NBA Disburses Rs 45.05 Lakh To Support Biodiversity Conservation & Local Communities

New Delhi, Feb 9 (KNN)  As part of its efforts to support conservation of natural resources at local level, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 45.05 lakh to benefit claimers through State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.

The disbursement will benefit more than 90 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) across 10 States and two Union Territories—Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, along with the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Ladakh. In addition, 15 Red Sanders farmers from Andhra Pradesh are also covered. 

The beneficiary BMCs span varied ecological and institutional contexts, including rural and urban local bodies, mangrove regions and industrial areas.

According to the NBA, the benefit-sharing amount was generated from the commercial use of biological resources such as insects, soil- and water-based microorganisms, and cultivated Red Sanders. 

These resources were utilised in the development of various products, underscoring the role of biodiversity in scientific research and the bio-economy. Under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) framework, a portion of the monetary gains accrued by companies is returned to local communities to support livelihoods and incentivise conservation efforts.

The NBA noted that in recent years it has introduced simplified regulations to enhance transparency and ease of doing business, while maintaining safeguards for biodiversity and community interests. 

The Authority works with State governments, local bodies, researchers, industry and communities to build capacity and raise awareness on the sustainable use of biological resources. 

The NBA also supports the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers, including documentation of traditional knowledge through participatory approaches at the grassroots level. These initiatives have resulted in cumulative ABS payments exceeding Rs 145 crore.

The authority has been contributing to India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, as well as national biodiversity targets and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

(KNN Bureau)