India Issues SOP for Scientific Identification of Threatened Species

The National Biodiversity Authority has released a standard operating procedure to help states and Union Territories scientifically identify, notify and conserve threatened plant and animal species under the Biological Diversity Act.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has come up with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which serves as a tool for the identification, assessment, and notification of threatened plant and animal species. This would help in making uniformity in the process of biodiversity conservation as laid down in the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

This SOP has been formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which lays down the procedure to be adopted by the State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils before recommending the species for notification.

This SOP seeks to correct the difference in approaches adopted by the various states in identifying the threatened species so far. Through this SOP, the Central Government seeks to ensure that all decisions in respect of threatened species are backed by scientific and field-based evidence and ecological data.

According to the ministry, there are 159 plant species and 173 animal species that have been identified as threatened in 17 states and three Union Territories. The SOP is likely to assist other states in preparing or updating the list of species using the same protocol.

Specific roles are assigned to State Biodiversity Boards, expert technical groups, and other authorities associated with the process. In addition, the SOP provides for the review of the notified species regularly such that conservation lists may be updated in light of any new scientific findings or changes in the status of the species concerned.

Under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the state government has the power to notify the species threatened. Notification will help in formulating measures of conserving such species by protecting the habitat of such species, developing recovery programs, and other measures to prevent the further decline of the wild population.

The SOP also calls for increased cooperation among scientific organizations and institutions during the process of assessment of the conservation status of the species.

The framework is also expected to support the preparation of National Red Data Books for India's flora and fauna. These documents are intended to serve as reference material for conservation planning, policy decisions and biodiversity management.

With a standard process now in place, the government aims to make threatened species assessments more transparent, scientifically consistent and easier to update as new evidence emerges. The SOP is intended to strengthen conservation planning while helping states follow a common approach to protecting India's biodiversity.