How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 helpful in conservation of flora and fauna?

Biogeographic zones

Ten zones, from the Trans-Himalayan cold desert to the Thar, the Deccan, the coasts and the islands, each carry distinct species (Wildlife Institute of India).

Hotspots and endemism

Four of the world's 36 hotspots overlap India, and the Western Ghats hold a large share of endemic amphibians.

Gradients and ecosystems

Richness peaks in the wet Northeast and Western Ghats and thins in the arid west, while the Sundarbans mangroves and Gulf of Mannar reefs add ecosystem variety.

Local custody

People's Biodiversity Registers record species and traditional knowledge, giving evidence against biopiracy like the turmeric patent dispute.

Access and benefit sharing

Foreign entities need National Biodiversity Authority approval, and Divya Pharmacy v Union of India (2018) extended benefit sharing to Indian firms.

Heritage sites and gaps

Sites like Nallur Tamarind Grove (2007) are protected, though weak committees and the 2023 amendment's easing of rules dilute the Act.

Fund and digitise

Resource local committees, digitise registers and publish benefit flows, linking sites to the 30x30 target.