The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) organised the 16th National Meet of State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) in Chandigarh on 6–7 September 2026. The meeting brings together Chairpersons and Member Secretaries of SBBs and UTBCs to strengthen biodiversity governance and focus implementation on local-level institutions.
What happened in the 16th National Meet (6–7 September 2026)
The inaugural session in Chandigarh was presided over by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Union Territory Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria; Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav; and Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife, Government of Haryana, Shri Rao Narbir Singh.
The event set a common agenda around biodiversity governance institutions, the amended biodiversity legal framework, and implementation at grassroots level through committee and register-based planning for conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
Key messages from speakers (governance, grassroots institutions, and ABS)
Shri Gulab Chand Kataria emphasised India’s biological heritage and the link between ecological security and food security, water security, livelihoods, and sustainable development. He urged integrating traditional knowledge and community participation with contemporary approaches, with stress on stronger Biodiversity Management Committees and People’s Biodiversity Registers and better coordination among biodiversity institutions and local communities.