Transformation of public perception of Biodiversity through sensitization at schools.
Prakruti Rakshati Rakshita, Nature Protects if She is Protected
With increasing awareness of need of biodiversity as an essential natural, national and global resource, the government(s) and people have started participating to save life on planet earth.
Biodiversity constitutes the framework in which variety of life forms can coexist. In the past, humans have been living in harmony with nature which includes differnt kind of living organsisms.
Development due to technology has influenced life styles of people. This has altered previous patten of harmony with nature. As a result, we have experienced disturbances in nature as habitat fragmentation, global warming and imbalance in population of different plants and animals.
In this context the Ministry of Environment and Forests (Govt. of India) has taken the initiative to host the Eleventh conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sixth conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties (CoP/MoP-6) to the CBD's Cartagena Protocol on biosafety in Hyderabad from 1-19 October, 2012.
In sync with the national event and concern for Biological Diversity, the CBSE considers it important for its schools to participate and popularize the awareness through optimum use of formative tasks related to issues and concerns about Biological Diversity and India's role.
Through the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), the formative aspects of attitude to respect different life forms, their protection and nurture can and must be promoted through classroom interactions and co-curricular activities. These may include collaborative activities like bringing out newsletters, role play, slogan drives, and landscaping, exchanging and nurturing plants.
Needless to mention, life is a commonly shared concern of all. In this respect biological diversity forms an integral part of education that can be discussed through areas such as Science, Social Science, Languages and Mathematics.
In this context, CBSE affiliated schools are required to familiarize students with the logo and slogan prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the conference and adopt it as a motto of the year.
India is a recognized megadiverse country rich in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge. As an initiative to address ways to take care of Biodiversity as a resource for life, the main aim of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (Govt. of India) hosting the Eleventh conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sixth conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties (CoP/MoP-6) to the CBD's Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in Hyderabad on 1-19 October, 2012.
Among other concerns,the focus of the confere
1. Need to balance
- Economic development
- Demographice pressures
- Environmental conservation
2. Highlight interdependence of life forms and environment
3. Spread awareness for managing interdependence through dignified, intelligent and sustained use of resources.
A brief report of the plan and execution along with detail of any one experience and observation must be sent to the Board latest by January 31st 2013.
We would love to hear your opinion and views on this in the comments below.
