NBA disburses Rs 1.19 Crore to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council under Access and Benefit Sharing Mechanism

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 1.19 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one Union Territory Biodiversity Council. The funds aim to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and community welfare. This amount represents ABS contributions collected from various companies for the research and commercial utilization of agricultural biological resources such as maize, rice, pearl millet, and cotton. Because individual benefit claimers could not be identified as resources were procured through markets or traders, allocations were made proportionally based on estimated cultivation areas from official agricultural statistics. The funds are mandated for exclusive use in activities specified under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.