International Day for Biodiversity 2025

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• The International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated every year on 22 May.

Background

• The IDB commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 during the Rio Earth Summit.
• The day creates awareness among the citizens and stakeholders on the importance and need for the conservation of biological diversity.
• The 2025 theme is “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development.”

Convention on Biological Diversity 

• Origin: The Convention was opened for signature in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit).
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force on 29 December 1993. 
•  The first session of the COP was scheduled in 1994 in the Bahamas.
• Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.
• Ratification: The CBD has been ratified by 196 nations, making it one of the most widely adopted international treaties.
  • The United States is the only UN member state that has not ratified the convention.
• It has 3 main objectives;
  • The conservation of biological diversity
  • The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
  • The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
• The governing body is the Conference of the Parties (COP), which meets every two years. 

India’s Role and Biodiversity Profile

• India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world covering an area of 329 million hectares and is the ninth largest country. 
• India is known for its rich biological diversity and accounts for more than 1,00,000 species of animals and 55,000 species of plants in ten bio-geographic regions. 

India’s Conservation Efforts

• The National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP), launched in 2008 and updated in 2014, is India’s primary strategy to meet its obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
  • It’s a comprehensive plan for conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable use of resources, and ensuring equitable access to genetic resources.
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002: It established the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the central level, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at the state level, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local level.
  • Regulates access to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, particularly for commercial or research purposes.
• People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) are community-maintained records of local biological resources, traditional ecological knowledge, and conservation practices.
• As of 2025, India has designated 89 Ramsar sites, covering over 1.35 million hectares. Additionally, 49 Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) have been notified under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Concluding remarks

• The International Day for Biological Diversity is a reminder of the intricate link between nature and human survival. 
• As biodiversity continues to decline, urgent collective action is essential to foster harmony with nature and meet the sustainable development targets. 
• India’s rich biodiversity and traditional wisdom place it in a unique position to lead by example in global conservation efforts.

Source: IE