New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The government Thursday approved the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP), aimed at safeguarding India’s natural wealth and to integrate biodiversity conservation into the planning process for economic and social development.The approval was given at a meeting of the union cabinet here Thursday morning, said an official spokesman.

The plan aims to improve conservation of India’s plant and animal resources in forests, on farms and - where necessary - in laboratories and zoos by strengthening implementation of policy, legislative and administrative measures for biodiversity conservation and management.

It also aims to improve the country’s natural resource base by using it in a sustainable manner.

One focus of the plan is to regulate introduction of any new plant or animal species in an area, and to manage them where they have been introduced already.

Under the NBAP, scientists will accelerate their assessment of India’s vulnerability to climate change and the extent to which adaptation measures are necessary. They will also study the impact of pollution on plant and animal life.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has been asked to further develop and integrate biodiversity databases under the new plan. It will also build India’s capacity for biodiversity conservation and appropriate use of new technologies.

The government has said goods and services provided by biodiversity will be valued using new economic techniques, so that their worth can be taken into account in any decision making process.