Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board :

Situated on the genetic highway connecting the Western Ghats and the North East, two of the biodiversity hotspots in the country, the central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh is one of the richest repositories of biological diversity. The state houses a diversity of ecosystems including plateaus, ravines, ridges, valleys, riparian areas and flat plains. With four major forest types, nine National Parks and 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Tiger state houses one of the richest faunal and floral diversity. With around 5000 plant species, these forests are habitat to as many as 500 bird species and 180 fish species. Thousands of rice cultivars, a rich diversity of minor millets, indigenous cattle and poultry landraces like Kadaknath boasts of the agro-biodiversity. Home to six tribes with distinct customs, practices and diverse cultures, the biological diversity sustains livelihoods and ensures food security to two-fifth of the states 66 million population.

Indigenous health systems nurtured by rich traditional knowledge woven around over 1000 medicinal plants contribute significantly to health security in rural areas. A host of traditions, rituals, festivals and traditional knowledge have significant bearing on sustainability of the biodiverse resources. Such a richness of biodiversity provides unique opportunities to enrich people's livelihoods and in biotechnological advancement for food and livelihood security. The Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, set up as body corporate under the National Biodiversity Act, sees its role in this context as that of sheath anchor.

Mandate :

The primary mandate of the Board is to collaborate with a range of partners to ensure biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of bioresources. As a body corporate under the Biodiversity Act, the Board is mandated to:

• Provide for regulated access to bioresources for commercial purpose by Indian Nationals.
• Facilitate documentation of biodiversity and associated knowledge (People's Biodiversity Registers) leading to  Information on biodiverse resources and ensure adequate protection of such knowledge.
• Facilitate awareness and capacity building of partners including Biodiversity Management Committees, NGOs and other agencies.
• Mainstream biodiversity concerns and biodiversity based livelihoods in sectoral policies and planning.
• Strengthen in situ and ex situ conservation of biodiversity including setting-up of biodiversity heritage sites.
• Advise the state government on issues of biodiversity conservation, its sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits.

Approach :

With the Mandate of biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of use of bioresources in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board is facilitating multi-actor processes across the state. The eco-regional processes solicit participation of various actors that include communities, academia, scientific community, and Government organizations, Non-Government Organizations etc. The initiatives are informed by the approved work-plan of the Board and are in consonance with the Biodiversity Conservation Action Agenda of the State. "Fostering development, the conservation route" has been the underlying philosophy of the imperatives for finding answers to food and livelihood security.

"To strive for development which is rooted in conservation of state's rich biodiversity, its sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of its use; and achieved in such a manner that empowers people" is the vision directing conservation action in the state. Though developed through a collaborative process, the vision needs to transcend across millions of people in the state and particularly those who have nurtured the biodiversity for hundreds of years, so that it truly becomes a shared vision. It calls for highest degree of collaborations across, between and amongst Government agencies, communities, NGOs, academia, people's representatives, media and civil society at large to work towards the shared action agenda for conservation.

Activities :

With the eco-region as the conservation unit, conservation action has been initiated in all of the seven eco-regions of the state. The conservation actions are under the following thematic heads:

• Information and documentation
• In-situ and ex-situ conservation
• Education and awareness
• Sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing
• Governance
• Policy and legal aspects

Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) :

 As per provision of section 41 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 every local body shall constitute a Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) within its area for conservation of biodiversity. Madhya Pradesh is a pioneer State where BMCs have been constituted at all local body levels.

• Biodiversity Management Committees constituted under rule (23) of M.P. BD Rules 2004 shall have seven persons nominated by the local body, of which not less than one third shall be women. Seven local knowledgeable persons being so nominated should be drawn from amongst the herbalists, agriculturist, Non Timber Forest Produce collectors/ traders, fisher-folk, representatives of user associations, community workers, academicians and any person/representative of organization, on whom the local body trusts that he/she can significantly contribute to the mandate of the Biodiversity Management Committee.
• The proportion of members belonging to the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe should not be less than Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe percentage of the District, where such a committee is set up. All the above should be residents within the said local body limits and be in the voters list.
• The local body shall nominate six special invitees from forest, agriculture, livestock, health, fisheries and education department.
• The chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall be elected from amongst the members of the committee in a meeting to be presided over by the chairperson of the local body. The chairperson of the local body shall have the vote in case of a tie.