The Kerala State Biodiversity Board

Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB)

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) is an autonomous body under the Kerala State Environment Department, headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. KSBB was established under Section 22(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and is governed by the Biodiversity Act, Rules, 2004, and the Kerala State Biological Diversity Rules, 2008.

By 2024, the board's activities had been streamlined following the revisions of the Biodiversity (Amendment) Act 2023. Kerala Biodiversity Board adopts a 'people- panchayath-policy maker'-based comprehensive approach to a set of high-priority action areas to achieve the triple objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The actions are through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to drive collective action for biodiversity mainstreaming in food and agriculture production, livelihood development, and climate-resilience-building activities in the state.

Objectives and Functions of the Board

KSBB's primary objective is to assist the government and people of Kerala in the sustainable and inclusive management of biodiversity in partnership with Local Self-Governments and Biodiversity Management Committees and ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. The following are the key functions of the Board:

The following are the key functions of the Board:

(a) Advising the State Government and the Local Self Governments on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the utilisation of biological resources or associated traditional knowledge thereto, by regulations issued by the Central Government or the National Biodiversity Authority through the Biodiversity Act and any such guidelines as deemed necessary for the effective management of biodiversity; (b) Regulating activities referred to in Section 7 of the Biological Diversity Act (Amendment) 2023 by granting or rejecting approvals to access the biodiversity and associated Traditional Knowledge confined to the boundaries of the state; (b) Determining fair and equitable benefit-sharing as outlined by the National Biodiversity Authority's regulations under Section 7 when granting approvals for access to biodiversity. (c) Capacity and Capability development of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local biodiversity management including mainstreaming biodiversity principles and practices in local development and preparation and practical application of the People's Biodiversity Registers, which are the primary document of people's knowledge about the local biodiversity.

History of the Board

India was among the early adopters of a legal framework at both national and sub-national levels to implement the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2002, the Indian Parliament enacted the Biological Diversity Act, which came into effect in 2004 through the Biodiversity Rules. The following year, Kerala established its State Biodiversity Board and initiated the creation of Biodiversity Management Committees at the local self- government level.

Based on the approval by the then Chief Minister of Kerala on 25 January 2005, the notification constituting the Board was made in February 2005 [GO (Ms) No. 1/2005/STED dated 28.2.2005] and published in the gazette on 01 June 2005. Initially, the KSBB was not fully functional and operated under the Science, Technology, and Environment Department (STED)/Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment (KSCSTE). In February 2006, with the creation of the new Environment Department in Kerala [vide order GO (Ms) No. 10/2006/GAD dated 6.1.2006], the KSBB was transferred to this department [vide order GO (Ms) No. 64/2006/GAD dated 16.2.2006].

The State Biodiversity Rules were subsequently formulated in 2008. In February 2006, following the creation of the new Environment Department in Kerala [vide order GO (Ms) No. 10/2006/GAD dated 6.1.2006], the KSBB was transferred to the Environment Department [vide order GO (Ms) No. 64/2006/GAD dated 16.2.2006]. The State Biodiversity Rules were subsequently formulated in 2008.

Since 2008, the Board has been active in all the local bodies of Kerala in implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefits Sharing. As of April 2024, the Board has established BMCs in all the 1,200 local bodies (941 Gram Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 14 District Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, and 6 Corporations). These BMCs serve as platforms for involving local communities, including tribal and marginalized groups, in biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of resources. They are tasked with preparing People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRS), a mandatory requirement under the Biodiversity Act, which documents local biodiversity resources, traditional knowledge, and conservation practices. Kerala has taken the lead in preparing PBRs across most of its local bodies (1080).

Operations of the Board

The State Biodiversity Board works closely with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), the statutory autonomous body that advises the Government of India to implement the Biodiversity Act. At the national level, the NBA is authorized by the Central Government to monitor and regulate the access and utilization of biological resources from foreign countries, ensuring India meets its international obligations.

As the counterpart of the NBA, at the state level, KSBB has actively encouraged the State Government to develop effective strategies, plans, and programs aimed at the conservation, promotion, and sustainable use of biological diversity. These efforts include measures to identify and monitor areas rich in biological resources, as well as promoting both in situ and ex-situ conservation of biological resources, including cultivars, folk varieties, and landraces. Additionally, KSBB supports incentives for research, training, and public education across the state to raise awareness about biodiversity, all in alignment with national strategies and plans.

The Board also facilitates the State Government to take steps to integrate biodiversity conservation, promotion, and sustainable use into relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral policies and programs. In collaboration, with the NBA, the state Environment Department, and the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment, the State Biodiversity Boards have developed a Charter for the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of knowledge and information related to biological resources. This knowledge base is generated for the benefit of the public, furthering biodiversity awareness and engagement.

In June 2025, the Board enters its 20th year of services in the state, and looking forward to assuming a renewed effort to establish coordinated action among the concerned state and central government departments, institutions, and key stakeholders for the implementation of the NBSAP and achieve the 2030 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM- GBF) Targets.

Mainstreaming and Implementation team

The Board is led by a Chairperson and a Member Secretary, supported by a high-power team of 12 members. Of these, seven are ex officio members appointed by the State Government, representing forest, environment, agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry departments, including Panchayati Raj and Tribal Affairs. The remaining five are non-official members, selected from experts in fields, such as law and science, with specialised knowledge and experience in biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of such resources.

The Chairman and Member Secretaries are ably assisted and supported by an implementation team of qualified professionals at HQ and district level..

A State-level Steering Committee, comprising senior secretary-level decision-makers from 11 key apex departments and institutions (Order 60/2018/Env) advises and oversees the actions of the Board towards convergence among all line departments for biodiversity mainstreaming. Additionally, a Virtual Biodiversity Cadre, including officials from 21-line departments and institutions and District Biodiversity Coordination Committees (DBCC) at the district level, has also been in place.

Vision and Mission of the Board

Vision

A State where biodiversity is valued, studied, protected, enhanced, and wisely used, sustaining healthy and resilient ecosystem services, and delivering benefits essential for the well-being of all living beings of Kerala.

Mission

To provide necessary tools and strategic solutions for mainstreaming biodiversity principles and practices and implementing the 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in the state, by ensuring reduced and reversed threats to the state's biodiversity and ecosystem services, recovery and restoration of the endangered life forms and ecosystems, and sustainable and responsible use of the bioresources, securing the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from such uses.

Leadership Team

Chairman

Nadesa Panicker Anil Kumar

Dr. N. Anil Kumar is a renowned Indian botanist with over three decades of expertise in biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and equitable benefit-sharing. His career spanning 30 years was largely spent with the iconic agricultural scientist Prof. M. S. Swaminathan in Chennai and Wayanad district of Kerala. Dr. Kumar's contributions to science are varying from describing several new species of angiosperms and conserving ex-situ a large number of rare, endemic and threatened tree species. In addition to his scientific work, Dr Anil Kumar has made significant contributions to policies related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in India, having served on various national and international advisory committees, including India's Secure and Sustainable Agriculture policy. As a leader in community biodiversity management, he served on the Steering Committee of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), helping promote sustainable socio-ecological landscapes worldwide.

Member Secretary

Dr. V Balakrishnan

Dr. V. Balakrishnan is a distinguished police officer and the current Member Secretary of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB). He began his research career at the Community Agrobiodiversity Centre of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), where he made significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and policy formulation, focusing on the sustainable utilization and equitable sharing of biological resources, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Dr. Balakrishnan was awarded a Ph.D. from Madras University in 2010 for his pioneering work on the "Genetic Diversity of Wild Edible Yams of the Southern Western Ghats," under the mentorship of the renowned agricultural scientist and father of the Indian Green Revolution, Bharath Ratna Professor Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. A prolific researcher, Dr. Balakrishnan has published numerous papers in national and international journals, contributing extensively to the fields of agrobiodiversity, environmental law, and policy research. In recognition of his substantial contributions to biodiversity conservation, scientists named a rare species of plant Tylophora balakrishnanii in his honor. Throughout his career, Dr. Balakrishnan has been instrumental in establishing Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) and People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) across all local self-governments in Kerala, strengthening the state's efforts in community-based biodiversity conservation. His recent work includes books on traditional seed diversity, rare and endangered species of the Western Ghats, and environmental laws. Dr. Balakrishnan also played a pivotal role in the "Rebuild Kerala Initiative," leading projects on the rejuvenation of the Pamba River, the promotion of tradable bioresources of Kerala, conservation of rare and endangered species (RET species), and the enhancement of agrobiodiversity through custodian farmers. As a conservation researcher and policy advocate, he continues to focus on environmental law, agrobiodiversity conservation, and sustainable policy research.

List of Board Members

1) Dr.Nadesapaicker Anil Kumar – Chairman

2) Secretary/Principal Secretary/Additional Chief Secretary, Environment Department

3) Secretary/Principal Secretary/Additional Chief Secretary, Fisheries Department

4) Secretary/Principal Secretary/Additional Chief Secretary, Forest & Wildlife Department

5) Agriculture Production Commissioner, Agriculture Department

6) Executive Vice President, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment

7) Dr. R.V Varma, Former Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI)

8) Pro.(Dr.)S.D Biju, Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi University

9) Dr. A.V Santhoshkumar,Professor & Head, Forest Biology & Kerala Agricultural University , Vellanikkara, Thrissur

10) Dr. Minimol J.S, Professor & Head (Plant Breeding & Genetics), Cocoa Research Centre, Kerala Agricultural University P.O, Vellanikkara, Thrissur

11) Sri. Pramod G Krishnan IFS, Forest Department

External links

• Official Website [1]