Mainstreaming ABS into NBSAPs is most effective when positioned as both a conservation tool and an economic opportunity. Workshop discussions showed that broader stakeholder involvement is essential: it goes beyond ministries for environment or conservation and includes sectors such as trade, agriculture, health, finance, research, and users such as the private sector and research institutions. 

Synergies with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture can strengthen coherence and align benefit-sharing across instruments. Early stakeholder mapping involving local authorities, IPLCs, NGOs, and businesses builds ownership and helps address monitoring and data gaps. 

Valorisation strategies, industry-wide agreements, and Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approaches ensure ABS is embedded in business models, policy frameworks, and community initiatives, creating sustainable value chains and fostering long-term ABS integration.

Digital MRV (Measurement–Reporting–Verification) System

Enabling Conditions:

• Reliable internet and cloud infrastructure for data transfer and storage.
• Access to drones, satellite imagery, and AI/remote sensing expertise.
• Technical capacity for system calibration and algorithm training.
• Open collaboration with local authorities for field data validation.

2. Blockchain-Verified Tree Registry & Certificates

Enabling Conditions:

• A functioning blockchain environment and smart contract platform.
• Partnerships with IT developers and registry operators.
• Clear project metadata (species, GPS coordinates, planting date).
• Stakeholder willingness to adopt digital certification instead of traditional paperwork.

3. Youth Volunteer Engagement Model

Enabling Conditions:

• Strong partnerships with schools, universities, and youth NGOs.
• Training and safety guidelines for fieldwork.
• Incentive structures (certificates, recognition, or small stipends).
• Community support to integrate youth efforts into broader reforestation projects.

4. Corporate Partnership & CSR Integration

Enabling Conditions:

• Corporate buy-in and alignment with ESG/SDG reporting frameworks.
• Transparent communication of impact metrics (e.g., survival rates, CO₂ captured).
• Marketing/branding benefits clearly outlined for partners.
• Legal agreements covering co-branding, funding flows, and monitoring obligations.

5. Three-Year Maintenance & Survival Guarantee

Enabling Conditions:

• Upfront financing that includes maintenance costs, not just planting.
• Reliable local partners to execute watering, fencing, and replanting.
• Monitoring protocols (app reports, drone flights, survival surveys).
• Community involvement to reduce risks of neglect or damage.

6. Community Education & Reward System

Enabling Conditions:

• Collaboration with local authorities and utilities to provide rewards (discounts, recognition).
• Simple, accessible communication materials (visuals, local language).
• Mechanisms for households to record participation (e.g., app, QR codes).
• Ongoing awareness campaigns to maintain motivation.

•  Offering full-time roles to women increases retention and improves product quality through consistent staffing.
• Some families were initially hesitant about women working full-time awareness and dialogue helped gain acceptance. 
• Advice: Involve family or community members early in the employment process and provide orientation sessions on workplace safety and flexibility.

Team work is important. Mapping and prioritisation of biodiversity can only effectively and efficiently happen when people, organisations work together.

1. Timely and meaningful engagement of relevant stakeholders is key in developing and implementing solutions
2. Partnerships, collaborations and regional projects provide opportunities for cross-border conservation initiatives

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the approach presented in this guide lies in the intuitive understanding and wide range of information that can be conveyed in a few maps. Maps give geographic meaning to a biodiversity assessment, and provide focus areas that can be prioritised in the real world. They are able to communicate important messages about pressures on the natural environment and conservation imperatives to a range of relevant stakeholders

Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) to create advanced conservation strategies. AI can analyse vast datasets on ecological patterns, climate change impacts, and biodiversity trends, while TKS provides invaluable localized, nuanced understanding of ecosystems and sustainable resource management. This synergy can lead to more precise conservation interventions and predictive models.

Areas of Focus: Continue to lead international webinars and symposiums on critical environmental topics such as "Rights of Nature in the Anthropocene" and "Science and Environmental Law Interface." Dedication to advocating for environmental causes at international conferences and universities, fostering regional and global collaboration, is paramount.

In conclusion, by strategically intertwining environmental law and policy with the profound wisdom embedded in cultural practices and Traditional Knowledge Systems, and by judiciously integrating advanced technologies like drones for reforestation and AI for enhanced analysis, a more sustainable and equitable path to biodiversity conservation can be forged. This framework, passionately designed offers a powerful means to engage communities, influence policy, and ultimately secure a healthy planet for all future generations.

For Example:

• Nature Worship: It is observed that nature worship is a fundamental part of human society, with divinity ascribed to various natural elements. This community-based practice is increasingly vital for effective nature and natural resource conservation.
• Symbolism of Deities and Vahanas: The portrayal of Hindu deities with animal or bird "vahanas" (vehicles)—such as Ganesha with his rat (Mooshika), Shiva with the bull (Nandi), Durga with the lion or tiger, and Vishnu with Garuda—instills deep respect and protection for these animals. This cultural veneration fosters a natural inclination towards animal welfare and conservation.
• Festival Connections: Many Hindu festivals incorporate elements that inherently promote environmental consciousness, ranging from the ceremonial use of specific plants to rituals honouring natural elements. Highlighting these connections strengthens the cultural impetus for conservation.

For Example:

• Sacred Plants: The immense cultural and religious significance of plants worshipped since the Vedic era is highlighted. The "Panchvati" – the combination of Banyan, Peepal, Fig, Bilva, and Amla trees – described in "The Ramayana," symbolizes health, medicinal value, and enhanced cognitive well-being. Other sacred trees such as Ashoka, Bael, Bamboo, Banana, Bhang, Coconut, Lotus, Mango, Neem, Red Sandalwood, and Tulsi are associated with deities and hold significant medicinal value, showcasing their multifaceted importance.
• Deity Associations: It is emphasized how specific native plants are linked to various Hindu gods, goddesses, and planets, such as Tulsi with Vishnu and Krishna, Bilva with Shiva, and Lotus with Lakshmi and Saraswati. By promoting the planting and nurturing of these species through the lens of spiritual devotion, significant contributions to biodiversity can be made, complemented by technological solutions for wider reach.

Prophet/Holy Men Associations: Trees like the Banyan, Sala, Peepal, and Ber, which are revered due to their association with prophets and holy figures across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, are highlighted. Work in this area includes supporting the establishment and protection of groves featuring these trees, reinforcing both cultural heritage and biodiversity

By strategically intertwining environmental law and policy with the profound wisdom embedded in cultural practices and Traditional Knowledge Systems,a more sustainable and equitable path to biodiversity conservation can be forged.