New Delhi: In a significant step towards conserving biodiversity and ensuring fair benefit-sharing, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed ₹45.05 lakh to benefit claimers through State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
The payouts 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, Himachal Pradesh, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Additionally, 15 Red Sanders farmers from Andhra Pradesh have also received benefits.
The BMCs represent a wide range of ecological and institutional settings, including rural villages, urban local bodies, mangrove ecosystems, and areas near industrial zones.
The benefit-sharing amount was generated from the commercial use of various biological resources such as insects, soil- and water-based microorganisms, and cultivated Red Sanders.
These resources have contributed to the development of multiple products, highlighting the role of biodiversity in driving scientific innovation and the bio-economy.
Under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism, a portion of the commercial gains made by companies using biological resources is returned to local communities. This approach not only helps improve livelihoods but also incentivises communities to actively conserve and sustainably manage biodiversity.
In recent years, the NBA has introduced simplified regulatory frameworks to enhance transparency and ease of doing business while safeguarding the interests of indigenous and local communities.
The Authority works closely with State governments, local bodies, researchers, industry stakeholders, and communities to promote awareness and build capacity for biodiversity conservation.
The NBA also supports the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers, which document local biological resources and associated traditional knowledge through a participatory, grassroots-level approach.
Collectively, these initiatives have resulted in cumulative ABS payments exceeding ₹145 crore (approximately USD 16 million). The NBA continues to play a pivotal role in fulfilling India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol, as well as in advancing national biodiversity targets and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
