Why in the News?
- India has launched the National Red List Assessment initiative during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi.
National Red List Assessment
- Purpose: To fulfil India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) by establishing a national mechanism for species threat assessment.
- Significance:
- India, being among the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, hosts 4 of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots (Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, Sundaland).
- The NRLA will align India’s assessments with IUCN global standards, enabling coherence with international processes.
- The initiative is intended to bridge science, policy & local knowledge (e.g. by documenting traditional knowledge for conservation).
- Biodiversity statistics: Though India has ~2.4% of the world’s land area, it harbours ~8% of global flora and ~7.5% of fauna. About 28% of plants and over 30% of animals in India are endemic.
- Features:
- Objective: To create a nationally coordinated red-listing system aligned with global IUCN standards- for assessment, conservation planning, and policymaking.
- Time frame: To publish National Red Data Books for both flora and fauna by 2030.
- Implementation: Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) will spearhead the initiative, while Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) & Botanical Survey of India (BSI) as nodal institutions.
- Emphasis on traditional knowledge documentation, precision in species identification, collaboration across domains.
- Challenges Associated:
- India has significant data gaps for many taxa- undertaking a comprehensive national red listing will require extensive fieldwork, taxonomic expertise, and funding.
- Ensuring uniform methodology, capacity building, and coordination across states and institutions will be vital.
- Integration of traditional / indigenous knowledge must be done carefully, respecting rights and scientific validity.
- The utility of Red Lists depends on translating assessments into on-ground conservation action, policy measures, habitat protection, etc.