Zoo Outreach Organisation - South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group

In view of ICINSA's manifold activities and large membership, ZOO approached the Species Survival Commission to initiate the South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group following recommendations of the SSC Scoping workshop, which was held in November 2001 at Washington DC. The SSC Chairman, Dr. David Brackett and the committee accepted the request and invited to form a specialist group for South Asian region. Zoo Outreach Organisation is now hosting this Specialist Group.

IUCN SSC South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group
VISION: A region that appreciate and conserve invertebrates
AIMS: To conserve invertebrate taxa: species level, genetic and regional level diversity
OBJECTIVES:To assist individuals, institutions and agencies in South Asia to conserve invertebrates
GEOGRAPHIC AREA:The South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group includes: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Projects of IUCN SSC South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group

Networking

	To identify invertebrate specialist and to establish group membership, ensuring appropriate regional and technical representation and to form SAsISG network to meet the demands of the SG
	To form Regional taxon-based working Groups

Projects / assignments

	To identify issues, problems and gaps at regional and national level related to invertebrate conservation in south Asia.
	To solve taxonomic issues of invertebrate species
	To improve the skills in taxonomy and species identification and to produce species identification guides of priority taxa of conservation concern
	To establish an invertebrate database to streamline future conservation activities.
	To identify threatened taxa, endemic or rare species at regional and national level through species assessments
	To direct studies on surveys, monitoring, improve knowledge on life-cycles for better implementation of Action Plans
	To identify important invertebrate sites and unique habitats in South Asia and to develop a network of specialists
	To identify actual and potential threats for invertebrates government changes of attitudes, policies, or support
	To announce and intervene on acute symptoms of invertebrate loss and to promote remedies
	To prepare information and Action Plans for land and fresh water invertebrates on priority basis; publish and delivered to relevant target audiences
	To prepare taxonomic-based action plans on selected high priority species groups; publish and delivered to relevant target audiences

COMMUNICATIONS

	Develop linkage and collaboration with the wider invertebrate community/conservation bodies
	Liaise with IUCN actors in promoting the work of the Group: Staff in head quarters/regional country offices, IUCN members, IUCN National committees, SSC steering Committee members and SSC advisory members.
	To make invertebrate species information accessible to conservation officers in government and NGO's.
	To improve the public awareness of the need to maintain invertebrates as a biological resource

PUBLICATIONS

	Publishing a newsletter
	To form an e-group
	To prepare annual report and dissemination
	Operational measures enabling SAISG chairs to implement effectively the annual plan

Subnet works of IUCN SSC South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group

Invertebrates dominate all life forms. From conservation perspective, all invertebrate groups need equal attention due to the important role they play in the ecosystem. Invertebrate conservation faces multitudes of impediments, which has been addressed in many global conventions. The numerical dominance and vast diversity of invertebrates alone is obstacle enough to invertebrate conservation!

In this regard, the South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group realized the need to prioritise activities and has decided that one means of prioritization would be by utility or ecological functions. The ecological functions include the purification of air and water, the stabilization and moderation of the Earth's climate, the renewal of soil fertility, the cycling of nutrients and the pollination of plants. From this complex web of interacting natural processes human societies derive the multiplicity of benefits that has guaranteed their survival and development throughout their history: water, food, shelter, fuel, clothing, medicines, building materials, aromatics, dyes, means of transport, power generation and a myriad of other benefits.The following are some of the eco functional groups for which networks will be initiated in due course.


	Invertebrate Pollinators
	Terrestrial invertebrates
	Under soil invertebrates
	Aquatic (in-land) invertebrates
	Aquatic (marine) invertebrates
	Agro diversity invertebrates

Invertebrate Pollinator Network of South Asia (IPNSA)

The Invertebrate Pollinator Network of South Asia is the first network activity of the South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group. Pollinating invertebrates is one of the most significant of the functional groups since 1) the survival of a multitude of other organisms depends on a working food chain which a decline in pollinating invertebrates surely will affect and 2) reports from many countries in the world indicate that pollinating invertebrates are in serious decline. In South Asia, there are limited studies, therefore few information has been forthcoming.

The objectives of this network are:

		To identify all field biologists in South Asia working on invertebrate pollinators and network them to promote conservation particularly through field studies;
		To plan and execute activities on invertebrate pollinators such as training programmes, workshops and meetings
		To bring out publications related to invertebrate pollinators for better exchange of ideas &
		To educate policy makers and general public about this issue

We welcome invertebrate pollinator researchers, field biologists and interested individual from south Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) to become a member of IPNSA and to contribute to the conservation of pollinators. For membership details write to Co chair: icinsa@vsnl.net