National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans Tracker (NBSAP)

October 4, 2024

As the COP16 biodiversity conference approaches, set to take place from October 21 to November 1, 2024, there are growing concerns because only 10% of countries have met their promises to protect biodiversity. This conference is important because it’s the first major meeting since the world agreed on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022.

What is the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)?

The GBF was adopted by 196 countries and aims to stop and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. It acts as a guide for countries, showing them how to protect and preserve nature. The goal is to get nations to commit to stronger actions to save biodiversity.

Monitoring Progress: NBSAP Tracker

To keep track of how countries are doing, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) created the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans Tracker (NBSAP). This tool helps monitor how well countries are developing plans to follow the goals set by the GBF.

Status of National Plans

On June 2024, only 20 countries have fully updated their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs), and only 9 countries, along with the European Union, have officially submitted these plans. This means that 186 countries, including India, still need to report their updated strategies.

Challenges Countries Face

Countries are facing big challenges in meeting their biodiversity commitments. The main problems are lack of funding and not having all parts of the government working together. Environmental ministries, which are in charge of nature protection, often struggle to make changes in other sectors of society, like agriculture or industry, which are key to solving the problem.

Why are NBSAPs Important?

NBSAPs are important because they lay out national strategies to stop biodiversity loss and achieve global targets. However, many of these plans are criticized for not having clear goals or enough funding, making them less effective.

There are some positive signs. More civil society, indigenous groups, and local communities are getting involved in making these plans. This shows that there is a growing movement to include everyone in the fight to save biodiversity.

What is the NBSAP Tracker?

The NBSAP Tracker is a tool that keeps track of countries’ plans to promote biodiversity conservation. More than 190 countries have created NBSAPs, which are strategies for protecting nature. The Tracker shows where countries are making progress and where they are falling short. It contains information on over 2,500 actions related to biodiversity. Every five years, countries update their plans, and the Tracker helps ensure that biodiversity targets are met, raising public awareness about the link between biodiversity and climate change.

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