What is the role of National Biodiversity Authority?

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has constituted an expert committee on invasive alien species to address the growing ecological and socio-economic risks posed by such species across the country. 

• The decision follows the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) direction to the NBA after a suo motu proceeding underscored the serious threats of foreign species to native biodiversity, key ecosystems, and agriculture, besides food security and human and wildlife health. 

What is the role of the committee?

• The committee has been mandated to prepare a list of invasive alien species based on state-wise inputs, identify and prioritise high-risk species, and recommend science-based management strategies (and) ecological restoration measures. 

• It has also been asked to prepare national-level guidelines for their prevention, control, and eradication. 

• The committee will also document and disseminate best practices, identify critical knowledge gaps and propose research and data generation programmes to strengthen long-term management and policy responses. 

• The committee is chaired by Dhananjai Mohan, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force, Uttarakhand. 

• A. Biju Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, is serving as co-chair, besides senior officials and experts from key ministries and premier scientific institutions forming the rest of the panel.

• The committee will function for two years and is expected to contribute to safeguarding India’s biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and supporting national and global biodiversity commitments. 

National Biodiversity Authority

• The National Biodiversity Authority is a body established in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, at Chennai with effect from October 1, 2003 under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. 

• The Biological Diversity Act is being implemented through a three-tiered institutional structure — NBA at national level, State Biodiversity Boards at state level and Biodiversity Management Committees at local level.

• The NBA is an autonomous, statutory and regulatory organisation.

• It performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory functions for the government of India on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.

• The NBA with its headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, delivers its mandate through a structure that comprises the Authority, Secretariat, SBBs, BMCs and expert committees.

• Since its establishment, NBA has supported the creation of SBBs in 29 states/UTs and facilitated the establishment of BMCs at the local level.

The main objectives of NBA are:

i) To regulate access to biological resources of the country to conserve and sustainable use of biological diversity.

ii) To secure sharing of benefits with the local people as conservers of biological resources and holders of knowledge and information relating to the use of biological resources.

iii) Conservation and development of areas of importance from the view point of biological diversity by declaring them as biological diversity heritage sites.

iv) Protection and rehabilitation of threatened species. 

v) Involving with institutions of state government in the broad scheme of implementation of the BD Act through constitution of committees.

State Biodiversity Boards

• State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) are established under Section 22 of the Act. 

Functions of SBBs:

i) Advise the state governments, subject to guidelines issued by the central government, on matters relating to conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of utilisation of biological resources.

ii) Regulate by granting approvals or otherwise request for commercial utilisation or bio-survey and bio utilisation of any biological resource.

Biodiversity Management Committees

• A Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) is constituted by a local body within its area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity. 

Functions of BMCs:

i) Prepare, maintain and validate People’s Biodiversity Register in consultation with the local people.

ii) Advise on any matter referred to by the SBB or NBA for granting approval, to maintain data about the local vaids (traditional healers) and practitioners using the biological resources.

iii) Levy charges by way of collection fees for accessing or collecting  bio-resource for commercial purpose from its territorial jurisdiction.