Global Nature Conservation Index 2024: India ranked 176 out of 180 countries

 India's Global Nature Conservation Index, 2024: Poor Performance

India ranks 176th in the Global Nature Conservation Index, 2024, with a score of 45.5 out of 100.

The index evaluates conservation efforts using four markers: land management, threats to biodiversity, capacity and governance, and future trends.

The index is developed by the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and BioDB.com.

• Observation of the NCI: 
  
  • Sustainable land use is crucial, as 53% of land is converted for urban, industrial, and agricultural purposes.
  • The index highlights high pesticide use and warns about soil pollution,
  • Marine conservation needs improvement, with only 0.2% of national waterways protected and none within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
  • India ranks as the fourth-largest illegal wildlife trading nation globally, with annual sales totaling approximately 15 billion Euros.
  • Deforestation resulted in the loss of 23,300 sq. km of tree cover between 2001 and 2019.
  • India's ecological wealth is constantly threatened by overpopulation.

India's ranking is attributed to inefficient land management and rising threats to its biodiversity.

The index warns against soil pollution and highlights the need for sustainable land use techniques.

Marine conservation is also a concern with only 0.2% of India’s national waterways covered by protected areas and none within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Threats to India’s biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation caused by agriculture, urbanisation, and infrastructural development, and climate change.

Despite 40% of marine species and 65% of terrestrial species located within Protected Areas, significant population decreases continue.

The index's findings align with the most recent global progress report on Sustainable Development, where the country faced major challenges in SDG 14 and SDG 15.

India faces both promising opportunities and serious biodiversity challenges in the years ahead, with one of the highest population densities in the world and a population that has doubled since the late 1970s.