Context: Recently, released Global Nature Conservation Index ranks India at the bottom is mainly attributed to inefficient land management and rising threats to its biodiversity. 

• This is the first-ever Nature Conservation Index (NCI) launched in October, evaluates conservation efforts using four markers — land management, threats to biodiversity, capacity and governance, and future trends. 

About Nature Conservation Index (NCI)

• The NCI is developed by Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and BioDB.com, a non-profit website dedicated to maintaining biodiversity data.

• It is the first-ever Index which evaluates conservation efforts using four markers — land management, threats to biodiversity, capacity and governance, and future trends. 

• It is a data-driven analysis assessing each country's progress in balancing conservation and development, aimed at helping governments, researchers, and organisations identify concerns and enhance conservation policies for long-term biodiversity protection.

Key Findings related to India

• India with an abysmal score of 45.5 (out of 100) has been ranked 176th in the Global Nature Conservation Index, 2024. 

• The country ranks as one of the five worst performers alongside Kiribati (180), Turkey (179), Iraq (178), and Micronesia (177) in the ranking of 180 countries.

• India’s rank at the bottom is mainly attributed to inefficient land management and rising threats to its biodiversity.  

• The assessment highlighted multiple threats to India’s biodiversity, including habitat loss and fragmentation caused by agriculture, urbanisation and infrastructural development, with climate change posing an additional risk.

• Between 2001 and 2019, deforestation led to the loss of an astounding 23,300 sq. km of tree cover. Climate change is also impacting sensitive ecosystems such as alpine regions and coral reefs.

• Even though 40 per cent of marine species and 65 per cent of terrestrial species are located within Protected Areas (PAs), significant population decreases continue. 

• Another  67.5 per cent of marine species and 46.9 per cent of terrestrial species continue to experience population decline, stated the index, highlighting the concerns over conservation. The poor score of 54 (out of 100), indicates the concerns related to biodiversity conservation. 

• The findings of the index resonate with concerns raised by the most recent global progress report on Sustainable Development, where the country faced major challenges in SDG 14 (Life below water) and SDG 15  (Life on land).   

• India faces both promising opportunities and serious biodiversity challenges in the years ahead stated the index under the ‘future trends pillar’. With one of the highest population densities in the world and a population that has doubled since the late 1970s, the nation's ecological wealth is under constant threat, it warned. 

Key Suggestion for India

• Sustainable land use techniques are essential due to the 53 per cent rate of land conversion for urban, industrial, and agricultural purposes. The index reveals high use of pesticides and also warns against soil pollution. 

• With a sustainable nitrogen index of 0.77, soil pollution needs to be addressed to ensure soil health is maintained, stated the index. 

• Another important aspect that surfaced in the assessment is marine conservation. With only 0.2 per cent of India’s national waterways covered by protected areas and none within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), considerable progress is needed in marine conservation even if 7.5 per cent of the country’s terrestrial territory is protected.

• India is the fourth-largest illegal wildlife trader in the world, with annual sales worth around £15 billion, and so the index called for stronger enforcement and international cooperation.

Road Ahead

• Strong political will is essential for the successful implementation of conservation strategies, including passing laws that support sustainable development and securing funding for environmental initiatives.

• With this commitment, India can effectively confront the upcoming conservation challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable and ecologically friendly future, the NCI Index stated optimistically.