The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has launched a new initiative aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation through local development projects.

The ‘Model Biodiversity-Friendly Villages’ project was introduced during a State-level workshop organised in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the International Day for Biological Diversity observed on May 22.

According to official sources, the discussion focused on strategies to strengthen grassroots conservation efforts and position Kerala as a leading biodiversity-friendly State in the country. The other topics that were covered during the workshop included climate-resilient agricultural biodiversity conservation, nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and native forest development, and the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach.

The deliberations also explored the role of local self-government institutions in biodiversity management. Participants stressed the need to align local conservation projects with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and the Kerala State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025-35.

Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan, who inaugurated the event, said the government would strongly support projects that combine environmental protection with development activities. He added that greater importance would be given to biodiversity conservation programmes implemented by local self-government institutions in collaboration with KSBB.

The representatives from 14 district biodiversity management committees and 45 model biodiversity management committees from across the State attended the workshop.