India’s biodiversity conservation journey reflects both remarkable achievements and persistent challenges. The recent launch of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024-2030 at COP16 demonstrates India’s commitment to align with global frameworks while addressing local conservation needs.

Major Conservation Strategies and Their Effectiveness

Successful Initiatives

• Project Tiger: A flagship conservation program showing significant success with tiger numbers increasing to 3,100 in 2022, demonstrating effective species-specific conservation.
• Protected Area Network: Implementation of systematic conservation through National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Biosphere Reserves.
• Project Elephant: Successful in reducing human-wildlife conflict and protecting critical elephant corridors.

Challenges in Implementation

• Habitat Fragmentation: Over 50% of tiger reserves face habitat quality decline due to infrastructure development.
• Climate Change Impact: Rising temperatures affecting breeding patterns and survival of endemic species like Indian brown mongoose.
• Resource Exploitation: Unsustainable extraction leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

Measures for Improvement

Policy Level Interventions

• Integration with Development Planning: Mainstreaming biodiversity concerns in infrastructure and urban development projects.
• Community Participation: Strengthening Joint Forest Management and providing alternative livelihoods to forest-dependent communities.
• Scientific Research: Enhanced monitoring of species populations and habitat quality through modern technology.

Implementation Strategies

• Corridor Protection: Establishing and protecting wildlife corridors to maintain habitat connectivity.
• Climate-resilient Conservation: Developing adaptation strategies for vulnerable species and ecosystems.
• Sustainable Resource Use: Promoting traditional knowledge and sustainable harvesting practices.

The successful implementation of NBSAP 2024-2030 with its 23 national biodiversity targets aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework offers hope for India’s biodiversity conservation. The way forward lies in balancing development needs with conservation priorities while ensuring active participation of all stakeholders, exemplified by successful models like Project Tiger and Project Elephant.