In this context, BGCI has been pleased to join with the National Botanical Research Institute and botanic
gardens throughout India to work to safeguard this flora and this work has already begun. The resources,
facilities and activities of some BGs in India are being documented to ensure that they can be mobilized to
tackle the urgent plant conservation”, he commented.

Mr. Richard Groves, Regional Head, HSBC Northern India said HSBC, one of the world's largest financial services organisations, is creating a US$ 50 million eco-partnership over five years to fund conservation projects around the world. By making the largest ever single donations to three charities, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), WWF and Earthwatch, the new Investing in Nature programme will:

Fig.11. Mr. Richard Groves giving his address.

Help to halt global plant extinction
A US$11.6 million donation to Botanic Gardens Conservation International will fund a living gene bank in botanic gardens around the world to protect 20,000 endangered plant species.

Resuscitate three of the world's major rivers
With HSBC's US$18.4 million funding, WWF will restore 2 million hectares of river basin habitats in the Amazon in Brazil, the Yangtze in china and the Rio Grande in the US, returning the natural flow of rivers, protecting fish and other freshwater species, and securing fresh drinking water for millions. In the UK, WWF will work to protect and restore freshwater habitats in line with new EU legislation.

Deliver a 'century' of environmental research
Some 2,000 HSBC staff will work alongside Earthwatch scientists on conservation projects worldwide, yielding the equivalent of 100 'man year' of critical research. This will create a network of environmental ambassadors in the Group, who will be given grants for local conservation projects when they return to their communities. The
US$16 million donation will also be used to train 200 scientists in developing countries.

Dr. P. Pushpangadan, Director, NBRI explained that IIN-India is fully an in country programme in which we will be developing our own scientific strategy to strengthen the ex-situ conservation of plant diversity in our botanic gardens. This programme would not involve any exchange of plant material, the interaction would only be at the level of exchanging experience and ideas. The conservation efforts in biodiversity programmes are location specific, in that there is no common strategy involved and we will be developing our own strategy to implement this programme in India.