NBA Releases ₹2.82 Crore in ABS Funds to State and UT Boards

Yesterday, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹2.82 crore in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds to 27 State Biodiversity Boards, three Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Karnataka, according to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) announcement. The funds, allocated under India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002, aim to support initiatives that promote equitable benefit-sharing from genetic resources and strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts at regional and institutional levels.

The ABS mechanism, governed by the NBA, ensures that entities utilizing India’s biological resources for commercial or research purposes share benefits—monetary or otherwise—with local communities and state-level bodies. This disbursement aligns with India’s commitments under the Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement on genetic resource utilization, which mandates that benefits from such resources are shared fairly and equitably. The PIB noted that the funds will be utilized to advance bio-prospecting projects and community-based conservation programs, though specific allocations for each recipient were not detailed.

Among the beneficiaries, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Karnataka stands out as a research-focused recipient, highlighting the intersection of agricultural science and biodiversity management. State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, which oversee local biodiversity governance, will use the funds to implement grassroots projects, including documentation of genetic resources and capacity-building for local communities. The NBA, as the central authority, has emphasized collaboration between research institutions, state agencies, and policymakers to address biodiversity challenges, as outlined in the PIB statement.

The release of ABS funds underscores India’s ongoing efforts to operationalize the Nagoya Protocol domestically. Since 2010, when the protocol came into force, the country has worked to establish frameworks for tracking genetic resource use and ensuring compliance with benefit-sharing obligations. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which empowers the NBA to regulate access to biological resources, has been instrumental in this process. However, challenges persist in monitoring informal or unauthorized use of genetic material, particularly in regions with rich biodiversity but limited institutional infrastructure.

The PIB statement did not specify timelines for the utilization of the funds or metrics to evaluate their impact. While the disbursement marks a step toward institutionalizing benefit-sharing mechanisms, experts have previously noted the need for greater transparency in fund allocation and outcome tracking. As of now, the NBA has not announced further details on how the funds will be monitored post-disbursement.