Meghalaya State Biodiversity Board
Biodiversity documentation, PBRs and biological heritage sites.
Meghalaya State Biodiversity Board
Operating under the Forests and Environment Department, Government of Meghalaya, the Meghalaya State Biodiversity Board (MSBB) is a statutory body constituted under Section 22 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (Central Act 18 of 2003). The Board is mandated to regulate access to biological resources, promote equitable benefit sharing, and drive grass-roots ecological preservation across the state's vibrant tropical, subtropical, and alpine ecosystems—which form a core part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) & Village Integration
As per Section 41 of the Biological Diversity Act, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are statutory bodies constituted by local governing bodies (such as village councils, Himas, and local authorities) across rural and urban administrative limits.
Village-Level Governance:
BMCs are established down to the grassroots village level across Meghalaya's districts to document local bio-resources and traditional ecological knowledge.
People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBR):
Each active BMC is tasked with preparing and maintaining a detailed, comprehensive PBR. This acts as an authentic register documenting local flora, fauna, medicinal herbs, and demographic agricultural variations.
Community Stewardship:
Leveraging indigenous frameworks—such as community-protected sacred groves and clan-managed forests—village BMCs ensure localized tracking, protection, and sustainable utilization of regional genetic resources.
Core Mandates & Strategic Objectives
Conservation of Endemic Flora & Fauna:
Safeguarding over 3,000+ plant species, rare orchids, and rich faunal varieties distributed across the state's unique biogeographic niche.
Regulation & Benefit Sharing:
Implementing rules on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) to ensure commercial users of biological resources fairly compensate local indigenous communities.
Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS):
Identifying and notifying ecologically fragile, unique, or culturally significant landscapes as official BHS areas based on direct community and village recommendations.
Portal Directories & Related Links
Official State Biodiversity Board Portal:
Official state repository for biodiversity management committees, ABS guidelines, and state environmental preservation initiatives.
Forest Management System (FMS) Portal:
Integrated technical resource tracking and spatial inventory systems can be accessed via the official state forest department portal.
Statutory Framework Guidelines:
Reference documents, including translations of the Biological Diversity Act and BMC operational guidelines in regional local languages (Khasi and Garo).
Strategic Vision
By empowering village-level BMCs, updating comprehensive People's Biodiversity Registers, and coupling modern transparency with traditional conservation ethics, the MSBB ensures long-term security for Meghalaya's rich green assets.