India’s NBSAP 2030: Leading the Momentum to Integrate Biodiversity into Society and Economy

25 Nov, 2024

By: Ritesh Sharma, Advisor, Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem Services and Tanbir Azmi, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, IGBP

At the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in 2022 at Kunming and Montreal, countries reached a historic consensus with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), often referred to as the “Paris Agreement for nature.” The framework's goal is to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

As part of this commitment, nations agreed to submit updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) by COP16 in October 2024. These plans (NBSAPs), essentially blueprints for each country’s biodiversity strategy, will guide efforts to address biodiversity loss and meet the GBF targets

While similar to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which are legally mandated, the submission of NBSAPs remains voluntary. The renewed emphasis on NBSAPs aims to ensure real progress on GBF targets, addressing gaps that led to the shortcomings of the Aichi targets established in 2010.

How India leads the way on NBSAP:

While only 27% of countries submitted their NBSAP at COP16, India not only shared its commitment in the form of NBSAP but also undertook a holistic approach by involving 21 different ministries to account for their actions in mainstreaming biodiversity in their respective sectors. This process involved stocktaking, consultations with cross-sectoral stakeholders, reviewing ongoing biodiversity schemes, evaluating expenditures, addressing negative subsidies, and efforts made for conservation. Ultimately, India set 23 National Biodiversity Targets that align directly with GBF targets, ensuring coherence between national and international biodiversity objectives.

Another important step was performing a comprehensive assessment of biodiversity-related financial expenditures and future needs, alongside identifying possible funding sources. At COP16, many developing countries raised concerns over financial bottlenecks in implementing NBSAPs, often seeking international funding, such as through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). India, however, reviewed its domestic biodiversity expenditures for FY 2017-22, which were estimated at €3.85 billion at the government level. India also projected the future financial need for biodiversity conservation at €9.1 billion for 2024-2030 through its Biodiversity Finance Plan. This plan proposes a mix of financial solutions, including public finance augmentation, CSR contributions, ecological fiscal transfers, and Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS), alongside international funding. India’s proactive financial planning is seen as an encouraging model for other countries, particularly in addressing financial gaps for implementation.

Building on these initiatives, the NBSAP outlines three main goals:

• Protecting and conserving India’s diverse species, ecosystems and genetic diversity.
• Promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
• Ensuring that everyone benefits fairly from the use of biological resources.

India’s NBSAP integrates these goals with actionable plans, including establishing protected areas, creating recovery plans for endangered species, and promoting sustainable agricultural and forestry practices.

Key Focus Areas:

• Biodiversity Strengths & Interventions: Highlighting 22 agrobiodiversity hotspots and 168 developed crop varieties, with priority interventions for wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, genetic diversity, biosafety, eco-development, and public awareness.
• Conservation of Ecosystems: Emphasising the creation of protected areas and community-managed conservation efforts through OECMs (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Methods), which extend beyond formal protected areas to include local community-managed efforts.
• Public Awareness & Education (CEPA): Promoting biodiversity education and community engagement through targeted programs and media campaigns.
• Sustainable Use of Wild Species: Developing frameworks to ensure sustainable harvesting and equitable benefit-sharing, particularly with local communities.
• Invasive Species Management: Focused efforts on habitat restoration and addressing invasive species through policy and conservation strategies.
• Gender Action Plan: Prioritising the inclusion of women, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities, in decision-making processes at all levels, including representation in biodiversity governance. This approach aims to enhance the equity, effectiveness, and inclusivity of conservation strategies.

Challenges to Overcome:

Despite India’s progress, several challenges remain, including funding gaps, policy fragmentation, and land-use changes driven by urbanisation. Climate change further complicates conservation efforts and public awareness about biodiversity remains low. Additionally, industries like agriculture and mining sometimes conflict with conservation goals.

What is needed further?

It has been argued and agreed that there is strong linkage of Climate crisis and biodiversity loss and hence the commitments on both fronts should be reviewed together. India, being at the forefront for commitments on NDCs related to energy diversification, and reducing carbon footprint, can lead the way for better alignment of NBSAPs with NDCs. This can showcase how efficient resource allocation, brining biodiversity impact into all climate related actions can help the world solving triple planet crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Efficient resource mobilisation can also help India to fulfil other international commitments for Land degradation and Wetland restoration.

How NBSAP 2030 Will Impact Our Projects:

The Indo-German Biodiversity Programme (IGBP) is closely aligned with the NBSAP’s objectives, particularly in projects focused on agroecology, agroforestry, and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Initiatives like Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem Services and Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection directly contribute to the NBSAP’s targets, preserving critical ecosystems and promoting sustainable practices.

The IGBP also supports India’s efforts to document and protect agrobiodiversity through initiatives like the Electronic People’s Biodiversity Registers (e-PBR), which help communities record and share their biodiversity knowledge. Additionally, the NBSAP's One Health approach integrates biodiversity and human health, enhancing ecosystem resilience and mitigating zoonotic risks. Further, the renewed Gender Plan of Action in India’s NBSAP aims to complement and enhance gender-responsive implementation throughout.

Thus, India’s updated biodiversity strategy reflects a holistic, inclusive approach to conservation, blending traditional knowledge with modern governance. Anchored in sustainability, it aligns with Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), empowering citizens to adopt eco-friendly practices and tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution together.