Context

• India submitted its Sixth National Report (NR6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and became one of the first five countries in the world and the first in Asia to do so.
• The report was submitted online to the CBD Secretariat during the inaugural session of the 13th National Meeting of the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) organized by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

About

India’s sixth report an appraisal of efforts and initiatives

While submitting the sixth National Report, India has many achievements in its name and at the same time a lot remains to be done. Some of the important aspects of Indian biodiversity conservation and protection are:

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), also released the document ‘Progress on India’s National Biodiversity Targets: A Preview’ on the occasion.
• The NR6 provides an update of progress in achievement of 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) developed under the Convention process in line with the 20 global Aichi biodiversity targets.
• The Report highlights that while India has exceeded/overachieved two NBTs, it is on track to achieve eight NBTs and in respect of the remaining two NBTs also, India is striving to meet the targets by the stipulated time of 2020.
• With well over 20 percent of its total geographical area under biodiversity conservation, India has exceeded the terrestrial component of 17 percent of Aichi target 11, and 20 percent of corresponding NBT relating to areas under biodiversity management.
• As a mega-diverse country harbouring nearly 7-8% of globally recorded species while supporting 18% of the global human population on a mere 2.4% of the world’s land area, India’s quest for inclusive economic development while maintaining integrity of its natural capital is being pursued through various programmes and strategies.

Sixth National Report under Convention on Biological Diversity

• Submission of national reports is a mandatory obligation on Parties to international treaties, including CBD.
• COP 13 adopted guidelines, including reporting templates, for the sixth national report due 31 December 2018.
• The sixth national reports should provide a final review of progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, including relevant national targets, based on information concerning the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and other actions taken to implement the Convention.
• Parties are encouraged to involve relevant stakeholders in the preparation of their national report including representatives of indigenous people and local communities, business, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
• This includes national focal points for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization as well as the national focal points for the biodiversity-related Conventions, the Rio Conventions and other relevant international and regional conventions.
  
  

  Convention on Biological Diversity: It is one of the important conventions that resulted in the Earth Summit of 1992. The Convention on Biological Diversity was inspired by the world community's growing commitment to sustainable development. It represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity: It is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. Nagoya Protocol: It aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. Aichi Biodiversity Targets: Adopted at COP10, and advocates realization of a society in harmony with nature as a shared vision until 2050.