**Executive Summary**
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed ₹10.40 lakh under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework to 24 districts across India to strengthen biodiversity conservation and support local communities. This initiative, announced on February 15, 2026, reinforces India's national and global commitment to fair benefit sharing arising from the commercial use of biological resources, with cumulative national ABS disbursements exceeding ₹145 crore.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **ABS Disbursement:**
* ₹10.40 lakh released to Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in 24 districts across nine states and one Union Territory.
* Funds are intended to benefit communities conserving biological resources.
* **Beneficiaries:**
* BMCs representing diverse ecological landscapes (rural villages, coastal regions, urban local bodies).
* One farmer in Haryana received funds for providing Murrah Buffalo breed, recognizing the value of indigenous livestock.
* **Funding Source:**
* Funds generated through commercial utilization of biological resources by industries in the bio-economic sector.
* Examples include microorganisms, marine microalgae, and seaweed used in various industries like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and food.
* **Bioresources Utilized:**
* List of bioresources includes tulsi leaves, drumstick seeds, neem seeds, soapnut seeds, rosemary leaves, ashwagandha roots, mushroom-derived chitosan, and Pacific white shrimp.
* **ABS Mechanism:**
* Users of biological resources share a portion of their benefits with local communities, providing an economic incentive for conservation.
* **National Impact:**
* Cumulative ABS disbursements nationally exceed ₹145 crore (approximately USD 16 million).
* NBA continues to implement India's commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol.
**Impact Analysis**
**Key Stakeholder: Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)**
* **Impact:** BMCs receive funding to support their work in conserving biological resources within their local areas.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the funds to promote biodiversity conservation efforts in their respective districts and ensure fair distribution of benefits to local communities.
**Key Stakeholder: Local Communities**
* **Impact:** Benefits derived from commercial use of biological resources in their regions are shared with local communities.
* **Action Required:** Actively participate in conservation efforts and benefit-sharing mechanisms, contributing to sustainable resource management.
**Key Stakeholder: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)**
* **Impact:** Strengthened role in implementing national and global commitments related to biodiversity conservation and access and benefit sharing.
* **Action Required:** Continue to oversee and facilitate the ABS framework, ensuring effective implementation and compliance with relevant regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS): A framework to ensure that communities conserving biological resources receive a fair share of benefits arising from their commercial use.
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA): The authority releasing funds under the Access and Benefit Sharing framework to beneficiaries across the country.
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs): Local community bodies across India benefiting from ABS releases, crucial in conserving biodiversity.
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing: An international agreement the NBA contributes to implementing through its ABS framework.
India: The country where the ABS disbursements are taking place.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
NBA supports Conservation of Biological
Resources with ABS Disbursement of ₹10.40
lakh amongst 24 Districts across India
Posted On: 15 FEB 2026 8:32PM by PIB Delhi
In a significant step towards strengthening biodiversity conservation and supporting local communities,
the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹10.40 lakh under the Access and Benefit Sharing
(ABS) framework to beneficiaries across the country. The ABS framework reinforces India’s National and
Global commitment in ensuring that communities conserving biological resources receive a fair share of
benefits arising from their commercial use.
The current ABS release will benefit Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) across 24 districts
spanning nine States and one Union Territory, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Puducherry, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. These BMCs represent a wide
range of ecological landscapes from rural villages and coastal regions to urban local bodies where local
communities play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity. In addition, one farmer holding dairy farm in
Haryana received Access and benefit-sharing amount for providing India’s renowned Murrah Buffalo
breed, recognising the value of indigenous livestock.
The ABS funds were generated through the commercial utilisation of several biological resources that
supports the growth of India’s bio-economic sector. These include microorganisms such as beneficial
bacteria used in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, marine microalgae applied in nutraceuticals and
sustainable bio-products, and seaweed increasingly used in agriculture, cosmetics and food industries.
Bioresources accessed includes holy basil (Tulsi) leaves, drumstick (Moringa) seeds; neem seeds, soapnut
seeds, rosemary leaves, ashwagandha roots, mushroom-derived chitosan, Pacific white shrimp. These
examples highlight how biodiversity contributes, not only to ecological balance but also to scientific
innovation, industry development and rural livelihoods.
Through the ABS mechanism, a portion of their benefits by users of biological resources is shared with
local communities that conserve the biological resources. This system creates a direct economic incentive
for conservation while promoting sustainable use of natural resources.
The cumulative ABS disbursements at the national level have crossed a significant amount of ₹145 crore
(approximately USD 16 million), demonstrating the growing impact of India’s biodiversity governance
framework. The NBA continues to play a pivotal role in implementing India’s commitments under the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, while
contributing to national biodiversity targets and the global Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework.
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