NBA releases ₹39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh for Red Sanders conservation under ABS mechanism
With this release, India’s cumulative ABS payouts have crossed ₹110 crore, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
New Delhi, November 22: The National Biodiversity Authority has released ₹39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh for the protection and long-term conservation of Red Sanders, marking one of India’s largest biodiversity-linked Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) disbursements to date. With this release, India’s cumulative ABS payouts have crossed ₹110 crore, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Of the total amount, ₹38.36 crore has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and ₹1.48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board. The funds come from ₹87.68 crore generated through regulated access and auction of Red Sanders wood by the state forest department, in line with ABS provisions, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Red Sanders, known globally for its rare deep red timber, grows naturally only in specific pockets of the Eastern Ghats across Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts. The NBA said the latest allocation will support frontline protection, scientific forest management, biodiversity-linked livelihoods through local Biodiversity Management Committees, and long-term monitoring of Red Sanders populations.
So far, the NBA has released over ₹49 crore to forest departments in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha, as well as the AP State Biodiversity Board, for Red Sanders conservation and research activities. It has also disbursed ₹3 crore to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹55 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu under ABS benefit-sharing.
The NBA has additionally approved a project to raise one lakh Red Sanders saplings through the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board at a cost of ₹2 crore. With the remaining ₹1.48 crore now released, the saplings will be supplied to farmers as part of the Trees Outside Forests programme to enhance conservation beyond the species’ natural habitat.
Officials said the initiative demonstrates how ABS frameworks can channel conservation-linked financial benefits directly to communities, farmers and biodiversity custodians, strengthening India’s leadership in operationalising global biodiversity commitments.
