Complete information on Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs)

Non-governmental organizations have played a very important role in the development of environmental policy in many countries as well as the emergence of global awareness about the state of environment.

These organizations can be grouped into following three categories:

1. Specialized agencies with restricted membership consisting primarily of scientific and professional members. Like International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

2 Institutes and Centres devoted to the task of collection of information, research and consultation such as International Institute for Environment and Development, the Institute of European Environmental Policy etc.

3. Activist Organizations with open membership which are devoted to the cause of raising support and consensus for wild life protection, conservation of resources and improvement in the quality of environment. These include organizations like Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, and Bombay Natural History Society etc.

Non-governmental organizations usually consist of volunteers or group of individuals genuinely interested in the cause of conservation of wild life, natural resources and protection of the environment for which they generate their own resources, contributory funds, grants etc.

They are often able to manage things more efficiently and easily than governments which work with authority. They have played a great role in the development of public awareness about environmental matters and much of evolution of national and international environmental co-operation can be attributed to this public awareness – as in a democratic set up it is the general public opinion which shapes the policies of a country. Some of the more important non-governmental bodies (NGOs) are being discussed here:

(1) International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) :

International Council of Scientific Unions is a federation of federations consisting of about twenty unions which are themselves a composite structure made up of a large number of subsidiary organizations. In order to direct the diverse and highly specialized resources of the Union to the major global problems, ICSU works through inter-union, interdisciplinary committee devoted to particular scientific issue or problem.

Among the several types of committee established by ICSU important ones are: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) formed in 1957, Scientific Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) established in 1958, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Scientific Committee on Problems of Environment (SCOPE) established in 1969.

SCOPE is probably one of the most important committee established by ICSU concerned with the problems of environment. Its main objectives are to advance knowledge of the influence of humans on their environment as well as the effect of this environmental change upon the people, their health and their well-fare.

It pays more attention to those influences and affects which are either global or are shared by several nations. It serves as a non-governmental, interdisciplinary and international council of scientists which is a source of information, advice and guidelines for the benefit of governments and inter-governmental and non-governmental bodies regarding the matters of environment.

(2) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource (IUCN) or World Conservation Union :

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources was established in 1M, as an International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN). The Organization with its wide ranging policies has now assumed world leadership in matters wild life conservation and conservation of natural resources and protection of environment. In 1957, the union renamed itself as International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The Head quarters of the Union art situated in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN is now globally operated highly influential union of government agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations and loyal supporters who are dedicated to the cause of conservation. The organization is concerned with initiations and promotion of scientifically based action which endeavour to establish links between development and environment, to provide lasting improvement in the quality of life for people all over the world. The main objectives of IUCN can be summed up as follows:

1. To ensure the conservation of nature especially of biological diversity as an essential foundation for the future. 2 To ensure wherever earth’s natural resources are used by humans, this is done in wise equitable and as far as possible in sustainable way. 3. To guide the development of human communities towards ways of life those are both of good quality and in enduring harmony with other components of the biosphere.

IUCN works through a General Assembly which is convened at the interval of every three years to determine the policies and broad elements of the organization, a Council elected by the General Assembly which meets at least annually and Commissions consisting of a body of experts and volunteers who make major contribution to the development and execution of IUCN Programmes, Currently there are six commissions, namely: commission on Ecology, on Education and Communication, on Environmental Law, on Environmental Strategy and Planning, on National Parks and Protected Areas and on Species Survival. The IUCN Commissions constitute a global net-work of more than 6,000 scientists and other specialists.

(3) World Wild-Life Fund or World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF):

World Wild-life Fund which was established in the year 1961, with its headquarters at Glands

Switzerland is one of the largest and most important conservation organizations in the world. The WWF logo, a Giant Panda over the letters WWF is perhaps the most widely recognized symbol of Conservation in the world. By 1993, WWF had developed affiliations with over 28 organizations spread over five continents of the world and had invested more than 330 million dollars in over 10,000 different projects in 130 different countries since its creation in 1961.

WWF International provides assistance to scientific research on wild life and supports every day, on the spot conservation programmes and initiatives on four continents – Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Similar efforts are sponsored in U.S. and Canada and Australia by national WWF Organization in these countries. After the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1986, the World Wild Life Fund was renamed World Wide Fund for Nature.

WWF has enlarged its focus of activity to include issues of sustainable development. It endeavours to integrate wild life conservation with meeting the needs of human society in such ways that the exploitation does not threaten the fragile habitats.

Thus, in Nepal, WWF has been planting fuel wood to provide for needs of the people so that natural habitats are not disturbed. It has recognized that to conserve the world’s natural resources for future generations we shall have to help elevate the human crisis and pressure of development which puts wild life and wild land in danger.

In Asia WWF’s efforts are especially intensive in countries like Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Thailand, Papua and Nepal. The Trade Record Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) which is a large and influential section of WWF monitoring trade in wild life and wild life products has been very successful in halting the transactions in bear parts, skins and hides of endangered animals and rhino horns.

TRAFFIC operates 15 offices all over the world and has been responsible for shutting down smuggling operations involving parrots, spotted cats, sea turtles and tropical timber in Latin America. The fund has also been associated with preservation of Coral reef ecosystems of the world.

(4) National Audubon Society

It was as early as 1880 that George Bird Grinnell who grew up in Audubon Park, New York, proposed the creation of an Audubon Society named in honour of the noted naturalist of the time John James Audubon dedicated to the cause of wild bird protection. Following this suggestion nearly 36 Audubon groups were formed by 1905, which were later integrated into the National Committee of Audubon Society.

The Society, a strong advocate of protection of wild birds, has been instrumental in the promulgation of important acts aimed for the protection of wild life. Over the years the Society has spread its activity to cover the protection of wild life in general, wild lands, natural habitats and other environmental causes. The Society has over 500 local chapters located in all the 50 states with a membership totalling over 550,000. It maintains education centers, camps, research stations, bird and wild life sanctuaries all over America.

(5) Sierra Club:

The Sierra Club was established in 1892 with John Muir as its first president and an elite membership largely drawn from San Francisco bay area. Its objectives included exploration, entertainment and access to mountain regions of the Pacific Coast, publications of authentic information concerning them and enlistment of support and co-operation of the public and government for the preservation of forests and other natural features of Sierra Navada Mountains. Today Sierra Club has expanded its activity to promote the conservation and responsible use of earth’s ecosystems and resources of nature, to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of natural and human environment. The Organization has more than 50,000 members while its annual budget amounts to about 38 million dollars. The organization is composed of 13 regions, 63 chapters which are subdivided into 400 local groups.

(6) Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) :

Since its inception in 1883, the Society has been an important non-government organization dedicated to the cause of protection of wild life and nature conservation. The Society haste actively involved in collection of scientific information about the flora and fauna all over India. Society has been instrumental in focusing public and official attention on the need for properly Understanding, conserving and developing the rich heritage of India’s wild life and natural resources. The prestigious Journal which the Society publishes has been serving well the cause of nature conservation through the publication of articles and new information about the flora and fauna of India.