ODISHA: A two day seminar on ‘Biodiversity & Conservation Initiatives in Koraput Region ‘ is scheduled to be organized on 28th and 29th March, 2015 in the main campus of Central University of Orissa, Koraput at Sunabeda. The seminar is going to be organised by the School of Biodiversity & Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of Orissa, Koraput in collaboration with Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand, Gujurat.
Col. R.S. Chauhan, Registrar of the University will preside over the inaugural session of the Seminar. The programme will be attended by Dr. A.K. Mohapatra, IFS, Regional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Koraput as Chief Guest, Prof. Malaya Kumar Mishra, Retd. Professor of Botany, Berhampur University as Guest of Honour, Dr. Sharat Kumar Palita, Dean of the School as Convener, Dr. Mihir Jena, FES as Co-Convener and Dr. K. Banerjee and D. Panda of the School of Biodiversity as Co-Conveners.
“Koraput is one of the important agro-biodiversity hotspots of India. It has rich assembly of unique floral and faunal diversity. The genetic repository of the region is of great significance in the global context. The tribal and rural communities of this area have been developing and conserving these genetic resources from immemorial time with their traditional knowledge.
Local initiatives for conservation of bio-resources through varieties of institutional means and mechanisms have always been counted vital to conservation of biological diversity in Koraput. In view getting various stakeholders for biodiversity conservation into one forum, the seminar will be organized in the University Campus as this is the need of the hour” Said Colonel R.S. Chauhan, Registrar of the University.
“Biodiversity is the multitude forms of life within each ecosystem. It represents the very foundation of human existence. Besides the profound ethical and aesthetic implications, it is clear that the loss of biodiversity has serious economic and social costs. Biodiversity is now at risk as a result of human developmental activities” he emphasized.
Global climate change, along with continued habitat loss and fragmentation is now being recognized as a major threat to future biodiversity. In this context, biodiversity and its conservation assumes utmost importance. The seminar will be attended by staff, students and research scholar of the University and research scholar from outside of the University from the field of Bio-diversity.