New Delhi: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 14.88 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department under its Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to support conservation and sustainable management of red sandalwood.
The amount, generated from benefit-sharing contributions linked to 29 Form-I applications, will be used for conservation, regeneration, research, awareness campaigns and capacity-building programs.
With this release, total ABS disbursement by the NBA has crossed Rs 143 crore. Andhra Pradesh alone has received more than Rs 104 crore for red sandalwood conservation and benefit-sharing, while over Rs 15 crore has been disbursed to states, including Tamil Nadu. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana.
Red sandalwood, endemic to limited pockets of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh, generated benefit-sharing funds from the auction of 1,115 tonnes seized by enforcement agencies.
NBA-supported initiatives have enabled genetic documentation, research, propagation technology development, establishment of a national gene bank, and creation of value-added products, reinforcing India’s leadership in biodiversity conservation and equitable benefit sharing.
