UNDPMoEF

National Biodiversity Strategy National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and Action Plan (NBSAP) IndiaIndia

-- M s. M s. SeemaSeema BhattBhatt

India, with 2.4% of the world s area, has 8.1% of the world s total biodiversity,making it one of the 12 megadiversitycountries in the world.

India s biodiversity is in trouble. Experts estimate that over 5% of plants and animals are threatened with extinction.

Causes for Biodiversity Loss

Proximate Causes

W ild ecosystems and taxa

Habitat destruction and degradationHunting/ exploitation/ collection/ fishingIntroduction of exoticsAccidents and climate change

Agricultural ecosystems and domesticated taxa

Habitat destruction and homogenisationIntroduction of exotics and hybrids Loss of wild relatives, market orientation, and consumer

preferences

Causes for Biodiversity LossRoot Causes

Current model of development and economic progress

Erosion of customary rights and community management, and inappropriate tenurial and institutional arrangements

Increasing social, political and economic inequities

Changes in cultural, ethical and moral values

Lack of recognition of the full values of biodiversity

Inappropriate and contradictory laws and policies

Demographic changes

Inappropriate trade systems

Emergence of NBSAPIndia became a signatory to the Convention on

Biological Diversity (CBD) in June 1992. Article 6 of the CBD requires parties to the

Convention to prepare National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The

process to prepare India's NBSAP was started under this mandate.

Produce an implementable action plan to:

Conserve India's biodiversity;

Use biological resources sustainably;

Achieve equity in access to and benefits from biodiversity

M AIN OBJECTIVE

Full range of biodiversity: natural and agricultural ecosystems, wild plants, animals, micro-organisms, crops, livestock

Full range of values and issues: biological/ ecological, economic, ethical, cultural, political

33 STATE / U.T. ACTION PLANS

18 LOCAL (SUBSTATE) ACTION PLANS

10 ECOREGIONAL (INTER-STATE) ACTION PLANS

13 THEMATIC ACTION PLANS

33 SUB-THEMATIC REVIEW PAPERS

NATIONAL ACTION PLAN built on above, and on lessons from several hundred public

hearings, workshops, yatras, festivals, and other events

Outputs: Outputs: 61 action plans 61 action plans at State, at State, SubstateSubstate, and Inter, and Inter--state state ((EcoregionalEcoregional) levels) levels

Natural ecosystems and wild species Domesticated ecosystems and speciesLivelihoods, lifestyles, and biodiversity Culture, Health, Education Economics and valuation of biodiversityPolicies, laws, and institutions Access, benefit-sharing, and IPRs

SUB-THEM ATIC REVIEW PAPERS

M ining and BiodiversityCommunity Conserved Areas in GujaratTree Plantations and BiodiversityBiodiversity in the M ediaBiodiversity in EIAsNatural Dyes and BiodiversityNomadic Pastoralism and BiodiversityUrban biodiversityHome Gardens and Biodiversity Thermal Power and BiodiversityTourism and Biodiversity Dams and Biodiversity

SUB-THEM ATIC REVIEW PAPERS (contd )

Pesticides/ Toxics and BiodiversityRemote SensingNon-pastoral NomadsCommunity Based M onitoring Important Bird AreasCustomary Laws and BiodiversityConventional Technologies Agricultural Biotechnology and GlobalisationEco-friendly and Alternative TechnologiesIntegrated Biodiversity Information SystemsConventional TechnologiesW ildlife Human Conflicts

SUB-THEM ATIC REVIEW PAPERS (contd )

Non-Timber Forest ProductsIndigenous Knowledge Public Distribution SystemExotics and Indigenous BiodiversityResearch on Agricultural BiodiversityPaper Industry and Biodiversity Humanized Natural LandscapesClimate ChangeEcological Impacts of NTFP Collection in W est BengalEnvironmental Education and Persons W ith DisabilitiesM arine Bioresources

Ecological Security: integrity of ecosystems and species, protect ion of crit ical ecosystem values and services

Livelihood Securit y: sustaining the survival and livelihoods of those direct ly

dependent on biodiversit y and bioresources

TWI N FOCUS

Elaborate planning phaseElaborate planning phase, with about 30 , with about 30 guiding papers and methodological notesguiding papers and methodological notes

Building on Building on past/ existing planspast/ existing plans and information and information

Use of Use of local languageslocal languages

Participation of Participation of all relevant sectorsall relevant sectors

Transparent processTransparent process, all documents public, all documents public

Open platformOpen platform for people to usefor people to use

THE PROCESS

Public hearings

M ass participation events- boat and cycle rallies, foot marches, street theatre

Festivals- mobile seed display on bullock cart

Technical workshops

OUTREACH IN PRINT

Special outreach- for children, youth, women

Widespread awareness on biodiversit y issues; good regional media coverage

Generat ion of f ield data on biodiversit y

Capacit y enhancement and empowerment , incl. village communit ies

Act ion already!

Widespread net working

Considerable local and internat ional interest

Donor interest

I nt ernat ional At tent ion

' UNANTI CI PATED' POSI TI VE I MPACTS

' UNANTI CI PATED' NEGATI VE I MPACTS

KEY STRATEGIES of NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

Overall framework:

1. Local to national land & water use planning, earmarking areas critical for ecological and livelihood security, keeping these off-limits to large-scale developmental and commercial processes

2. Ecosystem approach, integrating conservation and livelihoods across large landscapes and seascapes

3. Governance model, starting at smallest decision-making unit and moving upwards at larger levels keeping ecological boundaries in mind

STRATEGY CLUSTERS of NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

1. Understanding biodiversity: research, databases

2. Biodiversity conservation: in situ and ex situ

3. Sustainable use and livelihoods

4. Equity in access, use, and benefits, esp. of most disprivileged groups

5. Building capacity: education, training, awareness

6. Inter-sectoral integration

7. Legal and policy measures

8. Financial and economic measures

9. Technological measures

10. International initiatives

Prioritised Strategies at National Level(Criteria: Urgency, Overall Impact, Current Neglect)

1. Overall landscape/ ecosystem approach, land/ water use plan2. Conservation in community lands, and outside PAsacross landscape,

including agrobiodiversity-rich areas3. Sustainability/ biodiversity integration into resource use programmes4. Sustainable, secure livelihoods, including through incentives5. Traditional knowledge protection and benefit-sharing6. Capacity of public functionaries, governance institutions, financial

institutions, armed forces, corporate sector, media, religious bodies7. Biodiversity integration into development sectors, esp. water,

power, infrastructure, mining8. Biodiversity integration in macro-economic policies/ programmes,

and budgets9. Agrobiodiversity integration into PDS, health/ nutrition programmes

TOW ARDS IM PLEM ENTATION

Government commitment

Committee under National Biodiversity Act

State Biodiversity Boards and Acts

Citizens commitment and empowerment

Empowering village institutions

Policy changes

Capacity building

Resources

-The first (October 2002) and second drafts (March 2003) of the National Action Plan were produced and widely circulated under the MoEF sname, commented upon, and revised based on comments from a wide range of stakeholders.

-The third revised version was looked at by a peer review group set up by the MoEF in mid-2003.

-A fourth and final draft was produced after this, and till this time the understanding with MoEF was that this would now be considered for approval as the National Plan.

In January 2004, MoEF took the view that the final draft could only be published as a Final Technical Report, and that this would provide the basis for a National Action Plan for the approval of the Union Cabinet.

In May 2004, the MoEF further changed its position and did not sanction the publication of the draft even as a Final Technical Report, It was learnt that the MoEF was not comfortable with some parts of the report.

For the members of the technical implementing agency, information came through external sources like Parliament Questions and using the Right to Information Act.

In February 2005, MoEF said that it was now finalising a draft, which would go to the other ministries and then to Cabinet for approval. It did not however publicly share the revised draft. It did however; submit a revised version of the draft to UNDP as part of its commitment to the donor agency.

In March 2005, MoEF wrote to Kalpavriksh asking it not to publish or in any form make publicly available, the report submitted in December 2003.

With the above scenario in mind, Kalpavriksh, then decided to make the report (submitted in December 2003) available to the public in a published form, as the Final Technical Report of NBSAP (in the form agreed to by MoEF in writing, in early 2004).

TPCG and Kalpavriksh. 2005. Securing India's Future: Final Technical Report of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Prepared by the NBSAP Technical and Policy Core Group. Kalpavriksh, Delhi/Pune. (This includes a CD of all plans).

Bhatt, Seema and Kohli, Kanchi with Kothari, Ashish. 2006. Process Documentation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan - India. Kalpavriksh, Delhi/Pune.

Apte, T. 2005. An Activist Approach to Biodiversity Planning. A Handbook of Participatory Tools used to Prepare India's National Strategy and Action Plan. IIED, London.

MoEF, GoI. 1998. Implementation of Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in India. National Report. GoI. Delhi.

MoEF, GoI. 1999. National Policy and Macrolevel Strategy on Biodiversity. GoI, Delhi.

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