The R&D Scheme for Conservation and Development is an important Decision Support System for Policy and Planning of the Ministry’s programmers and activities incorporating the key objectives for addressing environmental problems and measures for conservation and protection of environment by building indigenous capacities and strengthen manpower in multi-disciplinary aspects and new and emerging areas of environment and ecology, generating information for taking policy decisions, preparedness and basis for international negotiations, supporting basic and applied research in environment, ecology and related fields, and to facilitate database management on Research projects undertaken under the Scheme on relevant thematic areas of the Ministry.

 The SFC Document has been prepared for R&D for Conservation & Development after rationalisation of the Scheme dropping certain sub-scheme components such as Bio-safety (shifted under Conservation and Survey), Assistance to Botanical Gardens (shifted under Conservation & Survey), Taxonomy Capacity Building (TCB) also known as “All India Coordinated Project on Taxonomy” (AICOPTAX) (shifted under Botanical and Zoological Survey of India under Conservation & Survey) and merging National Natural Resource Management System (NNRMS) with R&D Scheme. The thematic area “Use of Remote sensing and geospatial technologies for inventory, assessment and management of natural resources” of NNRMS has been included as one of the thematic areas of R&D Scheme.

The R&D Scheme will support and fund R&D projects in important thematic areas such as bio-diversity conservation (including Alien and invasive species, Human-wildlife Interface), Ecosystems Conservation & Management (Mountain, Forest, Coastal, Wetlands, Pastoral, etc) and Evaluation of Ecosystem Services, Socio-economic issues of environment, Conservation and Management of Landscapes and Ecologically sensitive areas including issues of sustainable livelihoods, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, Natural Resource Management using remote sensing data, Climate Change: Vulnerability & Risk Assessment, Process, Mitigation and Adaptation, Management of wastes, Environmental health, Use of remote sensing and geospatial technologies for inventory, assessment and management of natural resources etc.

 The research projects will enable the Ministry to build database for finding practical solutions to problems of environmental protection and management and to generate information and knowledge from outcome of R&D projects used for developing policies, strategies, action plans and in better management and conservation of natural resources.

 The total outlay for FYs 2017-2020 for the Scheme on R&D for Conservation & Development is Rs 32.50 crores.