Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Wednesday emphasised on the need to conserve biodiversity to achieve sustainable development goals and highlighted a UN report that said nature is in trouble because of human actions.
Naidu was speaking as a chief guest at the celebration of International Day for Biodiversity in Chennai themed 'Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health'.
Referring to the theme of the event, Naidu said the traditional food systems evolved over a period time have proved to be healthier, more balanced and nutritious.
Bringing the attention of the audience, a recently released United Nations report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services that nature is in trouble because of human actions, he urged everyone to "contribute to conservation of biodiversity which is critical for achieving many sustainable development goals (SDG) also".
The celebrations were organised by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in coordination with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and with the cooperation of the government of Tamil Nadu, an official said.
Naidu, during his speech also highlighted that conservation of nature and natural resources is an innate aspect of the Indian psyche and faith, reflected in religious practices, folklore, art and culture permeating every aspect of the daily lives of people.
The theme 'Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health' focuses on biodiversity as the foundation for food and health and aims to leverage knowledge and spread awareness of the dependency of our food systems, nutrition and health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, a ministry official said.
During the event, the vice president also released documents on 'Implementation of India's National Biodiversity Action Plan: An Overview 2019'.
A thematic exhibition was also organised at the venue with the participation of over 30 institutions. Interesting exhibits, posters, and other knowledge products highlighting the role of biodiversity for food and health were depicted at the exhibition.
The event was attended by Anil Kumar Jain, Additional Secretary MoEFCC and Chairman, NBA; Hans Raj Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu and Shambhu Kallolikar, Principal Secretary, government of Tamil Nadu.
Senior officials from the MoEFCC, NBA, Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu State Biodiversity Board, representatives from other states, officers and scientists from the central and state government institutions, civil society organizations, academic institutes, students, local communities, women's development committees, and biodiversity enthusiasts also attended the event.
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