Investing in Nature to Build Back Better Partners Synthesis Report

The report argues that India's post-pandemic recovery should prioritize 'building back better' by investing in natural capital and nature-based solutions (NbS). It examines the role of public and private finance, the need for a green finance taxonomy, and the importance of integrating biodiversity values into agriculture, infrastructure, and sub-national climate action plans. Key focus areas include land restoration targets, the conservation of wetlands within the Central Asian Flyway, and the mitigation of illegal wildlife trade.

• India has set a target to restore 26 million hectares of degraded lands by 2030, which has the potential to create 4-5 million jobs.
• Land degradation causes a significant economic loss for India, estimated at 2.5% of its annual economic output.
• The 15th Finance Commission increased the weightage of forest cover in the tax devolution formula from 7.5% to 10% for the year 2021, resulting in transfers of approximately USD 11.5 billion (INR 85,518 Crores) to states.
• There is a significant funding gap for biodiversity conservation in India, with an annual requirement of USD 16.5 billion compared to an available USD 10 billion.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is identified as a primary tool for mainstreaming biodiversity and land restoration, particularly through soil and water conservation and plantations.
• India's role in the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is critical, as nearly 71% of the flyway's migratory waterbirds use India as a stopover site.
• Conviction rates for wildlife crimes in India are extremely low, at less than 2.5%, due to factors such as under-resourced forensics and the perception of the crime as a low priority.
• The report suggests that India's economic stimulus package is largely supply-side focused and lacks a 'green' orientation, with only approximately 1.5% of the package directly supporting green projects.
• State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) in India have historically struggled with a lack of robust institutional mechanisms, outcome-based financing, and integration into sectoral planning.
• Linear infrastructure development in India often leads to habitat fragmentation; the report advocates for a 'landscape approach' to identify corridors for animal movement over the next 20 to 30 years.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2021). Investing in Nature to Build Back Better Partners Synthesis Report. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Investing-in-Nature-to-Build-Back-Better.pdf

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Investing in Nature to Build Back Better Partners Synthesis Report. 2021. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Investing-in-Nature-to-Build-Back-Better.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Investing in Nature to Build Back Better Partners Synthesis Report |date=June 2021 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Investing-in-Nature-to-Build-Back-Better.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2021investing, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Investing in Nature to Build Back Better Partners Synthesis Report}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Investing-in-Nature-to-Build-Back-Better.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }