Date:29/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/29/stories/2007062959631000.htm

Tamil Nadu

Guidelines soon for managing biodiversity heritage sites

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: The Expert Committee of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) will soon form guidelines for identifying, declaring and managing biodiversity heritage sites in the country, said S. Kannaiyan, Chairman, NBA, on Friday.

After a meeting with the Expert Committee on Friday, Dr. Kannaiyan told reporters that Committee would guide State Governments in identifying and declaring biodiversity heritage sites. Every State should get involved in the process. The State Governments should form Bio-Diversity Management Committees, whose members would involve locals in the process. Every State should form a Sub-Group Expert Committee, which would identify the biodiversity heritage sites, Dr. Kannaiyan said.

The authorities should adopt the Participatory Rural Appraisal technique before declaring a place as a heritage site. Once a place was declared biodiversity heritage site , the work of documenting and conducting research would be taken up without affecting the livelihood of the local population, he said.