NBA Constitutes Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species to Mitigate Ecological and Economic Threats in India
In March 2026, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), constituted a multi-disciplinary Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023), to address rising ecological and socio-economic threats to biodiversity and food security in India.
In March 2026, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), constituted a multi-disciplinary Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023), to address rising ecological and socio-economic threats to biodiversity and food security in India.
- The decision follows proceedings by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which highlighted the threats posed by invasive alien species to biodiversity, ecosystems, agriculture, food security, and health, and was supported by an advisory from MoEFCC.
About the Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species:
Leadership: Dhananjai Mohan, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Uttarakhand, will serve as Chair, and A. Biju Kumar, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), will serve as Co-Chair.
Tenure: The committee will function for a period of two years.
Mandate: The committee will prepare a consolidated national list of invasive alien species (IAS) based on State Forest Departments (SFDs) inputs, prioritise high-risk species, and recommend science-based strategies for prevention, control, eradication, and ecological restoration.
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