LEX-FAOC105371

Lebanon’s National Biodiversity and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2016-2030 is a sectoral policy document that addresses Lebanon’s obligations under Article 6a of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is an update of the country’s first NBSAP issued in 1998, taking into consideration both global and local needs. One of the main objectives of the NBSAP is to mainstream biodiversity into sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies, plans and programs. The overall vision for biodiversity adopted in the NBSAP is to preserve and conserve in a sustainable manner the Lebanese ecosystems and habitats and the species they harbor, in order to adequately respond to to anthropogenic and natural pressures, and to ensure Lebanese citizens equal access to ecosystem goods and services. The goal to achieve is to take appropriate measures to control the decline in the biodiversity and the document present them under 13 Priority Areas as follows: Threatened Species, (2) Genetic Diversity, (3) Protected Areas, (4) Sustainable Management and use of Natural Ecosystems and Resources, (5) Ecosystem Restoration, (6) Access and Benefit Sharing, (7) Invasive Alien Species, (8) Communication, Education and Public Awareness, (9) Mainstreaming Biodiversity into National and Sub-National Policies and Plans, (10) Climate Change, (11) Research and Knowledge Transfer, (12) Institutional and Legal Framework, and (13) Resource Mobilization. Each priority area is linked to one or more national targets to be reached, by the 2030, through a series of national actions. The National Action Plan section provides details on the implementation of the Strategy through the strategic actions (institutional, legislative, economic or other policy and institutional actions) that will allow the achievement of the identified national targets. These actions will be carried out at national, regional and local levels. To make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable the Strategy focuses on: enforcing the legislation to limit the unsustainable practices in resources’ exploitation, especially in the poor areas of the country, properly manage the 50% of all natural ecosystems and create incentives and establish a legislative framework for the private sector’s engagement in biodiversity actions (as explained in Priority Area 4); maintain and sustain existing protected areas while creating new ones (in Priority Area 3); create and implement rehabilitation plans in at least 20% of degraded sites (in Priority Area 5); raise the awareness of decision makers on the importance of biodiversity and its conservation, sustainable management, and promoting related education (in Priority Area 8); carry out additional efforts to mobilize resources to ensure the success of the proposed programs or projects or strategies in this field (in Priority Area 13). In order to increase the resilience to disasters and reduce the risks the document aims at building ecosystem resilience to climate change identifying vulnerable ecosystems with their needs, and developing adaptation and mitigation plans for maintaining and re-establishing their functions (in Priority Area 10). In the context of governance, the government is committed to reviewing the relevant institutional and legal framework and government policies, updating and reinforcing them where necessary to ensure effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable use together with developing the public awareness of the importance of biodiversity. The estimated financial needs for the implementation of the Strategy is calculated in the order of 40 million USD.