IUCN Categories & Biodiversity
Forest & Wildlife · IUCN श्रेणियां और जैव विविधता
📋Quick Overview
India is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries and ranks first in Asia for biodiversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992) is the main international framework for biodiversity conservation. India implemented CBD through the Biological Diversity Act 2002. India contains 4 of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. The IUCN (est. 1948) maintains the Red List — the world's most comprehensive species conservation database.
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India's 4 Biodiversity Hotspots: 1) Western Ghats + Sri Lanka, 2) Himalaya, 3) Indo-Burma (NE India + Myanmar + SE Asia), 4) Sundaland (Nicobar Islands part). A hotspot must have 1,500+ endemic plant species AND lost 70%+ of its original habitat.
📖Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| CBD adopted | 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| India ratified | 1994 |
| CBD's 3 objectives | Conservation of biodiversity + Sustainable use + Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources |
| Secretariat | Montreal, Canada |
| COP-15 (2022) | Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework adopted; '30×30' target = 30% land+sea protected by 2030 |
📖India's Biodiversity Act 2002
- •Biodiversity Act 2002: India's implementation of CBD; 3-tier system: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA, Chennai) → State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) → Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at panchayat level
- •Nagoya Protocol: Adopted 2010 at Nagoya, Japan; in force 2014; Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism under CBD; prevents biopiracy; traditional knowledge protection
- •Cartagena Protocol: Biosafety protocol under CBD (2000); regulates trade in Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) = GMOs; precautionary principle
- •IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature; est. 1948; HQ Gland, Switzerland; publishes Red List; world's largest conservation network; coordinates World Conservation Congress
📝India's 4 Biodiversity Hotspots
| Hotspot | States Covered | Key Species |
|---|---|---|
| Western Ghats + Sri Lanka | Kerala, TN, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra | Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, GIB (adjacent areas), Malabar Civet |
| Eastern Himalaya / Himalaya | NE states, Uttarakhand, HP, J&K, Sikkim | Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Takin, many endemic plants |
| Indo-Burma | NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland) | Hoolock Gibbon, Sangai deer, Golden Langur, many endemic plants |
| Sundaland (Nicobar Islands) | Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Nicobar part) | Leatherback turtle, Nicobar Megapode, endemic lizards |