Urban Biodiversity – Reports and Articles

(PDF) Building biodiversity in neighbourhood parks in Bangalore city, India: Ordinary yet essential 

This study analyses the value of small sized neighbourhood parks that are present in most residential layouts in Bengaluru. The study finds pocket-sized parks are vital environmental spaces that support biodiversity in the city. They are also useful to citizens living in the neighbourhoods, not only for recreational purposes but also to connect with nature.

Lizards from suburban areas learn faster to stay safe | Biology Letters 

Humans are altering the natural environments animals inhabit. For many animals such changes not only occur in their habitats but the habitats they inhabit change several times over in their lifespans. In this study, the researchers inform, perhaps for the first time, that lizards in urban areas learn faster to identify safe places than their counterparts in rural areas.

Biodiversity and the City—Challenges for India 

In this article by Harini Nagendra, Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University, she writes about the challenges biodiversity faces in Indian cities. She explains this citing the example of the city of Bengaluru. Home gardens, community gardens and sacred places are some of the green spaces that offer refuge to biodiversity in the cities. She argues for these traditional spaces to be integrated in urban management practices.

Indian Insects are dying. What is happening to them and why you should care 

There are over 5.5 millions kinds of insects on our planet. A recent study in the scientific journal Biological Conservation reveals that nearly 40% of the insects are in danger of becoming extinct in the near future. This article covers the study and suggests why we should care about this endangerment, the information available in India and the reasons for the disappearance of insects.

http://nbaindia.org/uploaded/pdf/IndiaNationalBiodiversityActionPlan2019.pdf  

After India submitted the Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity in late 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change came up with this report. This report documents the progress made in implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 – 2020, the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets, and the relevant national biodiversity targets.