity would be deliberated upon by a team of experts from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the chairman and officers of National Biodiversity Authority.

Equitable benefit-sharing mechanism involving developed and developing countries at the international level and between commercial houses and local communities at the national and state level would also be discussed in the meet.

Safeguarding of conventional knowledge on bio-resources, Biodiversity Management Committee’s workings, and inventory of the wild and domesticated bio-resources of the country would also be form part of the discussion.

Ministers of Environment, chief secretaries and principal secretaries from various states would be taking part in the national meet.

“This meeting is a precursor to COP-10 (Conference of Partners) to be held under Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October this year,” a spokesperson informed.