Visakhapatnam: Experts to build awareness on biodiversity, climate change

Visakhapatnam : In a bid to bring in a behavioural change among individuals and encourage institutions to come forward to contribute their part to conserve biodiversity and address climate change, a two-day ‘International Day of Biodiversity’ celebration will be hosted in Visakhapatnam from May 22.

Organised by the National Biodiversity Authority and Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, the national-level event will be held at Andhra University (AU) Convention Centre.

Being one of the dozen biodiversity countries in the world, India has 10 biogeographical zones which covers diversified flora and fauna. With climate change posing a global threat to biodiversity, the event aims at building awareness about the conservation of biodiversity, advocating sustainable utilisation of natural resources and considering remedial measures to overcome the effects of climate change.

Advocating simple measures to consider in order to combat climate change and lower environmental impact, experts in the two-day event will recommend simple means to conserve biodiversity and environs.

Also, focusing on the ‘impact of climate change’ and ‘ecotourism on biodiversity’, a national seminar is scheduled on May 23.

In collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, the seminar is organised by the Andhra University Department of Botany at the seminar hall of the Department of Chemistry, AU.

“The seminar aims to bring various stakeholders together onto a platform and advocate measures to mitigate climate change. The avenue also aims at recommending coordinated efforts among people to combat climate change in every possible manner they could contribute,” said D Sandhya Deepika, head of the Department of Botany, AU and organising secretary of the seminar.

A K Bhattacharya, former head for the Green Highways Programme of the ministry of road, transport and highways, C Sudhakar Reddy, head of the Forest Biodiversity Ecology Division, NRSC-ISRO, Hyderabad, Bhaskar Sinha, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Uma Ramachandran, Core CarbonX Solutions, state lead from Tamil Nadu are going to share insights into the climate change and its mitigation measures by participating as invited speakers of the seminar.