NBA Achieves Milestone with Over ₹200 Crore in ABS Disbursements

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has crossed the ₹200-crore milestone in cumulative disbursements under India’s Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) framework.

About

• Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have emerged as the largest cumulative recipients among the states and UTs receiving the ABS proceeds. 
• The initiative also supports India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 13 on equitable benefit-sharing from the utilisation of genetic resources.

What is Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)?

• ABS is a mechanism to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of biological and genetic resources.
• It seeks to ensure that commercial users of biological resources contribute towards:
  • Biodiversity conservation;
  • Sustainable use of biological resources; and
  • Welfare of local communities associated with such resources.

Utilisation of ABS funds

• Under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the funds can support:
  • Preparation and updating of People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs);
  • In-situ and ex-situ conservation of biodiversity;
  • Restoration of degraded ecosystems;
  • Strengthening of Biodiversity Heritage Sites;
  • Capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs); and
  • Improving the livelihoods of local communities.

Biological Diversity Act, 2002

• The Act was introduced to achieve the objectives of United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992. 
• It provides a framework for access to biological resources and sharing the benefits arising out of such access and use. It is in line with the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.
• The act envisaged a three-tier structure to regulate the access to biological resources: the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).
• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
  • It is a Statutory Body established in 2003 to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002).
  • It advises the Central Government on matters relating to the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of biological resources.
• The State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
• They are established under Section 22 of the Act and focus on advising the State Governments, subject to any guidelines issued by the Central Government, on matters relating to the conservation of biodiversity.
• The Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)
  • As per the Act, the local bodies constitute the BMC within their area of jurisdiction for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity.

Source: AIR