LEX-FAOC079452

This National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) implements the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), calling for governments to: Develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The specific objectives guiding the development of the NBSAP for Barbados are the: Identification of the current state of knowledge about biodiversity in Barbados; Identification of important gaps in the knowledge base and the assessment of further needs and associated costs; Identification of current pressures on biodiversity and future trends; Assessment of the present and future value to Barbadians of the country’s biodiversity; Identification of the conservation priorities and strategies for conserving biodiversity; Identification of appropriate mechanisms or actions to carry out the identified conservation strategies; Identification of the institutional requirements to support the implementation of the strategies and actions. The following issues should be considered for guidance in policy formulation for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity: Major natural heritage areas and habitats for conservation and legal status; Past, current and future impacts on these sites; Preferred management options; Mechanisms for implementing management options; Incentives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable; Introduction of alien species, both invasive and non-invasive; Mitigation of land based sources of coastal and marine pollution; Tourism development and the implications for biodiversity management; Food security and sustainable agricultural development. Agricultural plantations over the last 300 years have reduced the extent of natural terrestrial ecosystems to relatively small isolated patches and created several mono-specific, agro-ecosystems, the most persistent of which has been sugarcane. This long history of intensive agriculture has contributed to erosion of topsoil, decrease in soil fertility, and subsequent large inputs of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as a means of maintaining productivity. The overall goal of the NBSAP is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the island’s terrestrial, marine and freshwater biodiversity. To achieve this, a number of major objectives have been identified, such as: Objective 12: promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in various sectors (agriculture, fisheries, tourism, etc.). For each objective actions are described. 5.6.6 Poverty may be considered as the inability of an individual or household to satisfy the basic needs (food, clothing and shelter) required for survival due to a lack of adequate financial resources. Poverty can have profound impacts on the preservation of biodiversity. If conditions of poverty persist over the long term, biological resources may be exploited to the point that they become irreversibly depleted.