India submits 7th National Biodiversity Report; only 2 of 23 targets on track for 2030

Exam-focused facts from the 9 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

India submitted its 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 05 Mar 2026.
Only two of the 23 national biodiversity targets—NBT1 (biodiversity-inclusive land and sea-use planning) and NBT2 (ecosystem restoration)—are clearly on track for 2030.
Forest and tree cover totals 827,357 sq km, 25.17% of India’s geographical area, and rose by 1,445.81 sq km between 2021 and 2023.
24.1 million hectares of degraded land have been restored or are under restoration against India’s 2030 Bonn Challenge pledge of 26 million hectares.
India’s tiger population stands at 3,167; Asiatic lion and one-horned rhinoceros numbers are also increasing.
Formal protected areas cover a little over 5% of India’s geographical area; marine protected areas and OECM sites are being expanded.
The report was prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with inputs from 33 central ministries and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Forest carbon stock increased to 7,285.5 million tonnes, up by 81.5 million tonnes from the previous assessment.
Agroforestry occupies 8.65% of India’s geographical area and trees outside forests form a significant share of total tree cover.
Data gaps, differing collection intervals, and limited protocols for newer indicators hinder consistent biodiversity monitoring.