India's Biodiversity Is a Strategic Advantage

As India's geopolitical future sways with the swings in the global political pendulum, it is worth reflecting on the constant in the chaos, a North Star among spinning constellations.

- Rohini Nilekani

India's biodiversity can be that sanctuary, that bank which helps us remain aatmanirbhar (self-reliant). Natural wealth is immune to trade and tariff wars, a trump card in climate diplomacy. It is a sacred vault which can future-proof our ambitions to be an abundant society by 2047.

India is one of very few countries with an unbroken culture of 5,000 years that is animated with the understanding that we are part of nature; that it is our privilege and duty to nurture and enrich all life on earth. That sacrality may be dimming in the face of a young population and polity demanding rapid, modern economic development. So, we must weave anew the stories, craft again the culture, the rituals, and behaviours that restore ecological belonging. For biodiversity is no longer a nice-to-have natural heritage. It could be a differentiator in the global arena, as scarcity mindsets take over with the climate crisis. If we act now, if we protect now, societal gains and economic rewards will accrue over time.

Biodiversity markets are deepening, with a growing demand for high-quality carbon credits with biodiversity safeguards. There is a strong pushback from environmentalists. Yet, if done right, it could allow first-mile communities to be rewarded for conservation practices, to improve their lives and livelihoods.

The European Space Agency has launched a mission to map global biomass, penetrating dense forests to assess stored carbon. The Global Biodiversity Standard may push biodiversity monitoring further. This, in turn, will fuel the demand for verified ecosystem services provided by natural environments. The time is ripe to enhance our national, natural biodiversity.