The Report says that India is one of the 12 mega-diversity countries in the world. Around one lakh twenty-seven thousand species of micro-organisms, plants and animals have been identified so far.

Environmental protection and conservation of natural resources emerged as one of the key national priorities in the country, in the wake of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. At the conference, the Prime Minister of India forcefully stated that "the environment cannot be improved in conditions of poverty. Unless we are in a position to provide employment and purchasing power for the daily necessities of the tribal people and those who live in and around our jungles, we cannot prevent them from combing the forests for food and livelihood; from poaching and from despoiling the vegetation."

Between the Stockholm Conference and the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992, India developed an organizational structure and a legal policy framework for the protection of the environment and wildlife in the country, keeping in mind the need to simultaneously address the issues of poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation.

Some of the organizational structure and legal policy framework developed are:-

Establishment of the Department of Environment in 1980. This was upgraded to the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) in 1985. Till 1980 the subjects of environment and forests were the concern of the Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture respectively.

The National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development was brought out by MoEF. The Statement laid down guidelines for integrating environmental considerations into India’s process of development.

As a follow-up to UNCED 1992 and Agenda 21, MoEF launched the Environment Action Program in 1993. The program aims at improving the environmental services in India and facilitating integration of environmental considerations in developmental programs across different sectors.

India became a party to the CBD in 1994. The MoEF has been designated as the nodal Ministry for CBD in the country.

Various systems and approaches for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity have been evolved by the Government, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), institutions and local communities.

The document "Conservation of Biological Diversity in India: An Approach" was brought out by MoEF in 1994. It aims to disseminate useful information on the subject and share India’s experience with the international community.

After becoming a party to the CBD wide-ranging consultations were held with sectoral Ministries and Departments, State Governments, NGOs, experts, technical institutions and other stakeholders to delineate policies and programs for further action. The result has been a framework National Policy and Action Strategy on Biological Diversity. This is being further consolidated for finalization. A UNDP/GEF assisted project to consolidate and detail the policy is visualized.

According to the Coastal Zone Regulation Notification of 1991, coastal zone management plans have been prepared by all coastal states and Union Territories.

In situ conservation through a system of Protected Areas (PAs), covering a total area of 1,46,000 sq. kms. has been established. The total area covered by PAs has been increased since 1993.