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Proceedings of the International Seminar 'Reiterating Biodiversity (Rei-Bio-19)Department of Zoology, KKTM Government College, Pullut, 2020
Foreword Biodiversity is the foundation of ecosystem services to which human well-being is intimately linked. No feature of Earth is more complex, dynamic, and varied than the layer of living organisms that occupy its surfaces and its seas, and no feature is experiencing more dramatic change at the hands of humans than this extraordinary, singularly unique feature of Earth. This layer of living organisms-the biosphere-through the collective metabolic activities of its innumerable plants, animals, and microbes physically and chemically unites the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere into one environmental system within which millions of species, including humans, have thrived. Documenting spatial patterns in biodiversity is difficult because taxonomic, functional, trophic, genetic, and other dimensions of biodiversity have been relatively poorly quantified. Even knowledge of taxonomic diversity, the best known dimension of biodiversity, is incomplete and strongly biased toward the species level, mega fauna, temperate systems, and components used by people. This results in significant gaps in knowledge, especially regarding the status of tropical systems, marine and freshwater biota, plants, invertebrates, microorganisms, and subterranean biota. For these reasons, estimates of the total number of species on Earth range from 5 million to 30 million. Irrespective of actual global species richness, however, it is clear that the 1.7-2 million species that have been formally identified represent only a small portion of total species richness. More-complete biotic inventories are badly needed to correct for this deficiency. Biodiversity plays an important role in ecosystem functions that provide supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural services. Ecosystem services make human life possible by, for example, providing nutritious food and clean water, regulating disease and climate, supporting the pollination of crops and soil formation, and providing recreational, cultural and spiritual benefits. Despite an estimated value of $125 trillion, these assets are not adequately accounted for in political and economic policy, which means there is insufficient investment in their protection and management. Much of the Earth's biodiversity, however, is in jeopardy due to human consumption and other activities that disturb and even destroy ecosystems. Aanthropogenic impact on the environment includes changes to biophysical environments and ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly by humans, including global warming, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, ecological crisis, and ecological collapse. Modi
Exploring the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN's) National Program Development in Biodiversity Conservation: A Comparative Study of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh2012
He asked me if I had knowledge of hats and colors; when I affirmatively replied, he asked me to use it accordingly. Throughout my time at the University and along my academic trajectory, I have followed that "guru mantra". Professor Brechin has not only acted as an advisor, but as my "guru" as it is practiced in the Indian subcontinent as a philosophy of life. He has been my guardian economically, socially, culturally, and obviously academically. Any esteem I hold in academia is entirely credited to him. Secondly, Peter Englot, in our first meeting on May 23, 2005, mentioned that "where there is a wish there is a way." This was so meaningful at that time that it gave me new way of thinking. Peter works in the administration, and has been supportive throughout my time here. This credit also goes to Dr. Patricia Burak, Director of Syracuse's Slutzker Center for International Services, as well as Mark Lichtenstein. I must also thank William Katz (from Chicago, who at 93 years old came to Syracuse to hand over his guardianship of me to Professor Brechin), Edward Tedaschi (Boston), Reverend William Turpie (Boston) and Dr. Jan Carey (Australia), Dr. Samuel H. Sage (Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Syracuse). Thirdly, Professor Marjorie DeVault, who always encouraged me through all difficulties. I likewise thank Peter Ibarra, Cecilia A. Green, Hans C Buechler, and Professor A.H. Peter Castro and Professor Stuart Ira Bretschneider (the chair of the defense). Fourthly, the entire IUCN family, from the President and Director General to the field-level staff, especially among them Mr. Keith Wheeler, the chair of CEC-IUCN, who has played the role of gatekeeper. I also thank all of the 253 research participants. Thank you to the entire faculty and staff of the Maxwell School Sociology Department, who have played important roles in my research trajectory. Thank you to Syracuse University for providing me a first-rank fellowship and scholarships. Special thanks for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) award; Center for Environmental Policy and Administration (CEPA) Award; and the Chancellor's Grant to conduct this research. I must thank my family members, including my mother (Heema Devi), my brothers and sisters, and my uncle Ramchandra Gautam, who first taught me to read and write. I would also like to mention some very important people who are not in this world physically, but who would be most happy to know that their dreams have come true. These people include my father Lok Nath Bhandari, my grandmother Laxmi Devi Bhandari, my grandparents Avikasher and Jalapa Devi Gautam (mother's side), my father-and mother-in-law Dwarika Nath and Durga Devi Devkota, and brothers and sisters in law and nephew Dinkar Sigdel who has helped me in many ways. I also remember Narayan Paudel (Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Government of Nepal-who passed away in a helicopter crash with 25 other people in Nepal); and Damodar Bhardwaj (my Guru-who died tragically in a house collapse in Varanasi). Finally, thanks to my wife Prajita, my son Prameya and daughter Manaslu; daughter-in-law Rashmi, and grandson Prashmin and granddaughter Aahana who have brought joy to the family. vi I dedicate this dissertation to Prajita Bhandari (My wife, my friend, co-author in creative writing, and co-founder of the Association for Protection of the Environment and Culture, which first connected me with IUCN). vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v TABLE OF CONTENTS vii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION 1 Why I chose IUCN in my research 1 Academic reasons for choosing IUCN for my dissertation research 6 Four countries scenario in terms of strength 9 Research objectives and questions 10 4. Questions to the IUCN member organization (Head of the NGOs or their representatives from the following national NGO members of: India:
Vernon H Heywood (1927-2022)
