incorporate information on the local biodiversity elements as well as their ecosystems. These ward / grama sabha level reports could be amalgamated to constitute Panchayat / NagarPalika / Mahanagar Palika level reports. The Biological Diversity Act (BDA) provides for the constitution of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at the level of local bodies, namely, Panchayats / NagarPalikas / MahanagarPalikas. The Act leaves the choice of the number and identity of the members of BMC to the local citizens. Therefore, the BMCs of the various local bodies should constitute the first tier of a democratic system for management of biodiversity in the country. The set of these members could elect the members at successively higher levels, namely, as members of district level, state level the national biodiversity authorities. The higher-level authorities would coordinate the functioning of their constituents. Such a democratically constituted National Biodiversity Authority would then serve to interact at the international level. At all levels, the BMCs and Biodiversity Authorities would have administrators serving them to carry out secretarial functions, but not exert any authority. Such a set-up would nurse back our biodiversity heritage to a healthy state and help us move in the direction of a more equitable and just society.
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