Education for Biodiversity Conservation
CoP-11, Hyderabad
At a side event held during CoP-11 Smt Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Government of India, released the Outcome Document on Education and Biodiversity Conservation. The Outcome Document was the output from the two day International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation and Education for Sustainable Development - Learning to Conserve Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World held as a parallel event on 13-14 October at Hyderabad during CoP-11. The Conference was attended by over 250 participants who deliberated in 4 working groups namely Formal Education, Non Formal Education, Education for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods and Education for Biodiversity Conservation in Urban and Industrial Areas.
The Outcome Document came out of a consultative process which began prior to the Conference and this draft was shared and deliberated on in the working groups. The inputs from the working groups were then incorporated into the draft and this was shared among the participants and the ESD community including UNESCO and CBD. The Minister has released this outcome document which will now be used to develop the strategic action plan for Education which will enhance the processes leading to achieving the Aichi Biodiversity targets.
The Minister also announced the National Microbe for India which was selected by children who had visited the Science Express Biodiversity Special, a train which has been visiting various stations across the country. Voting for the National Microbe took place in these stations and the children have selected the Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) to be the National Microbe for India.
Another publication released in the presence of the Minister was the “Handprint - Positive Action towards Biodiversity Conservation” by Mr Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD.
Mrs. Delphine Batho, French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy was also present at the event and expressed her appreciation in the education efforts being encouraged for biodiversity conservation in India.
MC/sk