Navdanya celebrates International Biodiversity Day

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Navdanya celebrated International Biodiversity Day at Navdanya farm Ramgarh, Dehradun where a group of Gandhi fellowship attended the event.

Meanwhile, Dr Vandana Shiva was in Goa as Guest of Honour for celebrations of Biodiversity Day event at Kala Academy, Panaji

#BiodiversityDay a sacred day at our Biodiversity farm, celebrated with our Seed keepers and women farmers pic.twitter.com/0OivRiZWBq

— Navdanya (@NavdanyaBija) May 23, 2016

“May 22 has been declared International Biodiversity Day by the UN. It gives us an opportunity to become aware of the rich biodiversity that has been evolved by our farmers. It also provides an opportunity to acknowledge the threats to our biodiversity from IPR monopolies”.

(Seeds of Sucide – by Dr Vandana Shiva, Asian Age, 19 May 2016)

Recall tradition to save our biodiversity

Times of India, 23 May 2016

in #Goa as Guest of Honour for celebrations of #BiodiversityDay .Biodiversity basis of #lLvingEconomies https://t.co/d8bIBPRVEm

— Dr. Vandana Shiva (@drvandanashiva) May 22, 2016

We have to recall traditional methods to protect our biodiversity and adopt them to save the Earth, said environment minister Rajendra Arlekar at the Goa state biodiversity board’s International Day for Biological Diversity event at Kala Academy, Panaji, on Sunday.

The MLA, who is also chairperson of the Goa state diversity board said, “Knowledge about our biodiversity has been passed down through the generations, which is why values of environmental protection have been instilled in us traditionally. Yet, we have turned a blind eye towards the environment. Had we honoured traditions, the need to observe a day for biological diversity and stress on saving the environment would not have been so critical,” he said.

Speaking at the event, member secretary of Goa state biodiversity board, Pradeep Sarmokadam said, “Understanding biodiversity is important. We are looking at mainstreaming biodiversity and sustaining people’s livelihoods with our initiatives.”

Environmentalist and physicist Vandana Shiva said that the damage to biodiversity at various levels is responsible for the disappearance of water.

95-year-old Antonio Fernandes, known as the protector of bundhs in South Goa, was felicitated for his instrumental role in continuing the tradition of bundh sanskriti in Goa. 72-year-old Lakshmi Harmalkar was honoured for her work in enriching the agricultural and horticultural biodiversity of the state.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Recall-tradition-to-save-our-biodiversity/articleshow/52391894.cms