UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27th June 2025
Record IBAT Alliance Investment in Biodiversity Data
Why in News?
- The IBAT Alliance’s record $2.5 million investment in 2024 strengthens global biodiversity conservation by enhancing key datasets like the IUCN Red List, WDPA, and WDKBA.
Introduction
- On June 23, 2025, the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) Alliance announced that its investment in biodiversity data reached an unprecedented level of $2.5 million for the year 2024, marking a significant increase from $1.2 million in 2023.
- This rise in funding is viewed as a critical step towards enhancing global biodiversity knowledge, conservation efforts, and integrating biodiversity data into environmental, corporate, and financial decision-making.
About the IBAT Alliance
The IBAT Alliance is a strategic collaboration among four of the world’s most influential environmental organisations:
- BirdLife International
- Conservation International
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
Together, these organisations manage and provide access to authoritative global biodiversity data to support conservation planning, environmental governance, and corporate sustainability efforts.
Purpose and Utilisation of the Investment
- The record investment will be reinvested into the upkeep, development, and expansion of three of the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative biodiversity datasets.
- These datasets play a central role in environmental monitoring, biodiversity conservation, and risk assessment:
1. World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)
- Maintained by UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with IUCN
- Contains detailed information on the location, designation, and management of protected areas worldwide
- Essential for tracking global conservation progress and supporting national reporting on biodiversity targets and commitments
2. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Often referred to as the “barometer of life”
- Assesses the extinction risk of species across the globe, including animals, fungi, and plants
- Informs conservation priorities and is used by governments, researchers, and businesses alike
3. World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas (WDKBA)
- Identifies sites critical to the persistence of biodiversity
- Supports spatial planning, conservation investment, and site-level management globally
Significance of the Development
Enhancing Scientific Understanding of Nature
The enhanced investment will support regular updates and improvements to biodiversity databases. These updates ensure access to reliable, science-based information which is critical for:
- Assessing species vulnerability
- Monitoring biodiversity trends
- Identifying emerging ecological threats
- Formulating evidence-based conservation strategies
Integration with Business and Financial Decision-Making
According to the IBAT Alliance, the increase in investment reflects a growing interest from the private sector and financial institutions in integrating biodiversity into their decision-making processes:
- By the end of 2024, more than 200 private sector organisations had accessed IBAT data for early environmental risk screening and sustainability goal-setting
- Businesses used the data to align with global biodiversity targets, such as those in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
This demonstrates a growing recognition that biodiversity is not only a conservation concern but also an economic and operational risk factor.
Supporting Environmental Governance and Accountability
IBAT’s datasets enable governments and corporations to meet regulatory and disclosure obligations, such as those outlined under:
- The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
- The emerging Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework
The datasets are instrumental in developing nature-positive strategies, assessing ecological dependencies, and disclosing environmental risks.
Broader Implications
- The growth in biodiversity data investment reflects enhanced global awareness about the urgency of biodiversity loss.
- As biodiversity continues to decline worldwide, access to high-quality, timely, and standardised data becomes indispensable for meeting conservation targets.
- The initiative helps create a more complete and interconnected understanding of nature, enabling more effective on-ground action.
3rd UN conference on landlocked countries
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08th August 2025 Home / 3rd UN conference on landlocked countries Why in News? At the
Issue of soapstone mining in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08th August 2025 Home / Issue of soapstone mining in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar Why in News? Unregulated
Groundwater Pollution in India – A Silent Public Health Emergency
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08th August 2025 Home / Groundwater Pollution in India – A Silent Public Health Emergency Why
Universal banking- need and impact
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08th August 2025 Home / Universal banking- need and impact Why in News? The Reserve Bank
India’s “Goldilocks” Economy: A Critical Appraisal
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08th August 2025 Home / India’s “Goldilocks” Economy: A Critical Appraisal Why in News? The Finance
U.S.-India Trade Dispute: Trump’s 50% Tariffs and India’s Oil Imports from Russia
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 07th August 2025 Home / U.S.-India Trade Dispute: Trump’s 50% Tariffs and India’s Oil Imports from
Eco-Friendly Solution to Teak Pest Crisis: KFRI’s HpNPV Technology
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 07th August 2025 Home / Eco-Friendly Solution to Teak Pest Crisis: KFRI’s HpNPV Technology Why in
New Species of Non-Venomous Rain Snake Discovered in Mizoram
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 07th August 2025 Home / New Species of Non-Venomous Rain Snake Discovered in Mizoram Why in
Economic Implications
For Indian Exporters
- These reforms reduce transaction costs and compliance hurdles
- Encourage a more competitive and efficient export environment
- Promote value addition in key sectors like leather
For Tamil Nadu
- The reforms particularly benefit the state’s leather industry, a major contributor to employment and exports
- Boost the marketability of GI-tagged E.I. leather, enhancing rural and traditional industries
For Trade Policy
- These decisions indicate a shift from regulatory controls to policy facilitation
Reinforce the goals of Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and India’s ambition to become a leading export power
Recently, BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, claimed that India has overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, citing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
India’s rank as the world’s largest economy varies by measure—nominal GDP or purchasing power parity (PPP)—each with key implications for economic analysis.
