India’s 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Context:
India has submitted its Seventh National Report (NR7) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
It represents the country's first comprehensive progress assessment since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) in 2022, evaluating performance across 23 national biodiversity targets set for 2030
Progress and Key Achievements:
The report notes that India has developed a stronger policy framework for biodiversity conservation, yet only two of the 23 targets are currently clearly on track:
NBT1 (Biodiversity-inclusive land-use planning)
NBT2 (Ecosystem restoration).
Ecosystem Restoration:
The report shows significant progress in forest cover and ecosystem restoration.
Under the Bonn Challenge, India pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, and over 24 million hectares have already been restored or are under restoration.
Species Recovery:
It highlights well-known conservation successes for flagship species, noting that India's tiger population has reached 3,167.
The Asiatic lion and Indian one-horned rhinoceros populations also show positive, stable growth.
Structural Challenges and Concerns:
The "30x30" Goal:
The KMGBF aims to conserve 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.
Meeting this target remains a hurdle for India, requiring a massive expansion of formal protected areas and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Persistent Degradation:
The report acknowledges continuing pressures on ecosystems, including severe land degradation affecting nearly 30% of India's landmass, and ongoing biodiversity loss outside protected areas.
While there is robust tracking for charismatic megafauna, the report provides limited data on lesser-known species and other taxa.
This overall lack of quantitative evidence makes it difficult to definitively prove that broader conservation targets are currently on track.