LEX-FAOC124007

The National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP) is a planning instrument with a national coverage, relating to the period 2016-2022, which provides the strategic approach needed to ensure that Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity is conserved and used in a sustainable manner. Its vision is that Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is valued, conserved, sustainably used and is more resilient and able to adapt to change, at the same time providing essential services and delivering benefits for all Sri Lankans, as well as contributing to sustaining a healthy planet. The document includes national targets that are synergistic with global targets such as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, 12 National Targets for 2022 are established (see Chapter 2). The NBSAP is based on the following five strategic objectives: (1) Ensure the long-term conservation of biodiversity; (2) Promote sustainable use of biological resources; (3) Conserve agrobiodiversity; (4) Promote equitable sharing of benefits from biodiversity; and (5) Improve human well-being through an ecosystem approach. The NBSAP aims to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The Plan also aims at making agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. National targets for 2022 foresee the establishment of mechanisms to ensure sustainable use of biodiversity; the promotion of traditional sustainable uses of biodiversity; the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices; the conservation of genetic diversity of crop wild relatives, cultivated species and livestock. By 2022 biosafety should be ensured as well. The actions to be implemented include the promotion of best practices to minimize the destructive harvesting methods used for biological resources from terrestrial, aquatic and marine systems. The following actions are envisaged: to promote best practices to minimize the destructive harvesting methods used for biological resources from terrestrial, aquatic and marine systems; to assess the present levels of harvesting of freshwater and marine fishes and implement recovery plans for stocks that are depleted due to overexploitation; to promote useful elements of traditional knowledge and practices of unique agroecosystems; to identify and conserve useful BES such as natural enemies, pollinators and soil microorganisms for sustainable agricultural productivity. The NBSAP is anchored to poverty alleviation through equitable sharing of benefits. The reduction of rural poverty is hence among the objectives of the plan. Furthermore the Plan seeks to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. By 2022 (i) a mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising from biodiversity is established and implemented, and (ii) the capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services and provide protection from hazards is enhanced. As mentioned above, one of the targets is to enhance the capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services and provide protection from hazards. The document aims to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters.