Conservation priorities for Indian biodiversity: spatiotemporal patterns, policy efficacy, and future outlook

As one of the world's mega-biodiverse regions, the Indian subcontinent harbors exceptional biological riches spanning diverse taxa and ecosystems. However, rapid economic growth and associated anthropogenic pressures pose ever-increasing threats to native biota through habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, climate change, and pollution. This paper analyzes India's changing biodiversity landscape, evaluates the efficacy of conservation policies, and charts strategic priorities for the future. Spatiotemporal trends for 3563 species across terrestrial, fresh water and marine realms were assessed using IUCN Red List data. We find that birds and mammals show modest improvements recently owing to legal protections and habitat recovery initiatives. However, other less-charismatic taxa exhibit alarming population declines nationwide. Our policy analysis highlights critical gaps in implementation frameworks involving multi-sector coordination, capacity building, benefit sharing, and participatory decision-making. To arrest biodiversity erosion and achieve stated policy targets by 2030, we propose an integrated, evidence-driven strategy prioritizing invasives control, agro-ecological transitions, pollution abatement, ecological connectivity via green-gray infrastructure, and community-based adaptation. Mindful of inherent socio-ecological complexities, our recommendations provide a framework for targeted conservation investments attuned to India's development aspirations.