National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP)

The National Environment Policy, 2006, seeks to achieve balance and harmony between conservation of natural resources and development processes and also forms the basic framework for the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

The objectives of the NBAP are founded in the backdrop of the cardinal principles already set out in the NEP 2006. The most important of these principles is that human beings are at the centre of sustainable development concerns. The other relevant principles on which the objectives are premised include the right to development, precautionary approach, economic efficiency, entities with ‘incomparable value’, equity, public trust doctrine, decentralization, integration, preventive actions, and environmental offsetting.

The objectives are broad-based and relate to current perceptions of key threats and constraints to biodiversity conservation and are as follows.

1. Strengthening and integration of in situ, on-farm and ex situ conservation
2. Augmentation of natural resource base and its sustainable utilization; Ensuring inter and intra-generational equity
3. Regulation of introduction of invasive alien species and their management
4. Assessment of vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change and desertification
5. Integration of biodiversity concerns in economic and social development
6. To prevent, minimize and abate impacts of pollution
7. Development and integration of biodiversity databases
8. Strengthening implementation of policy, legislative and administrative measures for biodiversity conservation and management
9. Building of national capacities for biodiversity conservation and appropriate use of new technologies
10. Valuation of goods and services provided by biodiversity and use of economic instruments in the decision-making processes
11. International cooperation to consolidate and strengthen bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation on issues related to biodiversity