Biodiversity Management Committees
Also called: BMC, People's Biodiversity Register · Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are local bodies set up under the Biological Diversity Act 2002, in every panchayat and municipality. They are the lowest of the Act's three tiers:
- the National Biodiversity Authority (Chennai)
- State Biodiversity Boards
- BMCs
Each BMC keeps a People's Biodiversity Register, a written record of local plants, animals and traditional knowledge. This record proves the knowledge belongs to local people and supports fair sharing of benefits with them.
Example
Imagine a panchayat around Agasthyamalai (Kerala–Tamil Nadu), where the Kani tribe use medicinal plants. Its BMC would record those plants and the Kani people's knowledge of them in the register.
Don't confuse with
- National Biodiversity Authority: the top body in Chennai. BMCs work only at the village or town level.
Related concepts
- Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
- Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022
- Conservation reserves and community reserves
- Biological Diversity Act 2002
- Eco-sensitive zone