India’s Approach To Biodiversity Conservation

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• Over the past decade, India has adopted an integrated approach to biodiversity conservation that combines scientific management, habitat restoration, species recovery programmes, and community participation.

What is Biodiversity?

• Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth, including plants, animals, microorganisms and the ecosystems they form.
• It underpins ecological balance and supports key ecosystem services such as pollination, soil formation, nutrient cycling, water purification and climate regulation. 

India’s Biodiversity Framework

• The Biological Diversity Act ,2002 (Amended in  2023): It provides the statutory basis for biodiversity governance through institutions at the national, state, and local levels. 
  • The law also supports the documentation and protection of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. 
  • The 2023 amendment further strengthened this framework by making implementation more facilitative and aligned with current needs.

• Section 39 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002: It empowers the Central Government to designate institutions as repositories for different categories of biological resources.
  • Any person discovering a new taxon is required to notify the designated repository and deposit the corresponding voucher specimens.
• Scientific and technical support: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) document animal and plant diversity.
  • The Forest Survey of India (FSI) maps forest and tree cover in  periodic State of Forest Reports. 
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and state forest departments support the conservation of tigers and their habitat.
• National Biodiversity Authority Fund (NBAF) : It is a statutory fund that supports biodiversity governance by providing a mechanism for benefit sharing and conservation related use.
• People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR): It is a local biodiversity database prepared with community participation, the Biodiversity Management Committee prepares it in consultation with local people.
  • PBR is an important tool for documentation, conservation, and benefit sharing.
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2024-2030): It provides India with a long term policy direction for conserving biodiversity and using it sustainably.
  • The updated plan for 2024 to 2030 is aligned with the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity  Framework (KMGBF), which gives it strong international relevance.
• National Red List Roadmap (2025-2030): It is led by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and Botanical Survey of India (BSI), with support from IUCN-India and the Centre for Species Survival, India, the roadmap will establish a nationally coordinated, science-based threatened-species assessment system.
• Biodiversity Finance India was launched in 2015 as a finance planning initiative to identify biodiversity funding needs and mobilise resources for conservation.
  • It focuses on identifying and mobilising finance, while the NBAF channels resources through a statutory mechanism for conservation and benefit sharing. 

International Frameworks for Biodiversity Conservation

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992: It was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is a Legally binding international treaty with near-universal membership. India is a party to CBD 
• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): It was established in 2012 and often called the “IPCC for Biodiversity.”
  • It provides scientific assessments on biodiversity and ecosystem services which supports evidence-based policymaking.
• Ramsar Convention (1971): It is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
  • Promotes designation and management of wetlands of international importance.
• Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention): It was signed in 1979 and conserves migratory terrestrial, marine, and avian species. It also encourages international cooperation along migratory routes.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature Initiatives: It maintains the globally recognized IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  • It develops protected area categories and conservation guidelines.
• Nagoya Protocol: It is a legally binding supplementary agreement adopted during COP-10 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan.
  • It ensures the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, as well as associated traditional knowledge held by indigenous and local communities.
• Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF): It was adopted during COP15 of the CBD in Montreal, Canada.
  • It is an international agreement adopted in 2022 by 196 nations to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve a vision of “living in harmony with nature” by 2050.
  • Includes the 30×30 Target: conserving at least 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.
  • Recently, MoEFCC has submitted India’s Seventh National Report (NR-7) to CBD, reaffirming its commitment to the objectives of the Convention.

Conclusion

• India’s biodiversity efforts are now rooted in a strong blend of laws, institutions and community‑led action, aligned with global frameworks under the CBD. 
• India is strengthening forest and tree cover, expanding protected areas, improving species conservation and deepening local stewardship in a coordinated manner.
• Looking ahead, updated strategies, dedicated financing and transparent national reporting place biodiversity at the heart of sustainable and inclusive development. 

Source: PIB