India has an estimated 1,212 bird species, 446 amphibian species, 2,601 fish species, 440 mammal species, and over 45,000 vascular plant species
By Matthew H. Nash
Biodiversity, the wide range of plant and animal species that all exist together in nature, is crucial to the health and survival of the planet. The research team at The Swiftest recently surveyed 200 countries to determine the most and least biodiverse countries in the world to create the Global Biodiversity Index. India ranks as the 8th most biodiverse overall.
The top 25 most biodiverse countries are:
- Brazil
- Indonesia
- Colombia
- China
- Mexico
- Australia
- Peru
- India
- Ecuador
- United States
- Venezuela
- Papua New Guinea
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
- Malaysia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tanzania
- Bolivia
- South Africa
- Thailand
- Argentina
- Philippines
- Kenya
- Cameroon
- Panama
Brazil, the most biodiverse country in the world, has a staggering estimated 43,622 plant and wildlife species and is ranked highest in the Global Biodiversity Index. For context, Indonesia, the second most biodiverse country, only has approximately 27,662 plant and wildlife species. However, quite surprisingly, India has more than both of them, with the distinction of having the most plant and animal species overall at 50,414 total species (of which 45,000 are vascular plants). Many of these plant species are unique to India and carry important medicinal, culinary, and spiritual significance.
How India ranks compared to the rest of the world
So, why was India ranked 8th if it has the most species? Wouldn’t the country with the most species be considered the leader in biodiversity? Well, not quite. The methodology used by The Swiftest ranked countries based on their number of bird, amphibian, fish, mammal, reptile, and plant species on an individual basis. India was by far the winner with the most number of plants but in many other categories it wasn’t #1.
What kind of biodiversity does India have? According to the study, India has an estimated 1,212 bird species, 446 amphibian species, 2,601 fish species, 440 mammal species, and over 45,000 vascular plant species.
Many of these plant and animal species are considered “endemic,” meaning they come from or exist only within India. There are assumed to be many undocumented species within India waiting to be discovered and studied. It is also worth noting that India has approximately 132 endangered, critically endangered, and vulnerable species, including the red panda, the Indian elephant, and the Bengal tiger.
The sheer staggering amount of diversity in India can be attributed in part to its impressive size. At 3,287,263 square kilometers, India is the seventh largest country in the world. But to add to this, India’s geography is uniquely suited for myriad species to thrive and flourish, including tropic rainforests, deserts, mountains, grasslands, and more.
India’s megadiverse classification
India is considered a “megadiverse” country, meaning it is considered to be one of the most varied and ecologically dynamic countries in the world. Only 17 countries share this distinction, according to Conservation International: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, the United States, and Venezuela.
About 20 years ago, in 2002, Mexico created an additional coalition of megadiverse countries called the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries. The goal was to address ongoing issues around biodiversity and sustainability issues. All but three megadiverse countries joined, including India. The only countries to abstain from joining were Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States.
How India’s neighboring countries ranked
India is quite more biodiverse than its neighboring countries, according to the study. Pakistan, for example, ranked 50th, Nepal ranked 52nd, Sri Lanka ranked 57th, Bangladesh ranked 63rd, Bhutan ranked 78th, and Afghanistan ranked 95th. Much of these lower rankings are due in part to the neighboring country’s much smaller size, arid and desert terrain, and mountainous landscapes.
One of India’s neighboring countries, China, did do very well in the biodiversity rankings. China ranked fourth most biodiverse country in the world, thanks partly to its enormous size and huge variety of ecosystems. There are an estimated 37,839 plant and animal species within China, and like India, there are many more species waiting to be discovered hidden within the country’s borders.
The least biodiverse countries in the world
So, who ranked lowest? Countries with the lowest biodiversity are, unsurprisingly, the smallest countries and often those closest to the equator. The ten least biodiverse countries in the world are:
- San Marino
- Nauru
- Tuvalu
- Sint Maarten (Dutch)
- Monaco
- Iceland
- Kiribati
- Andorra
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Macao
- Luxembourg
- Liechtenstein
- Cabo Verde
- Bermuda
- Malta
- Comoros
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Grenada
- West Bank and Gaza
- Bahrain
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Barbados
- Marshall Islands
San Marino, the world’s least biodiverse country, only has an estimated 758 species or only 1.37% of the diversity of India. This is due in part to its small size (64 square kilometers) as well as the fact that it is entirely landlocked, with zero recorded fish species in the whole country.
As you can see from perusing the list of least biodiverse countries in the world, the majority of them are islands or microstates. In fact, 17 of the 25 least biodiverse countries are classified as micronations, all with a relatively tiny population and land area.
Why biodiversity matters to India
Biological and ecological diversity is important for many reasons. It makes a country varied and interesting, increases tourism, as well as protects and feeds the population. Many tourists each year are drawn to India’s fascinating and unique animals and beautiful nature.
Biodiversity is essential to a healthy planet and population. It helps prevent disease, keeps water clean, and provides food and materials for medicines and shelter. In India alone, 57% of rural people rely on thriving and biodiverse forests for their livelihood. India is additionally considered one of the world’s 36 “biodiversity hotspots.” A biodiversity hotspot is a region considered to be extremely diverse but also extremely threatened.
Biodiversity is under threat from the climate crisis
The phenomenal diversity of India does not make it immune to the effects of climate change. In fact, climate change is hitting India hard, with increasing heat and natural disasters like floods, droughts, and landslides. This is not projected to get better any time soon and without major intervention, as India continues to experience higher temperatures and more frequent weather events and natural disasters. In May of 2022, parts of the country reached 51 degrees Celcius, which is expected to become a regular and recurring part of summer as the climate crisis continues.
In a 2015 research study titled Global Climate Risk Index 2017, India was ranked the country fourth most affected by climate change, only following Mozambique, Dominica, and Malawi as the most affected countries. India at the time had experienced an estimated 4,317 deaths and over $40 million to climate change-induced extreme weather. A 2019 study projects that 1.5 million Indians will die each year due to climate-induced heat waves by 2100 and a 2022 study predicts that Mumbai and Kolkata will both be underwater by 2100 due to rising sea levels.
India is taking some steps to mitigate the problem, like signing the Paris Climate Accord and increasing investments in renewable energy, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. India has also been increasing its wind power production thanks to a significant increase in wind power turbines over the last decade. India is the fourth largest producer of wind power in the world.
Is India doing enough to prevent the serious effects of climate change?
Many Indian citizens feel like there isn’t enough being done to mitigate the climate crisis, however, as jobs and lives are threatened by the impact of climate change to India’s natural resources. This feeling of unease is fueled in part the recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This report predicts that 40% of India will experience water scarcity in less than 30 years while simultaneously experiencing severe flooding and drought. Like in most places around the world, India’s poorest citizens are expected to be impacted the most.
Protecting biodiversity is a key part of fighting climate change. While climate change does pose an extreme threat to biodiversity, a thriving and biodiverse ecosystem can be instrumental in combating the dangerous effects of climate change. The European Commission reports that healthy and biodiverse ecosystems can increase resiliency and help humans adapt to climate change. Supporting biodiversity and protecting ecosystems can also reduce the instances of natural disasters like droughts and floods, as well as prevent rising sea levels.
The researchers at The Swiftest will be tracking the change in biodiversity over time as things like deforestation, pollution, urban development, and climate change threaten the ecological balance in India and all over the world. To learn more about the study’s findings, read the full research study at The Swiftest.
(Author is a Lead Researcher at The Swiftest)
