CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, and the International Society of Environmental Botanists (ISEB) jointly celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June 2024. Prof. Ramesh V Sonti, Director, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, was the Chief Guest of the function. Dr PV Sane, Former Director, CSIR-NBRI, graced the occasion as Guest of Honour.

The ISEB is a constituent unit (scientific member) of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), Paris, and has been operating in the CSIR-NBRI since 1994 and also celebrated its 29th Foundation Day on occasion.
Welcoming the guests, Dr AK Shasany, Director, CSIR-NBRI, highlighted the importance of this year’s theme of World Environment Day, i.e., ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’. He said that awareness regarding the sustainable uses of our natural resources is the need of the hour. We have to change our lifestyle to save our environment. We must do a self-assessment for sustainable utilisation of our natural resources & conserve them for future generations.

In his address, Prof. Sonti, while discussing combating the climate change crisis, said that according to the Paris Agreement, there is a commitment to limit the rise in global surface temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that from 2011 to 2020, global surface temperatures have increased by 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. Any increase over 2°C may have catastrophic effects.

He further said that the warmer temperatures will likely reduce yields of major crops such as rice, maize, wheat and soybean. We must develop crop varieties with wide adaptation to multiple stresses of climate change. All modern plant breeding technologies, including genomic selection, genome editing and genetic transformation, must be used to develop new crops for food safety. We must reduce the usage of pesticides and adopt alternatives such as microbial fertilizers for crop yields.

Dr PV Sane, in his presidential address, said that we have to take strong steps to save our natural resources. The general public must be aware of the sustainable use of natural resources & coming catastrophic effects of climate change.

Prof. Sonti also felicitated the ISEB Fellowship Awardees and Young Scientist Awardees for the years 2021 & 2022 on the occasion. These awards were given by the society for outstanding contributions to environmental science. 
Earlier, Dr RD Tripathi, Secretary, ISEB, while highlighting the activities of the Institute and ISEB, informed that NBRI and ISEB have been working on environmental protection and climate change for more than three decades. 
Dr Vivek Pandey, Chief Scientist and Joint Secretary, ISEB, proposed the vote of thanks.

On the occasion, Dr N Kalaiselvi, Hon’ble DG, CSIR, New Delhi & Secretary, DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, visited the distant research centre of the institute situated at Banthra. Dr Kalaiselvi also inaugurated the newly established Nursery & Floriculture Centre ‘Neelkamal’ at the centre. This facility is being started under CSIR- Floriculture Mission and will work as an exclusive centre for beneficiaries to know about the CSIR Floriculture Mission initiatives. Various plants for sale were also available in this centre. This centre will also serve as the information centre for the products, technologies and plant varieties developed by the institute.

Earlier in the day, the Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme Centre (EIACP) at NBRI, in collaboration with CSIR-Jigyasa, NCC, Navyug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Integral University, and Prithvi Innovations, organised an awareness programme at NBRI, on 5 June 2024 to create awareness on the importance of protecting and restoring land resources. Various interactive activities on Mission Life were organised for the participants to encourage individual actions for sustainable use of natural resources. 

A Panel Discussion on policy actions vis-à-vis R&D interventions for mitigating climate change and land degradation was also organised. Eminent experts, including Dr AK Shasany, Director, CSIR-NBRI; Shri DK Soni, Regional Director, CPCB; Dr MA Khalid, Dean, Integral University; Ms Anuradha Gupta, Prithvi Innovations, made deliberations and discussed the action plans for the restoration of degraded land and combating desertification. 
The participants also administered the Mission Life Pledge, and plant saplings under the “Vriksh Parigrah” initiative, symbolising their duty to nurture the environment, were also distributed to the participants. Around 100 participants from 12 different institutions/organisations participated in the programme.