National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 1.36 crore, to local communities in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh towards sustainability, and conservation. The initiative aims to ensure that these communities receive fair and equitable benefits from the commercial use of biological resources, in line with India’s commitment to sustainable development and resource sharing.

This fund will be delivered through State Biodiversity Boards of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to three Biodiversity Management Committees viz., Sakharwadi village, Phaltan Taluk, Satara District, Maharashtra, Kunjirwadi village, Haveli Taluk, Pune and Kasganj area, Etah District, Uttar Pradesh.

Each Committee in the above areas will receive an amount of Rs.45.50 lakhs. These funds are slated for activities outlined under Section 44 of the Biological Diversity Act 2002 and relevant State Biodiversity Rules.

The financial release represents Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) payments made by a commercial entity that accessed microorganisms from soil and industrial effluent samples for the production of Fructo-oligosaccharides, compounds widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This serves as a tangible example of how communities can directly benefit from the sustainable use of biological resources in their regions.

What is National Biodiversity Authority?

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is an autonomous statutory body established in 2003 by the Government of India to implement the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Headquartered in Chennai, the NBA operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It works to conserve India’s biodiversity, promote its sustainable use, and ensure the equitable sharing of benefits from biological resources.

To implement the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the NBA functions as the apex body, coordinating with two other decentralized entities namely National Biodiversity Authority— the top-level body that provides guidance to the central and state governments, State Biodiversity Boards, created at the state level to focus on issues within their jurisdiction and Biodiversity Management Committees or BMCs, which are established by local bodies at the village or panchayat level to document and conserve local biodiversity.

Rewarding local communities for biodiversity conservation

This financial strategy highlights the NBA’s proactive role in recognizing and rewarding local communities who stand as the essential custodians of India’s rich biological heritage. By pushing benefits back to the local level, the NBA strengthens India’s model for an inclusive governance framework where conservation and community prosperity advance together. It also fulfils the National Biodiversity Target – 13 of India’s updated NBSAP 2024-2030.

What is India’s National Biodiversity Target 13?

India’s National Biodiversity Target 13 focuses on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) related to genetic resources, digital sequence information (DSI), and traditional knowledge. The target is part of India’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for 2024–2030, which aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).

Actions under this target have included the disbursement of funds by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) to Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local level. These funds are used to support grassroots-level conservation efforts.

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