On 22 May 2026 India observed the International Day for Biological Diversity under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity global theme Acting Locally for Global Impact. The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) marked the day by releasing a new publication titled Community-Led Biodiversity Restoration in Coastal India Local Actions Creating Global Impact through the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme India Operational Phase-7 (GEF-SGP India OP7), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and curated technically by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Council for Social Development. The publication documents eight community-led restoration initiatives spread across coastal Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra covering mangrove regeneration in Pichavaram and Sundarbans-style estuaries, sea-grass revival in the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, fisher-women self-help groups conserving native rice and millet land-races, and traditional Olive Ridley turtle nesting protection. The dossier highlights how grassroots women-led action complements the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 of protecting 30 per cent of land and oceans by 2030. India simultaneously continues implementation of its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and its Seventh National Report to the CBD released earlier in May. The day also saw biodiversity outreach events at Forest Survey of India institutions and the National Biodiversity Authority headquarters in Chennai with a focus on local biodiversity management committees, Access and Benefit Sharing rules and the People’s Biodiversity Register database that has crossed 2.96 lakh village-level registers.