India’s 7th National Report to Convention on Biological Diversity

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has submitted India’s Seventh National Report (NR-7) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ahead of the deadline. Submission of national reports is mandatory under Article 26 of CBD. The report aligns with National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2024–2030) and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Highlights of NR-7 to CBD

• It reaffirms India’s commitment to the three core objectives of CBD:
  • Conservation of biodiversity
  • Sustainable use of biological resources
  • Fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
• It presents a comprehensive, indicator-based national assessment aligned with India’s updated NBSAP 2024-2030 and KMGBF.
• It is based on 142 national indicators mapped against 23 National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs).
• Its assessment reflects coordinated inputs from
  • 33 Central Ministries/Departments
  • State Governments
  • Statutory Authorities
  • Research Institutions and other stakeholders.
• All 23 National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) are currently “on track to achieve”, demonstrating strong alignment between national priorities and global biodiversity commitments.
• Whole-of-Government Approach: It highlights a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach, integrating biodiversity into:
• Forest and Ecosystem Status: India has substantially strengthened biodiversity-inclusive land and seascape planning.
  • Recorded Forest Area stands at 7,75,377 km2 (23.59% of geographical area), of which forest cover constitutes 5,20,365 km2 (15.83%).
  • Total Forest & Tree Cover has reached 8,27,356.95 km2 (25.17%), reflecting sustained spatial planning integration.
  • Number of notified Ramsar wetlands of international importance have expanded from 26 in 2014 to 98 as of 2026.
• Biodiversity Conservation Network: India’s conservation network now encompasses 58 Tiger Reserves, 33 Elephant Reserves, 18 Biosphere Reserves, 106 National Parks and 574 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• Species Conservation Highlights: India hosts significant global biodiversity
  • 3,682 tigers (over 70% of global population)
  • 4,014 one-horned rhinoceroses
  • 22,446 wild elephants
  • 891 Asiatic lions
  • ~718 snow leopards (as per first Snow Leopard Population Assessment)
  • 6,327 river dolphins (as per first national estimate under Project Dolphin)
• Agrobiodiversity and Genetic Resources: India has documented 22 agrobiodiversity hotspots and prioritized conservation of 769 Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) across 171 native crops and 230 native animal breeds based on diversity, uniqueness, and agricultural heritage.
• Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS): India’s National Biodiversity Authority has issued over 5,600 ABS agreements disbursing INR 140 Crore, while 2,76,653 BMCs and 2,72, 648 PBRs engage local communities and traditional knowledge to promote biodiversity-friendly practices.
• Legal and Institutional Framework: Biodiversity conservation is supported by key laws
  • Indian Forest Act, 1927
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
  • Environment Protection Act, 1986
  • Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  • Van Panchayat Act, 1931
• India follows both:
  • In-situ conservation (natural habitats)
  • Ex-situ conservation (gene banks, breeding programs).
• Use of Technology in Conservation: India uses advanced tools that has helped to enhance monitoring and conservation of biodiversity such as remote sensing & GIS, satellite telemetry, UAVs (drones), camera traps and DNA-based technologies
• Digital Governance and Citizen Participation
  • PARIVESH Portal: MoEFCC has developed single-window named PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous, and Environmental Single Window Hub)
    • It ensures transparency and ease of work.
• Citizen Initiatives: India’s NR7 also captures citizens’ contributions including those through the activities under
  • ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle for the Environment)
  • ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Nam.’