The Union Environment Ministry and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have initiated a five-year project to enhance grassroots biodiversity governance. Named ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments’, the project aims to empower local communities and institutions by integrating biodiversity conservation into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and introducing innovative financing. This joint effort involving the Union government, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has secured a $4.88 million grant for the period 2025–2030.
The project is centered around two ecologically important landscapes. In Tamil Nadu, the Sathyamangalam landscape, which includes the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, brings together forest-fringe communities known for their wildlife corridor stewardship. Their ecological expertise will be incorporated into GPDPs to prioritize biodiversity conservation in local governance. Meanwhile, in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, Balpakram National Park, and Siju Wildlife Sanctuary form a diverse mix of government forests and Reserve Forests, fostering community-led conservation through Village Employment Councils (VECs), similar to gram panchayats.
One of the primary goals of the project is to mainstream biodiversity in local development plans, strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions and Biodiversity Management Committees. It also aims to establish landscape-level multi-stakeholder platforms that unite forest departments, revenue authorities, elected representatives, and civil society to create community-owned biodiversity plans funded by various stakeholders. Additionally, the initiative seeks to promote innovative financing methods by activating Access and Benefit Sharing arrangements, CSR co-financing, and green micro-enterprises to generate sustainable livelihoods as incentives for conservation efforts.
The project also emphasizes knowledge management and capacity building, systematically documenting innovations from both landscapes for nationwide replication through the NBA and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change platforms. It particularly focuses on enhancing the economic and governance roles of women, Scheduled Castes, and tribal communities.
