LEX-FAOC115211

The National Policy on Biological Diversity (Policy) is Malaysia’s guide for biodiversity management. It is a multi-sectoral policy with national coverage that came into force in 2016 and which will be implemented for 10 years until 2025. The Policy emphasizes the need for continued conservation, sustainable utilisation and the sharing of benefits from biodiversity in a fair and equitable manner. It has clear targets, actions and timelines for implementation and calls for active participation by all stakeholders. This Policy complements Malaysia’s obligation under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Policy has five overarching goals encompassing stakeholder empowerment, reducing pressures on biodiversity, safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity, ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the utilisation of biodiversity and building the capacity of all stakeholders, including indigenous peoples. The five goals are supported by 17 national biodiversity targets. The targets address all key facets of biodiversity conservation including awareness raising, mainstreaming biodiversity, implementing good management practices in various economic sectors, strengthening our protected areas, preventing extinction of species, addressing invasive alien species and ensuring biosafety. The targets also address capacity building, increasing knowledge and improving financing. Each target is accompanied by a set of actions that spell out the steps that have to be taken to achieve the targets and ultimately the goals. The Policy will seek to strengthen agricultural planning and improve practices. The Policy will seek to develop and implement appropriate agriculture landscape planning to ensure that agricultural activities are compatible with long-term conservation of biodiversity and minimise human-wildlife conflicts; and to provide extension services and technical support to smallholders and farmers to help them improve their productivity and conserve biodiversity. The Policy will improve management and rehabilitation of vulnerable ecosystems in order to contribute towards improving carbon stocks – in itself, an adaptation and mitigation approach to climate change. The Policy will also seek to improve knowledge on the link between climate change and biodiversity. The Federal government via the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will play a leading role in implementing the Policy. This includes providing overall direction, coordinating stakeholder actions, establishing the appropriate institutional platforms, facilitating resource mobilisation and initiating review of the Policy as necessary. State governments have jurisdiction over the management of land, water and forests and will play crucial roles in delivering the actions. There will be many opportunities for civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, and the private sector to be active partners in the implementation of this Policy.