Centre Launches Rs 40-Cr Biodiversity Project to Strengthen Grassroots Governance
New Delhi, Apr 26 (TNT): The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have launched a five-year national project on Sunday aimed at strengthening grassroots biodiversity governance through local institutions and community participation.
Titled “Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments,” the initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme, with a grant of USD 4.88 million (2025–2030), an official release said here.
The project focuses on integrating biodiversity conservation into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and promoting innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative will be piloted across two ecologically significant landscapes—Sathyamangalam region in Tamil Nadu, covering the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, and the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, including Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, Balpakram National Park and Siju Wildlife Sanctuary.
The project aims to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), while creating multi-stakeholder platforms involving forest departments, local bodies and civil society to develop community-led biodiversity plans.
It will also promote innovative financing models, including Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), CSR partnerships and green micro-enterprises to support conservation-linked livelihoods.
A key focus will be on capacity building and knowledge sharing, with successful models expected to be replicated nationwide. Special emphasis will be placed on enhancing the participation of women, Scheduled Castes and tribal communities in biodiversity governance.
Officials said the initiative aligns with India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2030), global biodiversity targets, and the country’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
TNT KS
