Biodiversity

In compliance with the 20 commandments of 'Aichi Targets', SAFE prioritizes conservation of Biodiversity in all of its areas of intervention. Some efforts that are being undertaken by SAFE are depicted here below:

1. SAFE field station at Sundarbans maintains 07 germplasm of indigenous salt resistant rice varieties (var. jamainadu, getu, nonabokra, keralasundari, taalmugur, kejurchhori, narasingho) through in-situ community conservation method. SAFE is preparing for indigenous seed village to protect these varieties.
2. Urban Biodiversity, SAFE initiated the first GPS based inventory of floral biodiversity in Kolkata metropolis by training a group of students in GPS mapping and alfa diversity indexing. The process of inventory preparation is ongoing and would include the other metropolis and urban hubs also as a step ahead in conserving urban biodiversity a reducing heat island effect in the upcoming concrete canopy above the tree line, SAFE has propounded a programme of developing vertical greens by training the unemployed urban youth in horticultural and hydroponic farming.
3. Endangered Avifauna (Grusnigricolis); SAFE has worked on the habitat conservation of black necked cranes in Phobgika and Yngtshi valley of Bhutan which is the winter resting ground of the cranes.
4. Orchid and Lichen Diversity of Eastern Himalayas; Conservationists of SAFE have surveyed extensively on the orchid and lichen diversity in eastern Himalayas in order to develop ecological indicators of air pollution in the pristine ecology.
5. Rehabilitation and conservation of 10 endemic self recruiting fishes in East Kolkata Wetlands through habitat restoration and restricted fishing.