ZSI to record climate change impact on animals in five Himalayan states

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has launched long-term monitoring studies project to document the effect of climate change on animal biodiversity in five Himalayan states.
These five Himalayan states are Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
Key Facts

• Under the project, ZSI will monitor indicators in species like butterflies, bees, fish and other insects to find how their distribution has been affected by climate change.
• The project has been funded by the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The duration of the project is for three years.
• To study the effect of climate change on animal biodiversity latest technologies such as GIS mapping and bioinformatics will be used.
• The collected data on the distribution of species will be compared with the old records available with ZSI. It will help to depict the impact of climate change on their survival.

About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)

• ZSI is the apex institution on animal (fauna) taxonomy in India.
• Established: 1 July 1916. 2016 is the centenary year of ZSI.
• Headquarter: It also has 16 regional centres located in different parts of the country.
• Objective: To promote the survey, exploration, research and documentation on various aspects of animal taxonomy in the Indian subcontinent. It also seeks advancement of knowledge on animal taxonomy.
• Functions under: Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It activities are coordinated by the Conservation and Survey Division of MoEFCC.
• It has been declared as the designated repository for the National Zoological Collection as per section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002
• Activities Undertaken: Study of the fauna of states, of conservation areas, of important ecosystems. Status survey of endangered species, fauna of India and ecological Studies & Environmental impact assessments.
• ZSI publishes Red Data Book on Indian Animals. It was first published in 1983 and is similar to Red Data Book published by IUCN.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2016