Securing India’s Future: On the Trail of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

English/46mins 26secs/2003
Producer: Vijendra Patil, Baars & Tone Television Pvt. Ltd.
Supported by: United Nations Development Programme

Subject Focus: Environment: The film documents the exciting process of evolving India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Summary: Planning processes in India are usually top-down, with a handful of ‘experts’ and decision-makers preparing plans that the rest of the country has to follow. For once, however, a planning process showed that things could be done differently. This film documents the process of evolving these plans: foot-marches, biodiversity festivals, etc. Through these and other means, it depicts the enormous scale of participation that the process achieved. It also highlights some weaknesses and gaps. This is a chronicle of a path-breaking process of democratic decision-making, one that holds many lessons for future processes of planning in India and the rest of the world.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Vijendra P. Patil has directed more than 100 video films since 1985 - especially on science and technology, ecology, wildlife and social issues. Some of his films include, The Changing Nature of a Wetland, Sacred Groves, Frog Aestivation and Securing India’s Future, On the Trail of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan have been widely acclaimed and have won many awards. He has won Best Educational TV programme award at the U. G. C. national competition in 1991 and 1993, SONY ICD award in 199, Technical excellence awards at UGC national video competition in 1991, 1993, 1994. Received T.C.T. award from British Council in 1991.