Toolkit for conservation of biodiversity in urban areas

School of Planning & Architecture New Delhi

TOOLKIT FOR

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN URBAN AREAS

The toolkit is a part of research work conducted in Department of Environmental Planning under the Design Innovation Centre (DIC) in School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. DIC is a part of National Initiative of Design Innovation (NIDI), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

The mandate was to spread design education and propel R&D activities in Design that becomes the catalyst for devising innovation solutions. The toolkit is produced in the form of “Mobile and Web Application “ for management and conservation of biodiversity in human settlements. Patent has already been applied for the toolkit.

Prof. Dr. Meenakshi Dhote Head of Environmental Planning & Head-In-Charge of Landscape Architecture Department School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi, India

Himanshhu Panwar Research Associate Design Innovation Centre (DIC), School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi, India

@ 2019 Design Innovation Centre (DIC), School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from SPA, New Delhi.

Contents 1. About ................................................................01 2. Legal Framework .....................................01 3. Objectives......................................................01 4. Scope ................................................................02 5. Quick overview...........................................03 CBI PBR LBSAP Contribute 6. Framework ....................................................10 7. App’s Overview...........................................12

About The term Biodiversity is often linked to only its existence in wildlife sanctuaries, natural parks, etc, but existence of biodiversity in urban areas is one such measure which needs to be actively enhanced and promoted.

According to definition given by Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), it refers to all the variety of life that can be found on Earth (plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms) as well as to the communities that they form and the habitats in which they live. Urban areas can provide opportunities for creating a more sustainable future by way of enhancing resource-efficiency, reducing ecological footprints, fostering innovation, political leadership and social responsibility. Biodiversity in cities plays far more important role not just greenery and some birds & animals. It is an indicator of the ecological health of an area. It provides ecosystem services, which would otherwise be sought from outside the city at a cost and increase in the ecological footprint.

The developed toolkit would help local governments harness available resources and opportunities to address global biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. And, it would be for conservation and management of biodiversity in urban areas which would provide a one stop solution for database management by collaborating different initiatives of biodiversity conservation into a single urban biodiversity management tool.

Legal Framework Section 41 of Biological Diversity Act -2002 provides the scope to Municipal Corporations to perform all the activities relevant to its overall Biodiversity Management. And specifically states that “Every local body shall constitute a Biodiversity Management Committee within its area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity including preservation of habitats, conservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals and microorganisms and chronicling of knowledge relating to biological diversity.”

Objectives

01.

Incorporating biodiversity and ecosystem services in local governance for sustainable planning of cities.

02.

Ensuring effective implementation of National Biodiversity Action plan.

03.

04.

Promotion of CBI as a tool for management of natural resources in the cities.

05.

Identification and involvement of sub-national stakeholders in the biodiversity conservation.

06.

Encourage a common approach to biodiversity conservation and sharing of best practice

07.

Highlight priority habitats and species that are of particular value in a city, both within the national and local context

Easing the data collection and usage of PBRs across the country.

01

Scope India is divided into 10 bio-geographic zones with assigned biological diversity, making it a mega-diverse region. There are about more than 300 Class-I towns or cities all over the country where the biodiversity conservation and management needs to be practiced. Also, according to the Smart city Mission, cities need to prepare plan in order to enhance biodiversiy, which provides us huge scope through inter-governmental policies for using the toolkit to prepare local area biodiversity plan for cities.

LEGEND

Smart Cities

02

Tools

1

City Biodiversity Index (CBI)

The City Biodiversity Index, also referred to as the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity or the Singapore Index (SI), is a self-assessment tool for cities to evaluate and monitor the progress of their biodiversity conservation efforts against their own individual baselines.

It comprises: a) “Profile of the City”, which provides background information on the city; and b) 23 indicators that measure native biodiversity, ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, and governance and management of biodiversity.

The scoring of the Singapore Index is quantitative in nature. Each indicator is assigned a scoring range between zero and four points, with a total possible maximum score of 92 points. The year in which a city first embarks on this scoring will be taken as the baseline year, and this will be measured against future applications of the Index to chart its progress in conserving biodiversity.

India is increasingly marked by the growing influence of urban areas, with large- scale, distal impacts on rural environments across the country. Hyderabad became the first in India to have a City Biodiversity Index, at ‘Cities for Life’, a city and sub-national biodiversity summit, organized at the 11th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). This needs to be actively followed and brought up for all the cities.

Procedure CBI would be formulated and analyzed data of all the cities, indicator wise under the sections status of natural resources, ecosystem services & governance and scoring would be given.

The data collected through different departments would be added to the GIS and subsequently maps would be prepared and displayed under each indicator section.

Local government bodies can alter or add the data when they want to of their reason and keep the data updated.

Currently there is no such provision of display of city’s status of environment on biodiversity and the government measures for the users.

Fitting into the toolkit

01 02 03 04

The data related to invasive species, could be used to form the species action plan in Tool no.3 -Local area biodiversity action plan (LBSAP).

The data for change in number of species can be arrived from the Tool no.2 which is People’s Biodiversity Register.

The dataset for permeable & non permeable surfaces under can be used for preparing of Green linkage map in the Tool no. 3 for LBSAP.

Features

Natural Areas

Connected Natural Spaces

Native Bird Species

Change in No. of species

Invasive Species

Carbon Recreational Regulation of Water Sequestration & Educational Quantity

Budget Allocation

Projects Im- Institutional Partnership plemented Capacity & Participation

LBSAP Implemented

Education & Awareness

Partnership, Institutional Capacity and participation aspects could be linked to the Tool no.4 which is volunteering and Contribution section.

Users Government Bodies

The data output will be in the form of interactive maps and lists of species.

Individuals/ Local Communities

Corporates

Research Institutes

NGOs/ Volunteers

Biodiversity Professionals/ Planners

04

Tools

2

People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

A PBR is a document that records status of local biodiversity, landscape, waterscape elements and relationships of various user-groups with these essentially from a (local) people’s perspective. The preparation of a PBR of villages would entail the vigorous involvement of the local community members through the formation of a Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), with support from the concerned government bodies and departments and technical expertise. The PBR is a database of traditional knowledge and intellectual property of the local rural community on biological resources.

To overcome the imbalances of biodiversity of a region we need to enhance the productivity and profitability, quality and sustainability, of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry, as also the quality and sustainability of a variety of ecosystem services for which a database needs to be created initially to record the existing status.

Procedure The standard procedure of survey of PBR would be transformed into digital platform. Other than that it would also be used to conduct species specific surveys.

A

B

Selection of Species specific data to conduct survey.

Open survey through the mobile/ web application

Authentication level I

Choosing the invasive/alien species or any important species, of which survey needs to be done for preperation of Plans.

All the users can participate in survey which would be done for identifying the species at local scale based on their geo-location.

The database collected would be rectificed and filtered out based on the previous records or user’s involvement with the application

01

02

03 05

Features PBR data collection would be digitally app based and would add data to the tool no.1 CBI. All the species info would be directly uploaded on the web based-map when in online mode, which can be used for area specific proposals in tool no.3 LBSAP. Survey formats of all the four classifications Agrobiodiversity, Domestic Biodiversity, Wild Biodiversity & Urban biodiversity are uploaded seperately.

It would be linked to the Tool no.1 CBI, for the change in number or location of species and so can be upgraded timely.

Users Government Bodies

Research Institutes

Biodiversity Professionals/ Planners

Individuals/ Local Communities

Authentication level II

Authentication level III

Freezing & Uploading

Data would be cross checked by professionals and uncertainities would be mapped.

Pilot survey could be done by research institutes to figure out the authentication of the data for a particular time periods.

The species identified at the stage of survey would by uploaded onto the server with their location on an interactive map.

04

05

06 06

Tools

3

Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBSAP)

Local Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans are mechanisms for implementing the CBD and Aichi Biodiversity Targets at the local level, through alignment with National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. Basically, LBSAPs are an overarching strategy accompanied by specific actions to achieve that strategy.

It is a crucial tool by which local governments may guide the management of biodiversity and ecosystem services, enable local action, and inform overarching city plans and decisions. In addition, the LBSAP guides the city’s impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services beyond its boundaries.

The LBSAP can be a standalone document, or can provide a mechanism for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services considerations into broader city plans.

The foundation of an LBSAP is an assessment of the biodiversity and ecosystem services in the city, including their state, spatial distribution, management and threats, together with communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) activities.

Habitat Action Plan Habitat Identification & Classification Landuse Map of the city

Habitat Ecosystem Mapping

Habitat Valuation Mapping

Priority Habitat Selection

Ecological Networking & Connectivity Existing Greens

Landuse Available

Green Corridor

All above functions would be automated in the portal. For generating the detailed Action Plan, the selected priority habitat would be studied and site specific recommendations would be made.

Suggestions for moderation in policy framework would be developed for better implementation of the action plan.

07

Species Action Plan Valuation of Species The scoring of indicator species would be to done and subsequently an action plan would be formalised. Identified actions which could be taken locally, and which will contribute to the conservation of those species would be the major objective of the plan.

Individuals/ Local Communities

This toolkit brings together all the relevant tools of biodiversity conservation and management in such a way that it produces the framework for local biodiversity planning. The tools used are People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), City Biodiversity Index (CBI), City’s land use plan along with correlated concepts of biodiversity mapping and planning.

01 02 03

Users Government Bodies

Fitting into the framework

Corporates (CSR initiatives)

Research Institutes

NGOs/ Volunteers

Biodiversity Professionals/ Planners

04

The dataset for species selection can be taken from tool no.1 City Biodiversity Index.

Accessing the existing greens can also br done through the first tool.

The aspect of generating the green corridor across the city can be implemented through fourth tool which is the involvement of NGOs and local people.

The authorities responsible for biodiversity actions in the city can be taken out from first tool and directly pitched in for implementation of LBSAP.

08

Tools

4

Contribute

Contribute/Volunteer tool would have sections for contribution as Individual, Corporates, Schools, RWAs and Retired officials. Fitting into the toolkit achieving such a level of objectives of action plans and CBI objectives as well, there is need of human resource, so this part would be fulfilled through this part. In this section, one would select according to their profession or their suitability, and apply their interest for volunteering. The screen there after would ask the location of the user, and accordingly it would show the nearby NGOS working for environment, and their scope of work. So, one could select the NGO according to his/her self-interest and apply for it. It would send the notification to the concerned NGO and the latter would be further notified about dates of volunteering activities.

Individuals

RWAs

Schools

Individuals can contribute through involvement with NGOs or can directly register to collaborate for collection of data.

Residents Welfare Associations can directly link to NGOs for work or can initiate their own conservation measures.

As a part of Environmental education & field activities they are supposed to carry out plantation & awareness drives which can be easily done according to the need through the app.

Corporates

Retired Citizens

SHGs/ NGOs

For monitoring od all the local activities proposed in the LBSAP, retired citizens would play an important role.

These can collaborate with one other and can initiate massive drives & on ground biodiversity conservation activities.

As part of CSR activities, corporates could easily track down the projects where work is needed in LBSAP.

09

Framework

Offsetting challenges of 6th NBSAP Report NBT No. National Biodiversity Targets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Awareness Integrating Biodiversity Values with Planning Strategies for reducing rate of degradation Invasive alien species Sustainability of Management of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries Wider landscape & seascape approach integrating development & conservation Safeguarding Genetic Diversity Ecosystem services related to local community ABS from Genetic Resources NBSAP at different level of governance Communities traditional knowledge Financial, Technical & human resource for implementation of NBSAP

Directly Targeting

• • •

Indirectly Targeting

• •

• • •

•

ROADMAP

01

CITY BIODIVERSITY INDEX

App’s Overview

The toolkit is presented in the form of a mobile application which can be used proactively and can be accessed easily, by all. All the maps would be in interactive form providing user to zoom the map touching on screen and making them more involved with the application. The app would have two portals for governmental officials, professionals and other for general public. The portal for general public would display all the information that have been uploaded earlier on the app and can participates in surveys whereas government officials would have options to upload the data and review it. This toolkit will help generating a whole lot of employment opportunities for professionals like botanist, biologists, zoologist, environmentalist, planners, etc.

City

City

12

The idea addresses the problem of status of biodiversity in urban and rural areas and provides an effective framework for its conservation and management. The toolkit is about collaboration of different inter-related ideologies and concepts which are brought into a complete framework and when applied together can provide significant output to conservation of biodiversity in urban areas. It will act as a single window entity where all the stakeholders including volunteers, NGOs, government institutions and local government could work together at their respective planning and administrative levels and help to enhance the quality of the biodiversity as well as its conservation by mainstreaming different processes and methods.

“ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE, TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH” - HELEN KELLER

Department of Environmental Planning School of Planning & Architecture New Delhi

Design Innovation Center SPA, Delhi