New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has allocated Rs 45.05 lakh in benefit-sharing funds to over 90 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) across 10 States and 2 Union Territories, an official announcement revealed on Monday.

This benefit-sharing amount stems from the commercial utilization of various biological resources, including specific insects, microorganisms from soil and water, and cultivated Red Sanders in these regions.

The funds are being distributed to beneficiaries through State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils as part of the NBA’s initiatives to preserve biodiversity and ensure equitable sharing of benefits derived from biological resources, according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The funding will support BMCs in various regions, including Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and the Union Territory of Ladakh, along with 15 farmers from Andhra Pradesh involved in Red Sanders cultivation.

These BMCs encompass a variety of ecological and institutional contexts, including rural villages, urban local bodies, mangrove areas, and industrial settings, the statement highlighted.

The biological resources for which benefits have been allocated have been employed in developing a diverse array of products, illustrating how biodiversity underpins scientific innovation and the bio-economy.

Through the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism, a portion of the commercial profits obtained by companies is redirected to the communities, enhancing livelihoods and motivating them to actively safeguard and conserve biodiversity, the statement elaborated.

In recent years, the NBA has implemented streamlined regulations to enhance transparency and facilitate business operations while continuing to protect community interests and biodiversity.

The NBA collaborates closely with States, local bodies, researchers, industry, and communities to foster awareness and build capacity for biodiversity conservation and its sustainable utilization.

It encourages the documentation of People’s Biodiversity Registers, which include details of traditional knowledge and advocate a participatory approach to managing and protecting biodiversity at the grassroots level, as stated.

As a result of these collective efforts, cumulative ABS payments have exceeded Rs 145 crore (approximately $16 million).

The NBA continues to be instrumental in advancing India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on ABS at both national and international levels, contributing to the objectives of the National Biodiversity Target and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.