Profiles of Organisations/Institutions/Individuals with Innovative Contribution to Participatory Forestry

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had prepared a national policy and macro-level action strategy on biodiversity plan in 1999, which identified the need for detailed action plans at sub-state, state, regional, and national levels. Being a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India must prepare such plans for the conservation of its biodiversity. In this context, MoEF has accessed funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for preparing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). This report is envisaged as a major guiding document for biodiversity conservation efforts in India.

NBSAP is a novel arrangement, the first of its kind in India, where these action plans will be prepared in the most participative manner. MoEF is in charge of the NBSAP process, and houses the National Project Directorate. The project is being executed by a Technical and Policy Core Group (TPCG) headed by Kalpavriksh, an NGO working in the area of environment and coordinated by Biotech Consor-tium India Ltd. The key feature of this project is the emphasis on gender sensitive decentralised planning and the use of interdisciplinary working groups to involve all stakeholders concerned with biodiversity conservation.

GOALS OF NBSAP To prepare, by early 2002, biodiversity actions plans at the following levels:

• 20 local-level action plans
• 30 state-level plans
• 10 interstate eco-regional plans
• 13 national thematic plans
• One national plan (based on the above)

• People's participation and empowerment to partake in decision-making at all levels, from planning to implementation to monitoring, including the use of indigenous knowledge and practices
• Gender and equity issues
• Participation of the corporate sector, both private and public
• International issues, including trans-boundary cooperation for conservation and benefit-sharing

STATUS OF THE NBSAP PROCESS

The NBSAP website (www.sdnp. delhi.nic.in/nbsap/index1.html) houses all information and update on the status of the NBSAP process. State and theme-level action plans are also available on this site for comments. The process is in the final stages, and the policy document will soon be available for public comments.