India has launched a landmark biodiversity conservation initiative through the National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030, unveiled at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. This marks the country’s first nationally coordinated framework for assessing the extinction risk of its species, reinforcing India’s leadership in global biodiversity conservation.
Scope And Objectives
- Comprehensive Five-Year Assessment: The National Red List Assessment (NRLA) represents a five-year national initiative to evaluate the extinction risk of around 11,000 species across India’s varied ecosystems. This includes nearly 7,000 plant species and 4,000 animal species, making it one of the largest biodiversity assessments worldwide.
- Alignment with Global Commitments: The project aligns with India’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). It follows internationally recognized IUCN scientific criteria for assessing species threats.
- Goal of the Initiative: The primary aim is to establish a coordinated, participatory, and upgradable red-listing mechanism that provides an accurate picture of India’s conservation status and helps guide national and global policy.
Institutional Framework And Leadership
- Central Leadership and Nodal Agencies: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) leads the NRLA, with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and Botanical Survey of India (BSI) serving as the nodal agencies.
- Collaborative Implementation: The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with IUCN-India and the Centre for Species Survival, India, creating a unified system involving the country’s top taxonomists, conservation biologists, and subject experts.
- Scientific and Policy Integration: Emphasis has been placed on the precision of species identification and the linkage between scientific research and conservation policymaking, strengthening evidence-based environmental governance.
India’s Biodiversity Significance
- India’s Global Standing: India is recognized as one of the world’s 17 megadiverse nations and hosts four of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots — the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland.
- Scale of Biological Wealth: Although occupying only 2.4% of global land area, India supports nearly 8% of the world’s flora and 7.5% of its fauna. About 28% of plant species and more than 30% of animal species are endemic to the country.
- Richness of Documentation: Over 104,000 faunal species, 18,000 flowering plants, and nearly 20,000 marine species have been documented, underlining the scientific significance of India’s biodiversity base.
Global Context And Comparison
- Comparative Perspective: While countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China have conducted similar multi-taxa assessments, India’s National Red List Assessment is set to be one of the most comprehensive and collaborative in scale.
- Adoption of IUCN Framework: The initiative follows the IUCN Species Conservation Cycle comprising five components — Assess, Plan, Act, Network, and Communicate — ensuring global methodological compatibility.
- Need for National Assessment: Only about 6.33% of India’s plant species and 7.2% of animal species have been assessed for the Global IUCN Red List, highlighting the necessity of this nationwide effort.
Timeline and Expected Outcomes
- Structured Implementation Period: The National Red List Assessment will run from 2025 to 2030. By the end of this period, National Red Data Books for both flora and fauna will be published.
- Policy and Planning Applications: The data generated will inform conservation planning, policymaking, and threat mitigation strategies, ensuring that protection efforts are based on verified scientific evidence.
- Periodic Review and Monitoring: Regular updates on species status will be released to track changes in conservation outcomes and support adaptive management approaches.
Legal Framework And Policy Integration
- Linkage with Legal Instruments: The assessment builds upon India’s legislative foundation, notably the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, amended in 2022 to cover species under CITES appendices.
- Science–Policy Collaboration: The initiative promotes interaction among taxonomists, conservationists, and policymakers to enhance the scientific basis for decision-making.
- Role of Indigenous Knowledge: It recognizes the traditional ecological knowledge of local and indigenous communities as a vital component of biodiversity management.
Financial Investment And Resource Allocation
- Funding Structure: The program is backed by an estimated budget of ₹95 crore, with around ₹80 crore allocated to ZSI and BSI through their annual research programs.
- Support for Capacity Building: Funds will be used for staff salaries, technical training, and institutional strengthening to ensure effective project execution.
Strategic Importance And Future Impact
- Vision for Conservation: The initiative embodies a “science-based, equitable, and people-centric” model of conservation, as emphasized by Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh.
- National and Global Leadership: Beyond serving as a scientific assessment, the NRLA establishes India’s position as a global leader in biodiversity conservation and knowledge generation.
- Contribution to Global Goals: By developing a coordinated national framework, India provides a replicable model for biodiversity-rich developing nations aiming to build robust conservation systems.
Conclusion
The National Red List Roadmap marks a turning point in India’s conservation history. Through scientific precision, institutional collaboration, and sustained policy integration, the initiative reinforces India’s long-term commitment to biodiversity protection and global sustainability goals. It reflects how evidence-based research and participatory approaches can collectively safeguard the planet’s natural heritage.