Hyderabad, Nov.29 (NSS): GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi today said it was the responsibility of everyone to take care of urban biomedical medicine. She said there was a need to create more social awareness on the importance of biodiversity in urban areas and on conserving biodiversity.
Vijayalakshmi was the chief guest at the inaugural function organised by the National Biodiversity Authority and ICLEI at the Taj Vivanta Hotel in Begumpet on Friday as part of the two-day national conference on urban biodiversity. The conference focused on preserving biodiversity in urban areas, highlighting its importance, discussing how biodiversity will be impacted with development and urbanization, discussing steps to be taken to conserve urban biodiversity, and creating awareness on various aspects related to biodiversity.
Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said the urban biodiversity was crucial for healthy cities and sustainable urban development and added that in the wake of climate change, it would affect the air and water quality to the overall resilience of urban ecosystems. “Biodiversity will help in making the urban system more robust. According to the World Economic Forum, cities account for more than 80 per cent of the global GDP for the global economy. But at the same time, three-quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions are coming mainly from centres like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and according to the WEF report, economic activity worth nearly Rs 30 lakh crore is estimated to be at risk due to the deficiency of biodiversity,” She said.
HMDA Commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmed said it was necessary to take biodiversity as an integral part of urban development planning and added that the role of urban governing bodies was crucial in promoting greenery and nature-based solutions.
National Biodiversity Authority chairperson C Achalender Reddy said the Government of India was making special plans for the restoration of biodiversity
and added that the national biodiversity authority’s policies and objectives were aimed at restoring urban eco-systems in the country. “The development of bio-corridors in Hyderabad city will be a guiding light for other cities. He suggested that large scale changes should be brought about in biodiversity conservation with collective initiatives,” he said.
Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Advisor Raghu Kumar Kodali, National Biodiversity Authority Secretary Dr. B. Balaji, Dr. Biksham Gujja, Dr. G. Chandrasekhar Reddy, Harish Chandra Prasad Yarlagadda, ICLEI Associate Director Dr. Monalisa Sen, Dr. Sairam Reddy Palicherla, Sanjeev Karpe and others were present at the conference participated.
