State’s first biodiversity plan focuses on climate resilience

Panaji: The first ever Goa State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (GSBSAP) draft has been released by govt for public consultation. The plan has been framed after a massive exercise with various sub-committees working under a 45-member committee.

The biodiversity plan not only documents the state’s biodiversity in minute detail but also proposes a strategy to drive the conservation of the state’s resources by linking them to livelihood for local populations. This is expected to give the local populations a further incentive to conserve.

The GSBSAP contains separate chapters on the conservation of the biodiversity of coastal, marine, and vulnerable ecosystems. Dedicated chapters address sustainable development planning for rural and urban areas, climate change, traditional knowledge, mid-plains, forest areas, and agri biodiversity among others.

The sub-committee on wetlands and water bodies has said that a sea level rise could pose a threat to Goa’s mangroves. “The average sea level rise trends in Goa has seen an increase at the rate of 1.45mm per year from the period of 1969-2013,” the draft said.

It said if this affects the mangroves, nesting sites of species like olive ridley turtles will be lost and the mangrove forest ecosystem will change due to the loss of saline-intolerant species.

The sub-committee on avifauna has said that due to climate change, Goa has become vulnerable to forest fires which pose a threat to bird habitats such as those on Pilerne and Socorro plateaus.

Drought-tolerant crops/crop varieties appropriate for Goa should be promoted, the sub-committee on climate change has recommended.

“Despite significant progress in the agricultural sector, climate extremes periodically result in losses to livelihoods and yields that produce distress in the farming community,” the draft said. “Hence long-term measures are needed to develop climate-resilient agriculture production systems that can contribute to food security and poverty reduction.”

The Goa State Biodiversity Board will keep the plan open for public suggestions and objections till July 22. The draft has been made available on the board’s website, member secretary of the board Pradip Sarmokadam has said.