New Delhi: In a significant push for community-led conservation, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed over Rs 45 lakh to more than 90 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) spread across 10 States and 2 Union Territories, officials said on Monday. The payouts, aimed at encouraging equitable benefit sharing from biological resources, mark a rare infusion of funds straight into grassroots biodiversity efforts.
The move, undertaken as part of the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism, will support committees in states including Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and Ladakh, according to a government statement. Even 15 farmers from Andhra Pradesh involved in the cultivation of Red Sanders were among the beneficiaries.
The ABS framework ensures that when companies or researchers use biological resources such as microbes, plants or other natural materials to develop products, a share of the commercial benefits is returned to the community. “This is a step towards fair and transparent sharing of benefits and a boost for local communities to engage in biodiversity protection,” a senior ministry official said.
BMCs play a key role in documenting traditional knowledge and managing local biodiversity registers, especially in villages, urban local bodies, mangrove zones and even industrial belts. The funds are expected to aid these committees in their conservation activities and strengthen local decision-making.
In recent years, the NBA has streamlined regulations to strike a balance between protecting community interests and improving ease of doing business for innovators and enterprises. So far, cumulative ABS payments have crossed Rs 145 crore as the authority works towards meeting national biodiversity goals and international commitments under global frameworks.
Environmental experts said that while the amount may seem modest, channeling funds directly to community bodies can galvanize local stewardship of biodiversity, a key tenet of India’s conservation strategy.
BI Bureau
