Vol. 7, Issue 1 (2018)

Author(s):
Mohit Husain, Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma, Jagdeesh Prasad Rathore, Aatifa Rasool, Aafaq A Parrey and Kolagani Mahendar

Abstract:
Sustainable development is improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems ^[1]. Biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are two interrelated branches focusing on social progress, economic growth and environmental protection on one side, and ecosystem conservation on the other ^[19]. Conservation includes the efforts carried out in protected areas and community reserves, and in other areas with rich and important biodiversity where conservation is not the main focus. Sustainable management of natural resources by the local peoples is the main approach for preserving these landscapes for long-term social, economic and ecological benefits ^[2]. Biodiversity provides goods and services such as food, fiber, medicine, air, water purification, climate regulation, erosion control and nutrient cycling. Biodiversity also plays an important role in economic sectors that drive development, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism ^[23]. More than 3 billion peoples rely on marine and coastal biodiversity and 1.6 billion people rely on forests and non-timber forest products for their livelihoods ^{[36, 37]}. Biodiversity conservation in developing countries has its own set of challenges. Biodiversity conservation does not happen in a vacuum ^[43]. It requires the participation of many different groups of people, working with various conservation mechanisms both in situ and ex situ. The sacred groves have been reported from different continents of the world such as Africa, Asia, Europe, Austro- pacific region and America ^[13]. As on March, 2011 there are 1, 18, 213 JFM committees across 29 states and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are managing 22.94 million ha of forests in the country ^[21].