Biological diversity, the amazing variety of all living things, the places they inhabit, and the interaction between the two underpins ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human well-being. In a futuristic perspective, it is essential for food security and for sustainable economic development of any country. The continued growth of human population and of con
sumption patterns, exacerbated with habitat destruction, land conversion for agriculture and development, climate change, pollution and the spread of invasive species have resulted in rapid erosion of Earth’s biological diversity. The biodiversity loss or the ‘sixth extinction’ is currently at its peak, with every day species’ extinctions continuing at up to 1,000 times or more the natural rate, highlighting the need for effective conservation programmes. Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC) is the largest get together of scientists, conservationists, environmentalists, civil society groups and local communities concerned with biodiversity- the variety of life in our planet and the support system for achieving food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development. The major objective of IBC is to formulate a vision and alternate strategic plan for the conservation of biodiversity in the context of prevailing concept of “development at ANY cost”. The First IBC was launched at Thiruvananthapuram in 2010, in the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity (IYB), under the joint auspices of Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) (a global partner of United Nations for IYB celebrations), Navdanya, University of Kerala and Kerala State Biodiversity Board. This has become a landmark event in India, with the participation of over 750 delegates from 25 states in seminars, exhibition of international standards visited by over 100,000 public, Workshops, National Photography Exhibition, Civil Society Meet, Documentary Film Festival and Children’s Biodiversity Conclave, besides a series of satellite and side events. The Second Indian Biodiversity Congress is scheduled at Bengaluru (Bangalore), the Garden City of India during 9-12 December 2012, with Seminar, Expo, Civil Society Meet, Children’s Conclave on Biodiversity, National Photography Competition and Documentary Film Festival. This years’s Focal Theme is “Biodiversity of the Western Ghats- Challenges and Strategies for Conservation and Sustainable Management”, which is more appropriate in the context of the report of the expert panel on Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot and declaration of natural heritage status by UNESCO. We welcome you all to the Second Indian Biodiversity Congress at Bengaluru and thank you for your continued support.
