In a significant step towards decentralised conservation, the Kerala government has empowered district-level Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) to formally designate locally significant species for priority protection.
An order issued by the Environment department authorises the BMCs in district panchayats to identify, propose and notify flora and fauna that are locally threatened, endemic or hold deep cultural importance as “official species.” The move seeks to ensure legal protection and promote conservation efforts rooted in local knowledge and participation.
Traditional crop varieties, medicinal plants, indigenous livestock breeds and associated ecosystems may be recognised for conservation under the new framework. Once declared, any act of destruction, habitat damage or other activity that threatens such species will attract legal action under the provisions of the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023.
According to official sources, the measure thus gives statutory weight to local conservation decisions and places accountability at the grassroots level.
Using traditional knowledge
