Using Biodiversity Credits to Conserve Vultures and Safeguard Ecosystems

Vultures are indispensable to the ecosystems of South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, where their populations once numbered in the tens of millions. These keystone species prevent the spread of diseases like rabies and anthrax by scavenging animal carcasses. However, the introduction of the veterinary drug diclofenac in the 1990s triggered one of the fastest bird population collapses in history, wiping out over 95% of vultures within just a few years.

When vultures feed on livestock carcasses treated with diclofenac, they ingest the drug, leading to acute kidney failure and visceral gout—a fatal disease characterized by the accumulation of uric acid in their organs. Species most affected by the accidental poisoning include the critically endangered Oriental White-backed Vulture, Gyps bengalensis; Slender-billed Vulture, Gyps tenuirostris; Red-headed Vulture, Sarcogyps calvus; and Long-billed Vulture, Gyps indicus. Some species now number as low as 2,500 birds.

The rapid decline has also significantly impacted the Parsi community in India, who rely on vultures for sky burials—a Zoroastrian ritual where vultures consume bodies placed in Towers of Silence. With vulture numbers plummeting, this cultural practice faces challenges, raising concerns about preserving cultural and religious traditions.

Human health has suffered as well. Research shows that the absence of vultures has led to an increase in feral dog populations, resulting in a rise in rabies cases, which cause approximately 20,000 deaths annually in India. The loss of vultures has contributed to poorer sanitation, which has led to the spread of other infectious diseases and a 4.2% rise in mortality rates in affected areas. Economically, the collapse has resulted in estimated annual damages of over $69 billion, factoring in the increased healthcare costs and productivity losses due to illness.

Recent data, highlighted by the BBC and NY Times, suggests that the ecosystem collapse may have led to the deaths of up to 500,000 people.

Advocacy by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) led to the Indian government's 2006 ban on diclofenac for veterinary use and the promotion of safer alternatives like meloxicam. Other South Asian countries followed with similar bans. However, vulture populations have not significantly rebounded despite the creation of vulture safe zones and efforts by conservationists like Save-Vultures and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Vulture Specialist Group. Poisonings still occur, even in protected areas; drug misuse remains an issue, and other threats, such as collisions with wind turbines and electrocution from powerlines, are increasingly posing problems for the birds.

To address this, a biodiversity credit scheme focused on vulture conservation could provide the necessary financial resources to scale up conservation efforts.

Biodiversity credits are a new financial tool, similar to carbon credits, and have recently gained significant interest. These credits represent verified, quantified “nature-positive” outcomes, either at the species or ecosystem level. Once generated, they can be bought and sold, with outcomes tied to a specific period. High integrity is crucial for the industry's growth. As governments, the private sector, local communities, and indigenous peoples can develop these credits, they offer a promising opportunity to secure funding that benefits biodiversity and all stakeholders.

Steps in Developing Biodiversity Credits for Vulture Conservation

Developing a biodiversity credits scheme for vultures would involve the following steps:

Assessment and Valuation: Quantify the ecological and economic value of vultures, including their role in disease prevention and economic stability.

Creation of Biodiversity Credits: Develop a framework for biodiversity credits that directly funds vulture conservation projects, such as breeding programs, habitat protection, and public awareness campaigns.

Market Development: Establish a market where businesses, governments, and individuals can purchase biodiversity credits as part of their environmental responsibility initiatives.

Policy Integration: Integrate biodiversity credits into existing environmental policies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to encourage widespread participation and funding.

Implementing biodiversity credits for vulture conservation would help restore vulture populations, leading to healthier ecosystems and a reduction in rabies cases, potentially saving thousands of lives each year. This system could also serve as a model for conserving other keystone species, enhancing global biodiversity, and contributing to economic resilience against environmental degradation.

Creating biodiversity credits for vulture conservation offers a forward-thinking approach to the intertwined challenges of ecosystem preservation, public health, and economic stability. Recognizing and financially supporting the critical role vultures play in maintaining ecological balance is essential to ensuring their survival and protecting the communities and economies that rely on them. Investing in nature’s best cleanup crew through innovative financial mechanisms is important to sustaining the planet’s biodiversity.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Red List of Threatened Species. (accessed 2 September 2024).

IUCN Vulture Specialist Group. 

Saving Asia’s Vulture from Extinction (SAVE). 

S. Biswas. 2024. How Decline of Indian Vultures Led to 500,000 Human Deaths. BBC News. 26 July.

World Economic Forum. Biodiversity Credits Initiative.