Side Event

HIMALAYAN BIODIVERSITY

Organizer
G.B. Plant Institute of Hymalayan Environment and Development

Date and Time
22 October 2010 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10)

The Himalaya, which represents youngest but complex mountain system on the earth, is still evolving, and it has been recognized amongst the 34 global biodiversity hotspots. The ecosystem components in the region exhibit great dynamism. The variations in topographical features along three dimensional frame work cause diversity in climate and habitat conditions within the region. This leads to overwhelming richness of biodiversity elements and to their uniqueness. However, with respect to the impacts of the climate change, the region has been recognized one amongst most vulnerable ecosystems. The side event, through expert presentations, will attempt to highlight importance of Himalayan Ecosystem in maintaining: (i) richness and uniqueness of global pool of biodiversity at different levels; and (ii) sustained flow of environmental goods and services to serve a large section of global population. More importantly, towards the end, through a panel discussion, it is intended to flag major issues of conservation and sustainable use of Himalayan biodiversity under changing climate scenario. The National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change will form the base for the discussions.