Kerala authorises district-level biodiversity committees to declare ‘official species’ for protection

In a significant step towards decentralized conservation, the Kerala government has empowered district-level Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) to formally identify locally important species for priority conservation.

An order issued by the environment department empowers BMCs in district panchayats to identify, recommend and notify flora and fauna that are locally threatened, endemic or have deep cultural significance as “official species”. The movement aims to ensure legal protection and encourage conservation efforts based on local knowledge and participation.

Traditional crop varieties, medicinal plants, native animal species and related ecosystems may be recognized for conservation purposes under the new framework. Any destruction, habitat damage or other activity that threatens such species, once declared, will attract legal action under the provisions of the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023.

According to official sources, this measure gives legal weight to local conservation decisions and ensures accountability at the grassroots level.

Using traditional knowledge

Based on the recommendations of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB), the initiative aims to preserve region-specific biodiversity, revitalize traditional ecological knowledge and prevent extinction of native species through a bottom-up management model. Each BMC will be responsible for regular monitoring of designated species and habitats, maintaining up-to-date records and submitting periodic reports to KSBB on their conservation status and threat mitigation efforts.

The decision is considered a unique model of participatory biodiversity management that can be replicated across the country.

Currently, the reform is being implemented on a pilot basis in Kasaragod and Kozhikode districts, where BMCs have declared some species as deserving of urgent protection. “These districts have successfully demonstrated how local expertise and community participation, when combined with legal support, can lead to faster and more sustainable results than traditional top-down conservation models. This movement is an example of community-driven conservation and a paradigm shift from bureaucratic conservation,” an official said.

With the success of the pilot phase, the model will soon be expanded statewide, giving local agencies a greater role to initiate biodiversity conservation efforts.