Role of Indigenous Communities in Biodiversity Conservation

The communities which are residing in a particular area for a very long period of time are
basically called Indigenous Communities. According to the International Working Group on
Indigenous Affairs based in Copenhagen, there are approximately 300-500 million
indigenous people all over the world.
The knowledge these people have gathered over several hundreds of years are collectively
called as Indigenous or Traditional Knowledge. The systematic procedures developed by
these people over the years to collect information is called Indigenous Knowledge System
(IKS).In its most modern concept, IKS includes all the information, knowledge, wisdom
,practices, beliefs and philosophies of traditional societies built and accumulated by the
members of these communities through several generations in close contact with nature.

The Indigenous Knowledge concerning biodiversity conservation is of vital importance in

planning efforts and measures to effectively conserve the biodiversity resources coming
under the IUCN threat categories.
Three important categories of indigenous knowledge with respect to biodiversity
conservation are:-

1. Knowledge about the specific components of the environment such as plants,

animals and soil etc.
2. Development, evolution and use of appropriate techniques for farming, forestry etc.
3. Understanding the intimate relationship of traditional societies with the
environment as a whole.
Indigenous knowledge is often possessed within the traditional societies by all its
members or may be held only by specialists, elders or specific gender groups.
The Traditional knowledge is distributed according to various social factors like gender,
age, class & social status within any traditional society or tribal community.
Advances in Scientific documentation and understanding of traditional knowledge have
resulted not only in recognizing wild resources for human use and areas rich in them,
but also in bringing into focus the sacred bondage that existed between the traditional
societies and nature (especially biodiversity). The sacred bondage between nature and
society was recognized by UNESCO in its 1972 Convention on the Protection of the
World Heritage, often called the World Heritage Conference, and a new category of
World Heritage Sites, called ‘Cultural Landscapes‘ was established.

Bioprospecting
The term ‘Bioprospecting’ or (Biodiversity Prospecting) is defined as the exploration of
biodiversity for every valuable genetic and /or biochemical resource that finds use in
pharmaceutical, biotechnological and agricultural industries either through unique
bioprocesses or through novel end or by-products. It is also commonly called Gene
Prospecting.
 Increased interest in Bioprospecting is attributed to:-
1. Increase in innovativeness in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
2. The rise of biotechnology as a dominant economic sector.
3. Concern over biodiversity loss.
4. The increasing efforts by the developing countries for new economic activities.
5. Advances in the techniques for Bioprospecting.
The three main aims or aspects of Bioprospecting are aimed at:-
1. Identifying novel or unique plants or plant products that have substantial economic
potential.
2. Popularizing and modifying traditional techniques so as to conserve vulnerable taxa
and habitats.
3. Conserving the germplasms of useful species and their wild relatives for further
improvement of these programs.

Biopiracy
‘Biopiracy’ or ‘Gene Robbing’ may be defined as any effort by the people dealing with
biodiversity prospecting to steal or rob the traditional societies of their knowledge about
biodiversity and use that knowledge to earn money without returning anything in terms of
financial benefits to the owner-society.

Biopiracy is the practice of commercial exploitation of biochemicals or genetic materials

which occur naturally. Typically, indigenous people have traditional cognition primarily
consisting of biological features and genetic diversity of the natural environment from one
generation to another. Few of the traditional knowledge relevant to global survival has the
elements listed below:

1. Farming or Agriculture.
2. Medicinal Plants.
3. Varieties of Food crops.
The essential components for the survival of rural and indigenous people include
conservation of habitat, species, and biodiversity.

Examples of Biopiracy

1. Biopiracy of African super-sweet berries: A plant, Pentadiplandra brazzein found in

the west of South Africa. It is a vital source of a protein referred to as Brazzein.
People there utilize it as a low-calorie sweetener. It is cognized to be much sweeter
than sugar (approximately two thousand times). Recent developments involve
isolation of the gene encoding brazzein that has been sequenced and patented in the
USA.
2. Patenting of Neem: Since ancient times, Neem has proved to be useful in several
ways. Indians have shared their knowledge regarding neem across the globe. In the
year 1994, U.S. Department of Agriculture and an American company – W.R. Grace
received a European patent that included various methods that are used for
controlling fungal infections in plants by using a composition extracted from neem.

IUCN Threat Categories

The IUCN Threat categories are a system for classifying species according to their risk
of extinction.

The system has nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near
Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and
Extinct.

Each category has a set of criteria based on population size, trend, distribution, and
other factors. The IUCN Threat categories are used to inform conservation actions
and policies, and to raise awareness about the status of biodiversity.

Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural
Resources Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most
comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi
and plant species.
The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far
more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and
catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting
the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about range,
population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation
actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.

People’s Biodiversity Register

A People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) is a document that contains comprehensive
information on the availability and knowledge of local biological resources, their
uses, and any traditional knowledge associated with them. PBRs are prepared by
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in consultation with local people, as
per the Biological Diversity Act (2002) and Rules (2004) of India. PBRs serve as a legal
record of various aspects of biodiversity, including the conservation of habitats,
preservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticated stocks and
breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and the accumulation of knowledge related to
the area’s biological diversity. PBRs also help in regulating the access and benefit-
sharing of biological resources and traditional knowledge.
PBRs are prepared at different levels of jurisdiction, such as gram panchayats, taluks,
districts, corporations, or municipalities. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
and the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) provide guidance and technical support to
the BMCs for preparing PBRs. The NBA and the SBBs also consult the BMCs while
taking any decision relating to the use of biological resources and knowledge
occurring within their territorial jurisdiction.
PBRs are an important tool for documenting and safeguarding the rich biodiversity
and associated knowledge of India. They also promote the sustainable use and
management of biological resources for the benefit of present and future
generations.