What is the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)?

About National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):

• It is constituted by the Central Government under Section 5A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA). 
• The board was constituted through an amendment of the WLPA in 2022.
• It replaced the Indian Board for Wildlife, which was formed in 1952.
• NBWL is India’s top-level advisory body to the government on matters pertaining to wildlife conservation, particularly within Protected Areas (PAs).
• It is responsible for guiding the government’s decisions on matters related to wildlife conservation and issuing approvals for projects in PAs.
• The WLPA mandates that, without the approval/recommendation of the NBWL, construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the boundariesof PAs, destruction or diversion of wildlife habitat, and de-notification of Tiger Reserves cannot be done.
• Organisation Structure:
  • It is a 47-member committee, headed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change as vice chairperson.
  • In addition to offices and institutions directly involved in conservation and protection of wildlife, the NBWL also has the chief of army staff, defence secretary, expenditure secretary to the Government of India as members.
  • Further, the central government nominates 10 members who are eminent conservationists, ecologists, and environmentalists.
  • The Additional Director General of Forests (WL) & Director, Wildlife Preservation is the Member-Secretary to the Board. 
• Standing Committee of NBWL:
  • It is an independent body under NBWL.
  • It comprises not more than 10 members of the NBWL.
  • The Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change chairs the Standing Committee.
  • The Standing Committee is completely a project clearance body, while NBWL is a policy decision body that advices and takes part in Central Government’s policies related to wildlife protection.

Q1: Is the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) a statutory body?

NBWL is a statutory body constituted by the Central Government under Section 5A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA). 

Source: TOI