NBA releases Rs 6.67 crore under Access and Benefit Sharing Mechanism for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Support in 11 cotton-growing States

Key Highlights:

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released ₹6.67 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism.
• Funds are designated for biodiversity conservation and livelihood support in 11 cotton-growing states.
• This amount was realized from M/s Bayer Science & Innovation Pvt. Ltd. for research involving cotton varieties.
• The allocation to states is based on the geographical distribution and area under cotton cultivation.
• With this disbursement, the total ABS funds released by the NBA have reached ₹152.24 crore.

Detailed Insights:

• The disbursement demonstrates the reinvestment of benefits from commercial utilization of biological resources into conservation and community welfare.
• The funds will support activities like on-farm and ex-situ conservation, documentation of People's Biodiversity Registers, and ecosystem restoration.
• It also aims to strengthen Biodiversity Heritage Sites, document traditional knowledge, and enhance livelihoods of local communities.
• The initiative establishes a transparent, science-based model for distributing ABS benefits even when individual conservers are not identifiable.
• This effort contributes to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 13 and Target 4.
• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Mechanism: A framework ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002: Indian legislation for conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair sharing of benefits.
• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA): A statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, to regulate access to biological resources.
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: A global agreement to halt and reverse nature loss, adopted at COP15, setting targets for biodiversity conservation.
• Nagoya Protocol: An international agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity, focusing on fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.