India needs Rs 81.6k crore per year up to 2029-30 to meet biodiversity goals

NEW DELHI: India committed to prioritise effective restoration of at least 30% of its degraded terrestrial, inland water, & coastal and marine areas by 2030 in sync with the country’s 23 national biodiversity targets as well as global 30x30 biodiversity goals , reports Vishwa Mohan. India said it would need an annual average amount of Rs 81,664 crore for implementation of its updated pledges up to 2029-30.

It unveiled its voluntary commitments in its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan ( NBSAP ) during 16th session of UN Convention on Biological Diversity ( COP16 ) at Cali, Colombia where countries’ representatives are negotiating multiple issues to protect nature, including a financial mechanism to support their efforts.

It also outlined its 23 national biodiversity targets, aligning it with KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by 196 nations in Montreal during COP15 as part of a larger global goal to protect 30% of planet Earth by 2030 through halt & reverse biodiversity loss and achieve a nature-positive world. India in its updated NBSAP claimed it spent around Rs 32,207 crore annually on biodiversity protection , conservation, and restoration from 2017-2018 to 2021- 2022. India’s 23 targets focus on reducing threats to biodiversity, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and enhancing tools for implementation