AHMEDABAD: In an ambitious move, the Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC) will be preparing one of the largest ecological and environmental data banks at the taluka level and even down to the village level.
Initially, 10 talukas have been chosen for the exercise which will be extended to other ecologically vulnerable areas of the state. Ecological profiling is an exercise that documents rare and endemic species in a region.
“The eco-profiling will study the distribution and the state of the forests and will map vegetation gradients. It will also help us determine hotspots of plant, animal and even insect diversity,” says a senior GEC official who is coordinating with various district collectors for the activity.
At present, the GEC has invited expression of interest from interested agencies. The project was first mooted in 2008, mainly to prepare a comprehensive ecological profile of 49 talukas adjoining Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kutch, South Gujarat coast and coastal areas of Saurashtra.
“The main objective of the assignment is to prepare a management decision support document which will help the state plan for development activities, in particular at block levels, with overall overview of ecological conditions of the area,” says the GEC official. A copy of the taluka level eco-profiling project is with TOI.
Apart from the ecological survey, even communities living within the vicinity of bio-geographical zones will be profiled. “Right from demography of the area, profile of 25 occupations, income ranges, population growth index, livestock, pressure over resources, conflict over resources sharing will be covered under the study,” adds the GEC official.
