NBA Distributes ₹3.79 Crore to States, UTs for Biodiversity Conservation

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed nearly ₹3.79 crore under India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to 33 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) and national institutions, strengthening incentives for biodiversity conservation and ensuring that benefits from the commercial use of biological resources are shared more equitably.

The latest release covers agricultural and genetic resources including tomato, chilli, brinjal, cauliflower, watermelon, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, okra and mustard, besides deep-frozen Sahiwal cattle semen. The ABS payments were realised from companies including Bayer Science and Innovation, HM Clause India and Advanta Enterprises for accessing biological resources for research and commercial utilisation.

The largest component, ₹1.48 crore, was released from Advanta Enterprises for access to germplasm of several vegetable crops. Tomato accounted for ₹86.56 lakh, while chilli resources attracted ₹83.76 lakh. The funds were distributed proportionately among SBBs and UTBCs based on cultivation-area data. Madhya Pradesh received the largest share at ₹46.93 lakh, followed by West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

The NBA, a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, regulates access to India’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge while promoting their sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits. Its ABS framework is aligned with the Nagoya Protocol.

The disbursement also carries an important accountability component. Recipient biodiversity boards and councils are required to use the funds for specified activities, including updating People’s Biodiversity Registers, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, strengthening Biodiversity Heritage Sites, capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees and socio-economic development of local communities.

This ensures that money generated from biological resources does not remain merely a commercial transaction but is channelled back into conservation and community welfare. The release also provides an important financial mechanism for supporting conservation work closer to the communities and ecosystems from which biological resources originate.

With cumulative ABS disbursements now exceeding ₹166 crore, the NBA said the mechanism is strengthening the connection between biodiversity conservation, scientific research and community livelihoods.