NEW FUNDAW

Urbanization is a major cause of both loss of bio-diversity and climate change. While cities with suitable habitats and conservation policies may support local high biodiversity levels, this important aspect has actually lost attention of the Governments keeping in view the complexity involved in governing and managing large cities.

Cities comprise of mixed green patches that vary in size and are highly scattered and disconnected. Although small green spaces largely dominate the city landscape, the roles they play often goes unnoticed and, as such, are often neglected by City Governments, naturalists and conservationists, alike, as they do not fulfil the large green spaces criteria. As such, the onus of taking care of these fragmented and isolated habitat patches, which are the signature landscape of most cities, lies with the neighborhood residents. These habitats are heterogeneous and can vary in both shapes and sizes. Regardless of the size, they support biodiversity and provide a range of ecosystem services to the community. In a step towards this, initiative was to create a Model for Functional Urban Neighborhood Micro Diversity Zone in Arid Waste lands by the name NEW FUNDAW in Jammu Cíty.

Tribute

“NEW FUNDAW” is a small tribute to the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Beingwhich is an ambitious government mission under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, Innovation, Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) that strives to bring to the limelight the issues of conservation and biodiversity with following activities:
• The main aim of the mission is to bring conservation and biodiversity to the forefront of Indian science, policy, and society’s attention.
• The mission’s activities are wide-ranging and involve among others, restoration of biodiversity in many habitats, developing an early-warning system for zoonotic diseases, addressing knowledge gaps in biodiversity, etc.
• The mission is expected to meet conservation and sustainable development goals in multiple ways.
• Activities under the NMBHWB will not be restricted to certain geographical areas or protected regions.
• It is envisaged as an inclusive mission that involves scientists, farmers, policymakers, students, industrialists, etc.
• It will engage government agencies, NGOs, scientific institutions at the national, state and local levels.
• This is a significant mission because currently, biodiversity science is a very fragmented and neglected field in India.

“NEW FUNDAW” is also in line with CBD’s framework presenting five long-term goals for 2050 related to the CBD’s 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, and each of these goals has an associated outcome for 2030. The five goals address:
• Net loss and ecosystem resilience;
• Reductions in the percentage of species threatened with extinction;
• Maintenance and enhancement of genetic diversity;
• Benefits of nature to people;
• Increasing the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Mission

To create livable and vibrant communities that provide a wide range of amenities and services to residents, and contribute to the overall health and well-being of the community.

Vision

To create a world where all neighborhoods are diverse, livable, and sustainable, and where people have access to a range of amenities and services that contribute to their health and well-being. This vision could involve efforts to create more walkable and bikeable communities, reduce reliance on cars, and support local businesses and economic development. It could also involve efforts to protect and restore natural areas, and promote sustainable land use practices.