India Backs International Funding For National Biodiversity Action Plan

India has asked for international funding to implement its national biodiversity action plan at the UN Biodiversity Conference of Parties (Cop-16) being held in Cali. India will disclose the updated national plan to protect biodiversity at the UN Biodiversity Conference on 31 November, stated Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, at the conference.

The minister emphasised the need to provide means of implementation, including financial resources for the implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Which has been always an obstacle for developing nations. 

"It is necessary to provide means of implementation including financial resources, as laid down in target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) as well as from DSI, for implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). A lot of ground needs to be covered in providing easily accessible means of implementation i.e. financial resources, technology and capacity building needs with the requisite speed, scope and scale," Singh added.

India’s Whole Society Approach
As per the minister, India has holistically drafted its framework with a 'Whole of Government' and 'Whole of Society' approach while updating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan with its targets aligned with the KMGBF. However, he said that India has updated its NBSAP with its targets aligned with the KMGBF.  “We will be releasing our updated NBSAP on tomorrow here at Cali," Kirti Vardhan Singh said.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted in 1992, aims to conserve biodiversity, promote its sustainable use, and ensure equitable sharing of genetic resource benefits. To fulfil these goals, the convention on biodiversity requires each member country to develop a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), a tailored framework for protecting and managing biodiversity based on national priorities.

A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) means that a country's biodiversity conservation strategies are tailored to meet both national and international biodiversity goals.

Addressing delegates at the Cop session in Cali, Singh underscored India's commitments to biodiversity preservation and environmental harmony and said, "India has a rich culture and tradition of worshipping Mother Earth and of living in harmony with Nature."

A central theme of Singh's speech was India's nationwide tree plantation initiative 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' or 'Plant4Mother.'  He also informed the parties that India's Ramsar sites have expanded from 26 to 85 since 2014 and will soon reach 100, a testament to India's focus on wetlands conservation.