Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment
Why in News?
Recently, India has initiated a National Red List Assessment of 1,211 regularly occurring bird species under the framework of the IUCN.
- Launched at – IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
- Part of – India’s National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030.
- Coverage – It encompasses both resident and migratory bird species.
- India’s target – To assess over 11,000 species of flora, fauna, and fungi by 2030.
- Preliminary assessment – As of 19 October 2026, it had been completed for 107 bird species.
- Spearheaded by – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
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Organisation
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Role / relevance
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Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
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Jointly leads the national initiative; botanical expertise
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Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
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Jointly leads the initiative; involved in bird assessments
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IUCN India
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Scientific collaboration
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CSS India–WTI
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IUCN SSC Centre for Species Survival India–Wildlife Trust of India
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State of India’s Birds (SoIB)
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Contributes bird population-trend information using citizen science
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- Parameters – Assessments require data on at least one of three key parameters:
- Geographic range – The spatial distribution and extent of the species’ occurrence.
- Population size – The total number of individuals within the population.
- Population trends – The direction of change in population size, such as increasing, stable, or declining.
- Additional considerations under the IUCN criteria include population reduction, fragmentation, small population size, and quantitative extinction-risk analysis.
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National Red List Assessment of Birds Forum
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- A collaborative platform established to strengthen the scientific basis of conservation status assessments for India’s birds.
- Key Functions
- Brings together ornithologists and conservationists.
- Facilitates sharing of expertise and available evidence.
- Promotes discussion and consensus on assessment parameters.
- Develops estimates for critical conservation indicators.
- Significance
- Helps bridge knowledge and data gaps in bird assessments.
- Enhances the accuracy and reliability of the National Red List Assessment of Birds.
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IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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- Established – 1964.
- Organisation – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Purpose – To assess the global extinction risk of animal, plant and fungal species.
- Significance – It provides scientific information for biodiversity conservation, policy formulation and conservation prioritisation.
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Reference
HT | India’s National Red List Assessment of Birds
