Biodiversity Day: SPSTI and NACI host webinar

Chandigarh, May 23(UNI) The Society for Promotion of Science & Technology in India and Chandigarh Chapter of National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) jointly conducted a webinar for marking the World Biodiversity Day that is observed on May 22.
The webinar titled ‘We are Part of the Solution for Nature’ was held on Friday, May 21. The speaker was Dr. Sunita Narain, Director General of Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi.
The session was supported by NCSTC, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.
It is information that takes us to knowledge and then to action, said by Dr. Sunita Narain.
She said we understand the challenges that are needed to explore new approaches so that solutions for environmental management are affordable and sustainable.
It is the politics of the inclusive society which help us in finding the solutions for environment management.
While sharing statistics from Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, she said we have a huge trend of declining Biodiversity and human beings are responsible for the current phase of biodiversity loss.
Also, 10,996 species of birds, 5593 of mammals, 6576 of amphibians and many species of fishes, sharks and rays have been lost. She spoke on the biodiversity – Covid-19 link that it is the result of our dystopian relationship with nature and Zoonotic diseases are increasing because of species-virus jump from animals to humans.
To rebuild the relationship with biodiversity, inclusive conservation is needed so that local people are custodians and harvesters of nature and its protectors.
A large number of people from all over India and countries from abroad like Spain and United Kingdom attended this session which was also streamed on the Facebook Channel of the SPSTI.
The session was coordinated by Prof. R. Baskar, of GJUST Hisar, Dr. Souparno Banerjee, CSE Network, Prof. Arun K. Grover, former Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, Shri Dharamvir, IAS (Retd.), Prof. Keya Dharamvir, General Secretary of SPSTI and Prof. R.K. Kohli, Chairman.