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New Delhi: To promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity along with fair and equitable benefit-sharing, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 1.36 crore by channeling the benefits of commercial use to local communities in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Friday.
This critical financial assistance will be routed through the State Biodiversity Boards of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to three Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) – Sakharwadi village, Phaltan Taluk, Satara District (Maharashtra); Kunjirwadi Village, Haveli Taluk, Pune (Maharashtra); and Kasganj area, Etah district (Uttar Pradesh) – according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Each BMC will get Rs 45.50 lakh. This initiative underlines the Government’s unwavering commitment to the principles of equity, sustainability and conservation.
The funds released represent a concrete access and benefit sharing (ABS) payment following the commercial use of microorganisms obtained from soil and industrial waste samples for the production of fructo-oligosaccharide products. The statement said that these funds will be used for the activities mentioned under Section 44 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the relevant state biodiversity rules.
This financial initiative highlights the NBA’s active role in recognizing and rewarding local communities that serve as custodians of India’s rich biological heritage.
“By channeling the benefits accrued back to the local level, the NBA strengthens India’s model for an inclusive governance framework where conservation and community prosperity go together,” the statement said.
It also meets National Biodiversity Target 13 of India’s updated NBSAP (2024-2030), which is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework adopted at COP-15 of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the statement said.
Established in 2003 to implement the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is a statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Headquartered in Chennai, it acts as a facilitating, regulating and advisory body to the Central Government on matters relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources as well as the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.
In addition, the NBA provides guidance to state governments in identifying important biodiversity areas (biodiversity hotspots) for designation as heritage sites.
–IANS