India’s progress against National Biodiversity Targets

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, a significant proportion of the country's population, especially the youth, is aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably

Indicators:

• Trends in incorporating awareness and attitudes towards environmental conservation through communication and mainstream education
• Trends in promoting awareness at local levels

 Status:

• On track to achieve target.

Comment:

• Too subjective to measure 

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, values of biodiversity are integrated in national and state planning processes, development programmes and poverty alleviation strategies.

Indicators:

• Trends in incorporating natural resource/ biodiversity/ ecosystem service values in national and state planning processes and development programmes
• Trends in integration of biodiversity and ecosystem service values into sectoral and development policies and programmes
• Trends in policies of three years considering biodiversity and ecosystem services in environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment

 Status:

• On track to achieve target.

Comment:

• While biodiversity is included in many policies and plans, the practice needs substantial improvements. 

National Biodiversity Target:

• Strategies for reducing the rate of degradation, fragmentation, and loss of all-natural habitats are finalised and actions put in place by 2020 for environmental amelioration and human well-being.

Indicators:

• Trends in forest cover
• Trends in aquatic ecosystems
• Trends in mangrove cover and coastal area management
• Trends in river water quality
• Trends in afforestation and restoration
• Combating desertification
• Species restoration after forest and water body restoration
• Trends in maintenance of fertility in agricultural lands using natural methods and means

 Status:

• On track to achieve target.

Comment:

• Trend in forest cover is positive, while work needs to be done on river water quality, agriculture land and desertification. 

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and strategies to manage them developed so that populations of prioritised invasive alien species are managed.

Indicators:

• Trends in invasive alien species management

 Status:

• Progress towards target but at an insufficient rate

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, measures are adopted for sustainable management of agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Indicators:

• Trends in sustainable agriculture
• Monitoring agricultural extension
• Trends in sustainable forestry
• Trends in stock sizes of target and by catch fish species (freshwater and marine)
• Trends in intensity of destructive fishing practices
• Trends in sustainable fishing practices
• Trends in number of fishing boats/ fishing capacity

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• Too subjective to measure

National Biodiversity Target:

• Ecologically representative areas on land and in inland waters, as well as coastal and marine zones, especially those of particular importance for species, biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved effectively and equitably, on the basis of protected area (PA) designation and management and other area-based conservation measures and are integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes, covering over 20 per cent of the geographic area of the country, by 2020

Indicators:

• Trends in PA coverage under four legal

• categories (National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Community Reserve and Conservation Reserve) 

• Trends in other area-based conservation measures
• Trends in coverage under Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) under the Biological Diversity Act 2002
• Trends in wetlands brought under integrated management
• Trends in Important Bird Areas (IBAs) Status and population trends of 16 Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme(IDWH) terrestrial species and 7 marine species
• Trends in forest cover in four designated Categories
• Trends in status of Indian plant and animal species included in IUCN Red Data Book
• Trends in air and water quality and in noise pollution
• Status of ecosystem services of selected Ecosystems
• Trends in areas of exceptional agricultural biodiversity and their threat stat

 Status:

• On track to exceed target

Comment:

• Significant progress

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, genetic diversity of cultivated plants, farm livestock, and their wild relatives, including other socioeconomically as well as culturally valuable species, is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimising genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity.

Indicators:

• Animal genetic diversity
• Plant genetic diversity

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• On track to achieve target

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, ecosystem services, especially those relating to water, human health, livelihoods and wellbeing, are enumerated and measures to safeguard them are identified, taking into account the needs of women and local communities, particularly the poor and vulnerable sections.

Indicators:

• Human development index-standard of living in India
• Level of toxic contaminants in wetlands/ rivers/ aquatic fauna
• Extent of restored forest cover in India
• Extent of groundwater pollution and groundwater levels
• Trends in use of chemicals and fertilisers in agriculture/ organic products
• Trends in wetlands significant for delivering freshwater being brought under integrated management
• Trends in proportion of people using improved water services
• Trends in availability of urban greenspaces

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• Measurements done in some areas and not all

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2015, Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation as per the Nagoya Protocol are operational, consistent with national legislation.

Indicators:

• Trends in access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• National legislation operational

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity action plan is made operational at different levels of governance.

Indicators:

• Progress in implementing National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP)

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• Some progress in implementation

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, national initiatives using communities' traditional knowledge relating to biodiversity are strengthened, with a view to protecting this knowledge in accordance with national legislation and international obligations.

Indicators:

• Trends in three years documentation/ data abstraction and management
• Trends in access agreements related to traditional knowledge (TK)
• Trends in grassroots innovations and traditional practices
• Trends in capacity building related to TK and people’s diversity registers (PBRs)
• Trends in three years conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants used by India's medical heritage
• Trends in documentation and awareness of the conservation traditions in TK

 Status:

• On track to achieve target

Comment:

• Not measurable

National Biodiversity Target:

• By 2020, opportunities to increase the availability of financial, human and technical resources to facilitate effective implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the national targets are identified and the Strategy for Resource Mobilisation is adopted.

Indicators:

• Trends in availability of financial, human and technical resources for achieving 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets and 12 National Biodiversity Targets

 Status:

• Progress towards target but at an insufficient rate

Comment:

• No data available