National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity at the national level. The Convention requires countries to prepare a  National  Biodiversity   Strategy and  Action  Plan (NBSAP)  (or equivalent instrument) and to ensure that this strategy is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on biodiversity.

Article 6 of the Convention, on General Measures for Conservation and Sustainable Use, states that each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with its particular conditions and capabilities:

• Develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity or adapt for this purpose existing strategies, plans or programmes which shall reflect, inter alia, the measures set out in this Convention relevant to the Contracting Party concerned.
• Integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies.

An NBSAP that fully addresses the targets of the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and that fulfills the aims of the Convention, should include a variety of elements:

1. Key background information:
   • The values of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the country and their contribution to human well-being (e.g., the value of biodiversity to food security, water security, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, employment and other key sustainable development goals), including a spatial analysis of critical ecosystems.
   • Analysis of the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss.
   • National constitutional, legal and institutional framework, including a review of laws, expenditures, incentives, subsidies and other policy frameworks.
   • Lessons learned from the earlier NBSAP(s) and the process of developing the updated NBSAP analysis of areas under sustainable management, levels of sustainable production and consumption, extent and effectiveness of protection, and critical needs for restoration.
   • Opportunities and timelines for linking the NBSAP to key sectoral plans and policies.
2. National Biodiversity Strategy: Principles, Priorities and Targets
   • Long-term vision
   • Principles governing the strategy
   • Main goals or priority areas
   • SMART National Targets
3. National Action Plan
   • National actions to achieve the strategy, with milestones, responsibilities and time frames.
   • Application of the NBSAP to sub-national entities.
   • Strategies and actions to mainstream biodiversity into development, poverty reduction, natural resource management plans, and climate change plans (among other sectoral plans).
   • Strategies and actions to increase and/or improve protection, to protect genetic diversity and to avoid extinctions.
   • Strategies and actions to safeguard, restore and increase resilience of critical ecosystem services.
4. Implementation Plans
   • A plan for implementation that includes key priorities, actors, responsibilities, timelines
   • A plan for resource mobilization for NBSAP implementation
   • A communication, education and public awareness plan
   • A capacity development plan
   • A Gender Action Plan
   • A Stakeholder Engagement Plan
5. Institutional, Monitoring and Reporting
   • National Coordination Structures
   • Clearing-House Mechanism including the Access and Benefit Sharing and Biosafety
   • Monitoring and Evaluation

Although the NBSAP can take the form of a single biodiversity-planning document (and many countries have chosen this form), this does not necessarily have to be the case. The NBSAP can also consist of several different ‘stand alone’ elements that work in a complementary fashion to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity in the country – for example: policies, laws and administrative procedures; scientific research agendas; programmes and projects; communication, education and public awareness activities; forums for inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholder dialogue. These together provide the means to meet the three objectives of the Convention, thereby forming the basis for national implementation. These elements may be brought together and made available on a web site (which could form part of the national Clearing-House Mechanism). Second generation, or revised NBSAPs have tended to be more in line with this broader definition; they resemble more a planning process than a fixed document. Such a planning process is equally relevant to the other biodiversity-related conventions and agreements.

It is important for governments to involve non-government organizations, academics, local and Indigenous communities, research institutes, and a variety of different groups in the revision process. These may include specialists in each of the subjects and issues addressed by the NBSAP, national and local government (including representation from ministries other than environment), focal points of other biodiversity-related Conventions, and private sector representatives.

You can view submitted NBSAPs on the CBD website.

The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based actions to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity, ensuring that by 2050 the shared vision of ‘living in harmony with nature’ is fulfilled.

Learn about the goals of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework here.

Members of the NBSAP Forum are individuals or organizations from around the world who are involved in updating their country’s NBSAP, and/or who are able to offer support and expertise to those preparing their NBSAP.

If you have a question around NBSAPs and you can’t find the answer on this website, please email the NBSAP Forum Helpdesk at Helpdesk@nbsapforum.net.

The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are consistent with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity; the implementation of one contributes to the achievement of the other. The collective impact of the contribution of NBSAPs toward fulfilling SDGs is beginning to emerge. The impact of NBSAPs extends far beyond Goal 14 (Life below Water) and Goal 15 (Life on Land); each NBSAP action is capable of contributing to multiple development goals. NBSAPs adopted as policy instruments can provide a ready pathway to accelerate implementation of SDGs. Investing in biodiversity and ecosystems through NBSAP action also ensures that no one is left behind in the implementation of the SDGs.