Why in the news
Kerala’s Kavu Nurseries are restoring sacred-grove species, and the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) was highlighted as the data and legal backbone telling restorers what needs protection.
Key facts
- The PBR is mandated by the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- It lists local biological resources (plants, animals, aquatic life) along with linked Traditional Knowledge (TK).
- It is compiled through a participatory process involving residents and experts.
- Kavu Nurseries supply saplings; the PBR supplies the information on which species are missing.
What the register contains
| Component | What is recorded |
|---|
| Agro-biodiversity | Local crop varieties, traditional seeds, livestock breeds |
| Wild biodiversity | Forest produce, medicinal plants, endemic wildlife |
| Traditional Knowledge | Indigenous healing methods, folklore, conservation rituals tied to sacred groves |
| Resource mapping | Spread of resources and village-level biodiversity hotspots |
Institutional set-up
| Level | Body | Role |
|---|
| National | National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) | Regulatory oversight and international legal protection |
| State | State Biodiversity Board (SBB) | Technical guidance and funding, for example Kerala SBB’s Kavu project |
| Local | Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) | Prepares and holds the PBR for the Panchayat or Municipality |
Key concepts
- Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS): when a company commercially uses recorded resources or knowledge, part of the profit goes to the local BMC for conservation and community welfare.
- Legal shield: a documented local use of a plant lets the community contest foreign patent claims, curbing bio-piracy.
- BMC in restoration: the BMC spots native species absent from sacred groves and requests matching saplings from Kavu Nurseries using PBR data.
Exam angle
- Parent law: Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- Local custodian of the register: Biodiversity Management Committee.
- Related terms: Traditional Knowledge, ABS, bio-piracy, sacred groves, Kavu Nurseries.