Biodiversity Conservation Frameworks in India
India's wildlife conservation architecture rests on the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides for National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, and Community Reserves. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 governs access to biological resources and benefit sharing under the Nagoya Protocol. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) oversees biodiversity regulation, while State Biodiversity Boards and local Biodiversity Management Committees implement the Act at the grassroots. India's National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) is periodically updated; the current NBAP is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (adopted 2022), which set the 30x30 target (protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030).
- India has 106 National Parks, 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 100+ Conservation and Community Reserves (as of 2024).
- The Eastern Ghats region has several PAs: Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Papikonda National Park, Simlipal Biosphere Reserve (Odisha), among others.
- Biological Diversity Act, 2002: Section 36 mandates documentation through People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) at local body level — important for recording species in under-surveyed areas like the Eastern Ghats.
- The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is significant for the Eastern Ghats, given high tribal population density.
● Tracked since March 03, 2026 · last seen May 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes