UNI - Wednesday, August 12 1998

DEHRA DUN: The Ministry of Environment and Forests will soon launch an ambitious taxonomical research project as an effort to preserve various lower life forms and help sustain the biological diversity of the country.

This was announced here at the inauguration of the four-day national seminar on wildlife conservation, research and management by Mr Vinod Vaish, Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests.

In his inaugural address on Monday, Mr Vaish said his ministry had lent financial support to this seminar, organised in the Doon valley by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), with the belief that it would take stock of the situation and come up with recommendations which would help the ministry to shape its policies.

Mr Vaish said the rich biodiversity of the nation was being constantly and severely threatened by human activities like expansion of industry, urbanisation, deforestation and mining. A lasting solution to the problem of conservation of wildlife can be found only after the man-animal and man-ecosystem conflicts are resolved, said Mr Vaish while addressing the huge gathering of principal chief conservators, chief wildlife wardens, prominent scientists and conservationists attending the seminar. Today, the social scientists and life scientists need to work together to systemise wildlife research and documentation , he added.

Earlier, WII Director S K Mukherjee said urgent measures were required to check the vanishing wildlife in the country.`` We hope that this seminar will help the ministry set national priorities for wildlife management'', he added.

Dr H S Panwar, former Director of the WII delivered plenary talk on ``Wildlife research in India: facing a challenge''. To measure up to the vision, according to Dr Panwar, biologists, managers, ecodevelopers and activists needed to get together and form a coalition and prepare a conservation strategy for the country.

Seminars like this one organised by the WII were a means of forging coordinated programmes among various research institutions, said Dr Panwar. An enhanced symbiosis between scientists and managers is greatly required , he added.

Ecology of birds, behaviour and ecology of mammals, conservation policy and related issues, and studies on vegetation are among the major topics to be discussed at the seminar which is part of the commemoration of fifty years of India's Independence.

A book titled `Ecology and conservation of the Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalayas' was released by Mr Vaish on the occasion along with a software module developed by Dr Asha Rajvanshi of the WII. This software provides a complete review of the process and procedures laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for environmental clearance of development projects in different sectors.

The module is called the EIA Track (Environmental Impact Assessment Track) and would be a useful tool for EIA practitioners environmental managers, project planners and decision makers.