India ranks 176th out of 180 countries in Global Nature Conservation Index
New Delhi: India has ranked 176th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Global Nature Conservation Index (NCI), scoring 45.5 out of 100, placing it among the world’s lowest-ranked nations in terms of environmental conservation. Released on October 24, 2024, the report places India alongside Kiribati (180), Turkey (179), Iraq (178), and Micronesia (177) in the bottom tier of the rankings.
The Nature Conservation Index (NCI) is the first-ever comprehensive report assessing countries’ conservation efforts and sustainable environmental practices. Developed by the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University in collaboration with BioDB.com, the NCI evaluates four core pillars: Land Management, Threats to Biodiversity, Capacity and Governance, and Future Trends. These areas are measured through 25 performance indicators to gauge the effectiveness of each country’s efforts to protect its natural environment.
India’s low rank stems largely from challenges in land management and escalating biodiversity threats. Citing data from the IUCN Red List, the NCI report reveals that 15.9% of marine species and 13.4% of terrestrial species in India face extinction risks. The report highlights a drastic loss of tree cover, with 23,300 square kilometers (8,996 square miles) of forest area lost to deforestation between 2001 and 2019. The index underscores India’s need for stronger regulatory measures to protect biodiversity and calls for enhanced funding, policy implementation, and leadership commitment to conservation.
The report also stresses the need for sustainable fishing practices, noting that 34.5% of fisheries in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are overexploited. Additionally, India ranks 122nd in terms of law and regulation effectiveness for safeguarding natural resources, a ranking impacted by recent policy changes, such as the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023 (FCAA). This act facilitates commercial activities on forested lands and exempts certain infrastructure projects from environmental reviews, raising concerns about regulatory oversight.
India’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI) score has also declined over the past decade, indicating the urgent need for improved environmental policies and practices. The NCI highlights India’s struggles with climate change mitigation, habitat protection, and species conservation. Specific concerns include weak climate change mitigation efforts, limited strategic shifts toward renewable energy, and the absence of effective carbon pricing mechanisms. The report also calls for policies to enhance energy efficiency across industries, buildings, and transport, while maintaining and expanding carbon sinks like forests and wetlands.
The Great Nicobar Island Development Project, which involves substantial infrastructure expansion on a highly sensitive ecological site, is singled out as a significant conservation concern. Environmentalists have raised alarms about potential disruptions to the island’s unique wildlife, which includes 96 wildlife sanctuaries, 9 national parks, and a biosphere reserve.
To improve its conservation efforts, the report recommends India focus on robust conservation legislation, increased investment in its 55 tiger reserves, and the development of compensation programs to incentivize local involvement. It also stresses the importance of managing buffer zones around protected areas and strengthening habitat connectivity.
This ranking is not the first indication of India’s environmental challenges. The country has previously scored low on similar indices, including the 2024 Environmental Performance Index released by Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
