Protected Areas, Agrobiodiversity Focus Areas of India’s Biodiversity Plan | Latest news India

In addition, the focus is also on achieving 23 national biodiversity objectives that are aligned with global objectives.

The focus of area-based nature conservation is mainly on creating and maintaining protected areas.

“The CBD has recognized protected areas as the cornerstone of biodiversity protection. They help maintain diverse ecosystems and important habitats, provide refuges, facilitate migration and enable evolutionary processes. Two state-driven models, including protected areas and managed forests, have been highly effective in achieving conservation objectives in human-dominated landscapes,” said the action plan, which runs to more than 200 pages.

The other important area of ​​focus is agrobiodiversity. In recent years, India has been pushing for tree plantations that can be taken up by farmers and individuals.

“India is one of Vavilov’s centers of origin for crops, plants and domestications. In addition to the 15 agro-climatic zones identified across the country, the Authority for the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights has identified 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots based on the number of species, crop varieties and wild relatives of cultivated crop species. About 168 species of crops, including 25 major and minor crops, have been domesticated,” the plan said.

Also read:India is seeking international funding to implement the National Biodiversity Action Plan

Marine conservation, wetlands, coastal areas, genetic diversity, biosecurity and ecological development are core conservation areas that require urgent attention, the report said.

India’s 23 national biodiversity targets include conserving 30% of its area; ensuring participation, justice and rights for indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth with disabilities and environmental defenders; enabling sustainable consumption choices and halving food waste; integrating multiple biodiversity values ​​into decision-making at all levels; fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of genetic resources, digital sequence information and related traditional knowledge; reducing pollution and halving nutrient loss and pesticide risk; and reducing the introduction and establishment rates of invasive alien species by 50%.

India successfully updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), but the multi-faceted plan requires an appropriate implementation architecture.

It should improve tools and solutions for biodiversity research, monitoring, capacity building, access and benefit sharing, and resource mobilization, among others, the plan said. Attracting financing will be a key factor, it added.

The Biodiversity Expenditure Review study included an assessment of ongoing programs across 21 central ministries and two departments.

The average annual attributable expenditure on biodiversity for the financial year 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 is estimated at ₹32,207 crore, the report said. To implement the renewed national biodiversity plan now, investments are expected to double.

“The implementation of the updated NBSAP until 2029-2030 would require an annual average estimated investment of ₹81,664 crore (816,648.80 million) at the central government level,” the report said.

India formulated its first Biodiversity Action Plan as a national policy in 1999.

HT reported on Thursday that international funding is needed to implement the country’s biodiversity action plan, Environment Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said in Cali on Tuesday.

“I would like to mention that it is necessary to provide implementation resources, including financial resources, as set out in Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, for the implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan,” Singh said.

He further emphasized that much work needs to be done to provide easily accessible means of implementation.

“Much work remains to be done in providing easily accessible implementation resources, i.e. financial resources, technology and capacity building needs at the required speed, scope and scale,” he said.