The Bombay Natural History Society has launched a climate change programme. Under this, a study has been funded by Oracle and CAF-India to assess the state of Central Himalayan birds.
The programme will assess the status as well distribution and conservation of pheasants and finches in Central Himalayas.
Himalayas hold a rich natural heritage with biodiversity. The study will focus on conservation with the aid of community participation.
The Indian subcontinent is home to 50 species of pheasants and 62 species of finches. Several species have been listed in Globally Threatened category by IUCN.
Both these groups are spread across the Himalayas. Shrinking habitats have been combined with many biotic factors, along with trapping and poaching pressures pushing the species to extinction.
Climate change can influence vertical and horizontal distribution of groups. This makes boundaries of protected areas fuzzy.
Species may adapt to survive but those sensitive to the temperature will suffer following climate change.
Long term monitoring project also assesses the socio-economic activities of local communities and involve them in the conservation effort. The aim is to sensitize the local forest department staff.
The aim is to understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity of the Himalayas.
To conserve biodiversity, local communities play a critical role and their involvement is critical for project success.
Project will contribute to make the inventory of pheasants and finches. Documentation of local specific conservation issues is essential.
Species specific conservation action plan will also be formulated.
BNHS: Know More- The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883.
- It is one of the largest NGOs in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
- It supports many research efforts through grants.
- It also publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.
- Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Sálim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley, are part of BNHS.
- BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India.
- It has been designated as a 'Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation' by the Department of Science and Technology.
