Nature Conservation Index

29.10.2024

Nature Conservation Index

Why in the news?                        

India with an abysmal score of 45.5 (out of 100) has been ranked 176th in the Global Nature Conservation Index, 2024.

About Nature Conservation Index:

• It is developed by Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
• The NCI is a data-driven analysis assessing each country's progress in balancing conservation and development.
• It is aimed at helping governments, researchers, and organizations identify concerns and enhance conservation policies for long-term biodiversity protection.
• This is the first-ever edition of the index which ranks countries based on their efforts vis-à-vis four pillars:

○Managing protected areas, addressing threats against biodiversity, nature and conservation governance, and future trends in a country’s natural resource management.

Highlights of the index:

• India’s rank at the bottom is mainly attributed to inefficient land management and rising threats to its biodiversity. 
• The assessment highlighted multiple threats to India’s biodiversity, including habitat loss and fragmentation caused by agriculture, urbanization and infrastructural development, with climate change posing an additional risk.
• The top-ranking countries were Luxembourg, Estonia, and Denmark, with others including Zimbabwe and Costa Rica finding their way into the top 10.

                                                        Source: Indian Express

Consider the following statements regarding the Nature Conservation Index:

Statement-I:It is a data-driven analysis assessing each country's progress in balancing conservation and development.

Statement-II:It was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer C