The National Biodiversity Strategy 2024-2030 is a comprehensive document aiming to establish sound foundations for the continuous development of the country’s natural resources and to conserve them so that they remain productive and fit for use. This ensures the fulfillment of legitimate needs and the wellbeing of current and future generations over the short and long term. The Strategy includes 21 targets across four goals (1) conserving biodiversity at the species and ecosystem level; (2) ensuring the sustainable use of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people; (3) enabling access to genetic resources and fair benefit-sharing; and (4) strengthening mainstreaming, implementation, and the institutional framework. A set of priority actions was also prepared to address institutional gaps and promote policy coherence through a whole-of-government approach. The document sets out effective and innovative solutions aimed at (i) training personnel and providing multidisciplinary expertise in nature protection; enhancing funding for biodiversity monitoring and protected area management; improving inter-sectoral cooperation to reduce overlapping responsibilities; investing in protectorates; increasing sustainability in production and consumption patterns; improving the activation and application of relevant laws; and developing awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the face of economic crises, regional conflicts, and natural disasters. Required actions include (i) shifting from a management-based culture to one of performance efficiency; (ii) easing the burden on the government through financial sustainability and institutional development for nature protection on economic foundations, adopting a new methodology for preserving biodiversity, introducing innovative financing mechanisms, applying decentralization, and enforcing existing laws while enacting new legislation; (iii) reducing encroachments on protected areas; (iv) implementing effective plans to manage environmental crises and disasters; and (v) addressing modern trends related to conserving biodiversity. The 21 targets to be achieved in the period covered by the Strategy are the following (1) areas of importance for biodiversity, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and major projects adhere to the principles of participatory spatial planning; (2) rehabilitate and restore 20% of degraded ecological areas and their natural values, ensuring their connectivity and ability to provide environmental services, with a priority focus on wetlands; (3) increase the percentage of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to 20%, establish an interconnected, integrated and representative network of ecosystems, and implement appropriate and effective management plans; (4) halt the extinction of threatened species and restore them, restore their habitats, implement national action plans for species, protect genetic diversity, and sustainable conservation and management practices; (5) identify invasive alien species, their pathways, and their negative impacts and combat 25% of the most dangerous species; (6) reduce all forms of pollution, including plastic pollution, that endanger ecosystems and biodiversity; (7) minimize the negative impacts of climate change on biodiversity and sensitive ecological areas and implement adaptation and mitigation measures using nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches; (8) reduce the overuse of wild species and ensure the safety and legality of their sustainable use and regulate their trade, and eradication of illegal killing of migratory birds; (9) agricultural production, fisheries, aquaculture and fish farming are managed sustainably, while expanding the application of best practices for achieving food security; (10) enhance nature’s contributions to people, including valuing and conserving ecosystem functions, goods and services to reduce natural hazards, disasters and diseases; (11) increase the area and quality of green and blue areas in urban areas, and ensure that comprehensive urban planning takes into account the conservation of biodiversity and ecological connectivity; (12) take relevant actions and measures, including the issuance of legislation access to genetic resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization, digital sequence information and associated traditional knowledge; (13) ensure the full integration of biodiversity into all development sectors and its social and economic values in national policies, legislation, planning, and adopt the strategic environmental assessment approach; (14) encourage companies, financial institutions and the business community to regularly monitor, evaluate and transparently disclose their risks and impacts on biodiversity, and introduce sustainable production and consumption patterns; (15) promote sustainable consumption choices, halve food waste, and reduce waste in all its forms; (16) undertake measures and actions, including the enactment of national biosafety legislation; (17) identify, phase out, reform and/or eliminate incentives, including harmful subsidies, on biodiversity in a fair and effective manner and expand the scope of positive incentives and develop mechanisms to implement incentives for companies to adopt biodiversity-friendly technologies and practices; (18) take the necessary measures to implement the Biodiversity Finance Plan and innovative solutions to bridge the financing gap from governmental and non-governmental sources; (19) build capacity, strengthen joint scientific research programmes locally and globally, ensure access to and transfer of technology, promote the development of and access to innovations, and strengthen partnerships with relevant international conventions; (20) take the necessary measures to facilitate the availability of data, information and knowledge related to biodiversity to decision-makers, practitioners and the public; (21) enhance the participation of local communities in decision-making and policies related to biodiversity, and the effective management of natural resources, including women, youth, children, and people with disabilities, while preserving the cultural heritage of these communities and their traditional knowledge. To ensure the successful execution of the Strategy, shall be established a National Biodiversity Governance Structure, built upon three core pillars (1) the Supreme Authority composed of a high-level steering body established under the auspices of the Prime Minister and the direct supervision of the Minister of Environment. Its Board of Directors includes relevant Ministers and heads of national agencies, providing the political and strategic leadership necessary to stimulate high-level performance and cross-sectoral integration; (2) the Technical and Executive Secretariat, operating in coordination with the Secretary-General of the Authority to provide specialized technical support and manage strategic initiatives. The Secretariat is composed of (a) national experts with international experience in biodiversity conservation and environmental finance, and (b) key stakeholders from civil society organizations, the business community, and the private sector to ensure a whole-of-society approach; (3) the National Biodiversity Fund, operating in strict accordance with the Natural Protected Areas Law, ensuring sustainable financing for protection efforts and institutional support.
埃及 · 2025-01-01