This National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan 2014-2020 (NBSAP) provides an opportunity for the GSKN to mainstream biodiversity in the development process by setting new national targets, principles and priorities. It provides the framework for sustainable development; strengthening the implementation of the previous 2004 NBSAP; ensuring policy and action measures by GSKN strategically linked to business and biodiversity based on principles of equity; designing a framework enabling environment on matters related to conservation, sustainable use, resource access and benefit sharing; wildlife management related to invasive and alien species; raising awareness of the importance of genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with benefit-sharing issues (chap. 3); promoting the application of gender mainstreaming tools in BDC programmes; expanding opportunities for male-female participation in decision-making and leadership roles in BDC programmes and institutions; ensuring equitable access by both women and men to BDC interventions, particularly post disaster entitlements; increasing women’s access to environmental risk management information, including through public awareness on the gender perspective in disaster reduction; and strengthening comparative research and analysis on the gender aspects of risk configuration (sec. 3.3.7). Themes and sectors covered are: poverty reduction, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, land degradation, water resource management, marine resources management land use planning, and infrastructure. gender mainstreaming, health issues, and climate change adaptation (3.2). The new NBSAP provides the framework for the following areas: specific responses to focus the attention of relevant line ministries, departments, sectors, agencies, stakeholder groups and the wider community to consider, understand and apply the principles of sustainable development. The green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It is an economic development model based on sustainable development and knowledge of ecological economics (3.1). Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in SKN may be assisted through: synergistic actions by ministries, departments and agencies for the sustainable conservation and use of biodiversity; improved management plans developed for select areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry; implementation of access and benefit-sharing legislation or regulatory requirements; etc. (3.3.7). Poverty is a universal expression of vulnerability as it weakens the capacity to cope with overall risks. The poor and indigent are usually the most vulnerable to the effects disaster (natural and manmade). Biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction must focus on reducing the multiple sources of risks and empowering poor people to face them. Biodiversity conservation helps safeguard human development, which involves protecting people from deprivation resulting from shocks induced by natural hazards. Coping with environmental risk through poverty reduction interventions aims to build the overall resilience of people so that vulnerability can be reduced. The key to mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in poverty reduction as a national development goal in SKN is to implement interventions that minimize risk accumulation, while resulting in reduction of poverty (3.2.1). Gender factors help to determine development policies and patterns. The related strategy is integrating gender considerations in biodiversity conservation by developing interventions that expand male-female livelihood opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to risks. Some specific interventions to achieve this include: promoting alternative livelihoods and improving national economic environments with a view to strengthening programmes aimed at the eradication of poverty and at ensuring food security (pag. 34). Several environmental factors, such as land degradation, desertification, ecosystem loss, environmentally related diseases, pollution, and climate change are hazards that can adversely impact biodiversity. Land degradation can cause or worsen environmental risks. For these reasons, it is necessary to integrate biodiversity conservation in environmental management and vice-versa to minimize the impact of hazards on the environmental disasters. Environmental management tools do not systematically incorporate trends in hazards and vulnerabilities. However, these environmental tools were designed from a risk management perspective and can be adapted for identifying disaster risks in project development, which can be identified and analyzed using adapted Environmental Risk Assessment - ERA (3.3.3). Water resources, biodiversity conservation and development are linked in many ways. Several natural hazards arise from hydrological factors and disasters triggered by natural hazards such as floods, affecting water supply and adversely affecting infrastructures and the environment and development (3.3.4). Land use planning is an effective tool for national physical, social and economic development and managing the associated risks. The impacts of climate change in SKN are likely to encompass the following: increase in drought, flood, tropical storms and other extreme weather phenomena, changes in rainfall, river sensitivity and more intense land use, sea level rise leading to coastal erosion and flooding, and changes in the national biodiversity profile (3.3.8).
National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan - 2014-2020.