Biodiversity conservation project launched

Shillong, August 28: Additional chief secretary and chairman of the Meghalaya State Biodiversity Board PBO Warjri underlined the importance of conservation of the biodiversity during the launching of the “Survey of Biodiversity in Meghalaya and its potential” project at the North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) complex Tuesday.

The project is an initiative of the Albert Einstein Science Institute (AESI) with the collaboration of NEHU and the Meghalaya Tourism department.

Warjri sounded an alarm bell when he said that Meghalaya’s biodiversity is under threat and if not checked many species will become extinct in the next 20 years. He, however, said “We are clueless on the impacts of climate change in the future but we have to be able to withstand any impact on the already fragile biodiversity.”

Reminding that we are all accountable of biodiversity status, both present and future, Warjri said we are responsible to sustain and conserve even the smallest insect like a worm which contributes to the working system of the biodiversity.

Speaking about the project, Warjri lauded the initiative and said such projects are important to compile past data and records, and also asses species that is facing threat of extinction.

Meghalaya biodiversity comprises of an enormous species of flora and fauna. But some of its natural resources are under threat and ironically the species are not documented.

The project is the brainchild of  Vivek Kumar, the director of the AESI which is aimed at carrying out a survey of biodiversity of Meghalaya and its potentials.

Nineteen year old scientist Vivek Kumar is known for his zeal to serve nature and life on planet earth. He said the project will be carried out by the Science and Environment Awareness Society (SEAS). He was of the opinion that Meghalaya needs large scale conservation of biodiversity.

Speaking at the function, Kumar said, “There is continuous loss of floral biodiversity in the state that needs immediate evaluation and mitigation.” The project adopted by SEAS will be to create a unique digital web database of biodiversity of the state.

Kumar further informed that map will be given in the database and on the selection of a particular area on the map, the biodiversity of that area along with the pictures would be made available and the research work done on a selected species.

The project would also include creation of a GIS system for plant species and publishing the collective work in form of books in several volumes.

Students from different colleges and schools will be part of the team for collection and identification of plant species. While documentation would be done for all the species per area, these would be made accessible online for interested researchers and people around the world, said the nineteen years old scientist.-By Our Reporter