India scores low in Global Nature Conservation Index

India has scored low in the Global Nature Conservation Index.

With a score of 45.5 out of 100, India ranked 176 out of 180 countries; placed at the bottom of the list, just above Kiribati which ranked 180, Turkey (179), Iraq (178) and Micronesia (177).

The Index, launched this month, evaluates conservation efforts on four parameters: management of land, threats faced by biodiversity, governance and capacity, and future trends. The reason attributed to India’s low ranking is mainly to rising threats to biodiversity and the inefficient management of land.

“Unique habitats like India’s deserts, with 628 plant species, and cold deserts (Himalayas) protect rare species like the Snow Leopard and require conservation attention. Though 7.5 percent of India’s terrestrial area is protected, improvements are needed in marine protected areas,” the Nature Conservation Index said.

However, experts have a mixed opinion about the claims made in the index.

Former Indian Forest Service officer BK Singh commented, “The report says that our land management is poor. Imagine several African countries faced with unprecedented extension of deserts, and all are above us. Regarding deforestation, there are several reports indicating that boreal and Amazon forests, and the forests of Congo basin are subjected to severe losses as compared to us. The US and Canada are leaders in forest fire. The 2023 forest fire in Canada has caused a surge in greenhouse gas emission. How can they be rated above us?”

He said that the report is a data driven analysis and not a study based on any satellite images.

“It is quite difficult to compare countries based on the records of land management and biodiversity conservation. Countries keep their land/soil fertility data in different formats - indeed difficult to analyse and compare,” Singh said.

The report said that over 10.47 per cent of India’s GDP was allocated to environmental and conservation management in 2023–2024.

“Due to India’s role as both a source and transit point for trafficked wildlife, many species are illegally moved in and out of the country. Common wildlife seizures in India include ivory, Indian star tortoises, red sandalwood, and rhino horns. Particularly, pangolin poaching and tiger part trafficking are on the rise. India ranks fourth globally in illegal wildlife trading, worth over £15 billion annually, demanding stricter enforcement and international cooperation,” the report said.

Environment activist Rohit Choudhary commented, “When reserve forests and protected areas are merely for the sake of numbers and optics, and when there is no real will to conserve forests and wildlife, the net result is usually like this.”