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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Tumakuru: Woman who slipped into gorge at waterfall rescued after 12-hour operation
Tumakuru (Karnataka), Oct 28: A young woman, who was trapped in a rocky terrain above a lake near Mandaragiri hills in the district while taking a selfie, survived miraculously on Monday, police said.
The police and firefighters brought her out safely after 12 hours of rescue operation.
Hamsa (19), a B Tech student from Shivarampur village in Gubbi Taluk, had gone on Sunday with her friend from Bengaluru to see the Mandaragiri Hill falls, which has come alive due to torrential rains in the last few days, police said.
"Water is gushing from a 30 feet high precipice and, coursing through the rocky terrain, falls into the Maidala lake," they added. “While taking a selfie at the foothill of Mandaragiri she slipped into the gorge and was trapped between the rocks,” a police officer said.
Seeing her disappearing into the gorge, her friend raised an alarm and shouted for help, police said.
Soon, villagers gathered there and called the police. The police team along with the fire and emergency services personnel reached the spot and, after a 12 hour of exercise, saved Hamsa.
Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok K V told reporters that the police and fire fighters diverted the gushing water by putting sandbags and carried out the rescue operation.
"The whole night she could not be seen. After the water flow stopped, Hamsa was found alive in between the rocks. She was taken to the hospital where she was given first aid. Now she is stable in the hospital,” Ashok said.
The SP said that people have been restricted from going there to avoid any such incident, and appealed to them to be cautious.
A 19-year-old girl who had fallen into a lake while trying to take selfies rescued in #Karnataka's #Tumakuru. She spent a harrowing 12-hour ordeal before rescue personnel granted her a fresh lease of life. pic.twitter.com/JIa29zn8jT
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