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Government Of Assam Environment & Forest

Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)

  • Under Section-37 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 the State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS).

    The ‘Biodiversity Heritage Sites’ (BHS) are unique ecosystems having rich biodiversity comprising of any one or more of the following components:

    1. Richness of wild as well as domesticated species or intra-specific categories.
    2. High endemism.
    3. Presence of rare and threatened species, keystone species, species of evolutionary significance.
    4. Wild ancestors of domestic/cultivated species or their varieties.
    5. Past pre-eminence of biological components represented by fossil beds and having significant cultural, ethical or aesthetic values and are important for the maintenance of cultural diversity, with or without a long history of human association with them.

    “The creation of BHS may not put any restriction on the prevailing practices and usages of the local communities, other than those voluntarily decided by them. The purpose of declaring BHS is to enhance the quality of life of the local communities through conservation of such sites.”

    At present, the state government has notified “Majuli” as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of Assam and the processes are going on for declaration of other such sites.