India unveiled its National Red List Roadmap

India unveiled its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, marking a key step in developing a comprehensive national framework for species assessment and conservation.

• The roadmap will guide India’s conservation strategy till 2030, with the goal of publishing National Red Data Books for both flora and fauna by the end of the decade.

Objectives and Significance

• The National Red List will serve as a cornerstone for future environmental and ecological programmes.
• It aligns with IUCN’s global standards for evaluating the extinction risk of species.
• Supports India’s commitments under:
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

India’s Biodiversity Profile

• India is among the world’s 17 megadiverse countries.
• Home to 4 of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots:
  1. The Himalayas
  2. The Western Ghats
  3. Indo-Burma
  4. Sundaland
• Occupying just 2.4% of global land area, India harbours:
  • Nearly 8% of global flora
  • Around 7.5% of global fauna
  • Over 104,000 faunal species, 18,000 flowering plants, and 20,000 marine species
• Notably, 28% of plants and 30% of animals in India are endemic.

Legal and Policy Framework

• India’s strong conservation framework is anchored in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 2022 to extend protection to species listed under CITES appendices.
• The new Red List initiative complements this by providing scientific assessments to guide policy, management, and restoration efforts.

Global Context

• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species remains the global benchmark for measuring species’ extinction risks.
• India’s National Red List will mirror this model, helping integrate national data with global conservation priorities.