Major Policy Drive by NBA to Streamline ABS Fund Utilisation; Guidelines for Designated Repositories Revised

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), in its 77th meeting held on 23rd March 2026 in Chennai, approved a series of measures to strengthen the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, including streamlined procedures for utilisation of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds and revised guidelines for designated repositories.

The Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) amount realised by the NBA must be channelled back to identified beneficiaries in accordance with Section 27 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Where beneficiaries cannot be identified, these funds are to be utilised for the socio-economic development of areas where the biological resources originate.

To ensure effective utilisation of ABS funds in cases involving unidentified beneficiaries, the NBA, with the support of an Expert Committee, developed detailed modalities for deploying funds generated through access to bioresources via traders, markets, repositories and institutions. These modalities have since been approved by the Authority, particularly for cases where tracing the original source of the biological resources is not feasible.

Under the approved framework, sharing of ABS funds has been rationalised with clearly defined percentages to ensure transparency, equity and consistency. Where biological resources are accessed from institutions or repositories and the source of origin is identifiable, 25-40% of the ABS amount will be allocated to the concerned institutions or repositories in recognition of their role in conservation, documentation and value addition. The remaining 60-75% will be distributed to local communities or beneficiaries through the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs).

The framework incorporates flexibility to adjust these proportions based on factors such as the extent of value addition by institutions, clarity of source of origin and specific conservation requirements. In cases where adequate information is not available, a standard sharing formula of 30% to institutions and 70% to the NBA has been prescribed. The latter will be shared with SBBs and UTBCs for activities relating to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and management, in accordance with Section 32 of the Act.

In cases where biological resources are accessed from traders or intermediaries and are widely distributed across the country, or where their origin cannot be ascertained, ABS funds will be utilised in accordance with Section 27 of the Act for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and management. Where the origin can be ascertained to specific states based on available data, the funds will be distributed to the concerned SBBs or UTBCs for utilisation as per the provisions of the Act.

Guidelines for designated repositories issued by the NBA earlier were reviewed and revised with the support of an expert committee to meet the present needs. The Authority considered and approved the revised guidelines for designated repositories under the BD Act. The revised guidelines seek to strengthen the framework for the safe custody and management of voucher specimens of biological resources accessed under the BD Act. It emphasises robust documentation practices, maintenance of provenance records and adherence to standard operating procedures.

The guidelines further promote the digitisation of voucher specimens to enhance accessibility for identification and verification, while ensuring that restrictions on the physical transfer of biological materials are maintained in accordance with statutory provisions. This is expected to improve traceability, scientific integrity and regulatory compliance.

These measures mark a significant step towards enhancing transparency, accountability and efficiency in the implementation of the ABS framework, while ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of biological resources.