G20: Bengaluru will host the first meeting of the Environment Working Group from 9 February

India will hold the Presidency of the G20 for one year till November 30, 2023. The forum will bring together G20 member countries, guest countries and international organizations invited by India. Through the Sherpa Track, 13 working groups and two initiatives will meet under India’s presidency to discuss priorities and provide recommendations.

Environment, Climate and Sustainability is a working group under the Sherpa Track.

“A total of four ECSWG meetings are scheduled to be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) during India’s G20 chairmanship which ends on November 30 this year. The ECSWG discussions will focus on the agenda ‘Promotion of Blue Economy with Coastal Sustainability’, ‘Restoration of Degraded Lands and Ecosystems’ and ‘Enhancement of Biodiversity’ and ‘Strengthening of Circular Economy’,” the ministry said.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, ECSWG discussions will focus on the agenda of ‘Promotion of Blue Economy with Coastal Sustainability’, ‘Restoration of Degraded Lands and Ecosystems’ and ‘Enhancement of Biodiversity’ and ‘Strengthening of Circular Economy’.

Leading up to the first meeting in Bengaluru, Mysuru Zoo in coordination with the Central Zoo Authority organized a two-day National Conference for Zoo Directors of India on January 18-19. Mysuru zoo was chosen as a venue to focus on best practices in zoo management. It is one of the two self-sustaining zoos in India that has a unique concept of adopting zoo animals, which started in this zoo. The conference mainly focused on ‘Master Planning and Building National Capacity for Species Management and Conservation Breeding’.

As many as 59 participants from 25 states and one union territory participated in this conference.

For preparation and better coordination, a meeting between Leena Nandan, secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Vandita Sharma, principal secretary to the Karnataka government was held on Saturday in Bengaluru. Aspects related to branding, security, venue management, and cultural events reflecting the traditions of Karnataka etc., and other logistical arrangements were discussed.

Nandan requested the state government to provide marking spaces at prominent places for staging the meeting. While appreciating the ambience of Bengaluru and its green surroundings, the union secretary also requested the chief secretary to facilitate an excursion of the G20 delegates to the Bannerghatta Biological Park.

The union secretary, during his discussions with the chief secretary, highlighted and appreciated the innovative information technology solutions developed by the Karnataka State Forest Department to ensure faster delivery of public services and real-time monitoring of natural resources. A key initiative is e-Parihara, an online application that helps process and approve ex-gratia claims in human-animal conflict cases; thus, bringing transparency and efficiency in the processing of claims.

Similarly, e-Gastu an Android-based platform captures the forest patrolling/field activities performed by the frontline staff of the forest department, which can be seen by supervisory officers on satellite imagery, on a regular basis. Similarly, the e-timber facility provides near real-time stock of timber available at government timber depots and enables e-auction facilities for timber/other forest produce at government timber depots.

According to the official statement, the geo-spatial forest information system developed by the Karnataka Forest Department is a unique platform that uses remote sensing and GIS technology and provides a spatial database of all notified forest lands in state, which provides access to forest land. notices, village maps, forest maps and digitized notified forests at cadastral level.

The forest fire management system is a comprehensive solution for forest fire planning, mitigation and analysis that provides forest fire risk mapping, fire initiation vulnerability mapping, burning area assessment with a robust system for disseminating active forest fire alerts to ensure that all fire incidents are addressed and reduced in a timely manner.

The G20 delegates are scheduled to visit Kalkere Arboretum and Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru. At Kalkere, delegates will have the opportunity to visualize and experience the four main forest ecosystems of Karnataka state. The State Forest Department will also show the forest restoration models adopted in these ecosystems and the successful revival of animal biodiversity in these areas.

The Bannerghatta Biological Park will present a state-of-art butterfly park and animal safaris to the delegates. Karnataka Forest Department will also promote the flagship model of ecotourism, Jungle Lodges Resort, which is very popular among nature lovers, worldwide.

The tourism commissioner said Karnataka’s rich heritage of handicrafts and textiles will be showcased through pavilions at the venue. Secretary, Culture said that artistic depiction of Karnataka by nadeswaram, performance by Ayana Dance Company and flute recital by Sumukha Rao are planned.

These events will showcase the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Karnataka, ensuring that delegates take the flavor of Karnataka with them.