NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, today delivered India’s National Statement at the High-Level Segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-17) in Yerevan, Armenia.
He reaffirmed India’s commitment to conserving biodiversity and strengthening collective efforts to live in harmony with nature.
Yadav emphasized that the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework must align with national priorities, circumstances, and legislation, and should be supported by adequate and predictable finance, capacity building, and technology transfer from developed countries.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a landmark global agreement adopted on December 19, 2022, during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada. Its goal is to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, aiming for a world that exists in harmony with nature. It is important to note that this agreement is non-legally binding.
Furthermore, India supports benefit-sharing from digital sequence information on genetic resources through a multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund.
Yadav advocated for a science-based, risk-proportionate, and precautionary approach to synthetic biology and biosafety.
"India’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan translates the Global Biodiversity Framework into 23 National Biodiversity Targets and 142 indicators," Yadav stated in his address.
Highlighting India’s progress in biodiversity conservation, he noted that the country boasts 1,134 protected areas, 103 Ramsar sites, 57 biodiversity heritage sites, and 18 biosphere reserves, including 13 designated by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Network.
Additionally, India is leading the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which promotes international cooperation for the conservation of the world’s seven big cat species and their habitats. He further mentioned that the Mission 'LiFE and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiatives emphasize environmental stewardship and position biodiversity conservation as a collective societal endeavor.
The Minister also informed that India is advancing biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration through initiatives like the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) for mangrove restoration, Amrit Dharohar for wetland conservation, and the Soil Health Card Scheme for sustainable soil management and maintaining soil fertility.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, Yadav stated that India would continue to collaborate with all Parties to advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in the true spirit of "One Earth, One Family, One Future."
