India Celebrates Biodiversity Day 2025 with National Showcase in Udaipur
Pushes ‘People-Led Conservation’ and Global leadership in sustainability
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) marked the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) 2025 with a national-level event in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The theme this year, ‘Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development’, reflected India’s commitment to protecting its vast biodiversity through a people-led approach rooted in the ethos of Prakriti Rakshati Rakshita (Nature protects if she is protected).
Held in collaboration with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Rajasthan Forest Department and Rajasthan State Biodiversity Board, the event featured a vibrant exhibition of indigenous biodiversity and bioresources. It also kicked off a fortnight-long campaign leading up to World Environment Day 2025, themed ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’.
350 participants witness India’s green vision
The exhibition was inaugurated by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary (MoEFCC), alongside NBA Chairperson C. Achalender Reddy, DG (Forest) and Special Secretary Sushil Kumar Awasthi, and other senior officials. Twelve State Biodiversity Boards, the Rajasthan Forest Department, NGOs, and community-based organisations participated, showcasing products, medicinal plants, traditional crop varieties and sustainable conservation models.
Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) members from various states engaged with dignitaries and visitors, making the celebration interactive and educational. The event saw participation from around 350 stakeholders, including officials, retired forest officers, students and experts.
India at the forefront of global biodiversity dialogue
Tanmay Kumar reflected on India’s significant participation at the COP 16 to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Cali, Colombia in 2024. India submitted updated National Biodiversity Targets in September 2024 and launched a revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) on 30 October 2024, showing its alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
He reiterated India’s leadership in bridging the biodiversity finance gap and highlighted the protection of wetlands (89 Ramsar sites across 1.35 million hectares) and designation of 49 Biodiversity Heritage Sites under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
‘Ek ped maa ke naam’ movement gathers global support
Kumar emphasised the national ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family – and noted the massive success of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024. The initiative has resulted in over 142 crore tree plantations worldwide, involving citizens and promoting collective responsibility for conservation.
Publications and plans for future conservation released
A series of key publications were released during the event:
- India’s updated NBSAP 2024–2030 in English and Hindi
- A prospectus and curriculum for the MoEFCC-IICA-NBA-UNDP Certificate Programme on Business & Biodiversity
- A compendium of Biodiversity Heritage Sites
- A brochure on the Seventh National Report (NR7) preparation
- 2025 Biodiversity Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations
A video on Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) was also screened to raise awareness about alternative protection strategies beyond traditional protected areas.
India – A biodiversity superpower
India is one of 17 mega-diverse countries, home to more than 100,000 animal species and 55,000 plant species across ten biogeographic zones. Its traditional knowledge systems, rooted in ancient medicinal texts and cultural practices, continue to support sustainable biodiversity use and conservation.
May 22 is globally observed as International Day for Biological Diversity to mark the adoption of the CBD text in 1992. This year’s celebrations in Udaipur showcased India’s vibrant natural heritage, its policy advancements, and its commitment to a sustainable future powered by community and culture.
