Namibia

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Sub-Saharan AfricaApplies 2026–2035Source: Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

1. Overview

Namibia's Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 3) covers 2026–2035 and is the country's principal instrument for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity [§3]. The strategy is explicitly anchored in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) adopted in 2022, and was developed through a participatory process that included consultation workshops across all fourteen political regions, local-level focus groups targeting vulnerable and marginalised groups, thematic expert meetings, and a national validation workshop [§5][§6].

The strategy is organised around four Strategic Goals, seven Thematic Pillars, 23 national commitments*, and 33 Strategic Programmes — an architectural layer between high-level aims and individual activities that is more granular than most NBSAPs [§38][§46]. Terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems are all within scope [§3].

*Namibia's NBSAP refers to these 23 items as "National Biodiversity Targets," numbered 1–23 to mirror the KMGBF targets. This page uses "national commitment" to distinguish them from the 23 GBF Targets. Namibia's four Strategic Goals correspond to GBF Goals A–D, but the Thematic Pillars (1.1–4.2) and 33 Strategic Programmes are Namibia-specific sub-layers not present in the GBF [§45]. Costing, indicators and Annexure 2 are described in the NBSAP as "still to be formulated" [§46].

NBSAP 3 commits Namibia to halting biodiversity loss and restoring ecosystems by 2030 through 23 national commitments mirroring the KMGBF, delivered via 33 Strategic Programmes. Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) — 86 communal conservancies covering over 166,000 km² — forms the structural backbone of implementation, and the protected-area commitment (50% terrestrial, 30% inland water, 20% marine and coastal) exceeds the GBF 30x30 baseline on land.

Sources:

  • §3 — Chapter 1 > 1.1 Purpose and Scope of the NBSAP
  • §5 — Chapter 1 > 1.3 Strategic Context and Global Positioning
  • §6 — Chapter 1 > 1.4 NBSAP 3 Development Approach
  • §38 — Chapter 5 > 5.2 Strategic Goals and Thematic Pillars
  • §45 — Chapter 5 > 5.4 Summary of alignment with the KMGBF
  • §46 — Chapter 6: National Action Plan: Strategic Programmes (overview)

2. Ecological Context

Namibia covers approximately 824,292 km² and is identified in the NBSAP as the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Sahara [§8]. Mean annual rainfall averages about 250 mm nationally, ranging from under 25 mm along the Atlantic coast to around 700 mm in the north-east [§9]. Climate change is a cross-cutting driver, with increasing temperatures, prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and heightened evapotranspiration [§9].

Ecosystems span hyper-arid Atlantic desert, semi-desert and arid savanna, and tropical savannas, woodlands and floodplains in the north and north-east. The Spatial Biodiversity Assessments, Prioritisation and Planning (SBAPP) classification identifies approximately 200 terrestrial ecosystem types, aligned with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology [§10][§11]. The 1,570 km coastline runs from the Orange River to the Kunene River and is shaped by the wind-driven Benguela Current upwelling system, which underpins commercially important fisheries for sardine, hake and horse mackerel [§12][§14]. Perennial rivers (Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi, Kwando, Orange–Senqu) sit along the borders; inland systems include the Cuvelai–Etosha Basin wetlands, floodplains and pans [§13].

An estimated 16–17% of vascular plant flora is endemic, concentrated in the Succulent Karoo, Kaokoveld and highland escarpments; Namibia hosts approximately 256–261 reptile species [§16]. Large mammals — elephant, lion, black rhino, giraffe, cheetah and leopard — persist extensively outside formal protected areas, on communal and freehold land [§16]. Priority Red List species include Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis, Critically Endangered — Namibia holds one of the largest remaining populations globally), African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus, Endangered), African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus, Critically Endangered) and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus, Endangered). A 2024 plant Red Listing identified eleven critically endangered endemic succulents and shrubs, including Crassothonna opima, Namibia ponderosa and Cheiridopsis brownii [§22].

Recent assessments indicate steep declines in sardine stocks, Cape cormorants and African penguins [§21]. Principal pressures identified by the NBSAP 2 review are habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation; overgrazing, bush encroachment and extractive industry expansion; pollution and invasive alien species; unsustainable fishing pressure; and climate variability [§23].

Sources:

  • §8–§9 — Chapter 2 > 2.1 Geographic and Climatic Context
  • §10–§14 — Chapter 2 > 2.2–2.3 Ecosystems and Biodiversity Significance
  • §16 — Chapter 2 > 2.4.1 Species Diversity and Endemism
  • §21 — Chapter 2 > 2.4.2.4 Coastal and Marine Species
  • §22 — Chapter 2 > 2.4.3 Threatened and Endangered Species
  • §23 — Chapter 3 > 3.1 Threats to biodiversity

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

NBSAP 3 sets 23 national commitments for 2030, numbered 1–23 to correspond to the KMGBF targets, organised under four Strategic Goals and seven Thematic Pillars [§43][§44]. The NBSAP notes that this is not a rigid one-to-one mapping — several commitments contribute to more than one Strategic Goal or Pillar [§45]. Given the 1:1 numbering, commitments are grouped here by theme to keep the section navigable; per-target detail is in Section 7.

Strategic Goal 1 — Halt biodiversity loss

Commitments 1, 2 and 3 (ecosystem conservation and restoration) set the spatial agenda. Commitment 1 reduces biodiversity loss through "effective, legally enforced, biodiversity-inclusive participatory Integrated Land Use Plans and Marine Spatial Plans" [§44]. Commitment 2 places at least 30% of priority degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030. Commitment 3 sets Namibia's headline protected-area target: 50% of terrestrial, 30% of inland water, and 20% of marine and coastal ecosystems conserved through protected areas and OECMs — exceeding the GBF 30x30 baseline on land [§44]. Delivery runs through Programmes 1–3 (ecosystem mapping, IRLUPs, marine spatial planning), Programmes 4–5 (restoration), and Programmes 6–8 (PCA expansion, OECMs, effectiveness). Measurability: Commitments 2 and 3 are measurable commitments (quantitative thresholds with a 2030 deadline). Commitment 1 is a directional aspiration.

Commitments 4 and 5 (species and genetic diversity) cover urgent management to reduce extinction risk, improve conservation status of priority species, reduce human–wildlife conflict, and ensure use, harvesting and trade of wild species are sustainable, safe and legal [§44]. Delivery runs through Programmes 9–12. Measurability: directional aspirations.

Commitments 6, 7 and 8 (pressures) address invasive alien species (introduction and establishment rates reduced by at least 50%), pollution from nutrients, industrial waste, plastics and hazardous chemicals, and climate change and ocean acidification through nature-based and ecosystem-based approaches [§44]. Measurability: Commitment 6 is a measurable commitment; 7 and 8 are directional aspirations.

Strategic Goal 2 — Sustainable use

Commitment 9 commits that wild species are sustainably managed and used to provide social, economic and environmental benefits, particularly for vulnerable and biodiversity-dependent communities. Programme 19 operationalises this through the CBNRM framework and explicitly cites the Devils Claw (Harpagophytum) commercialisation model as a template for other wild products [§139][§143]. Commitments 10, 11 and 12 mainstream biodiversity into agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry and extractives (10); enhance nature's contributions to people through nature-based solutions (11, Programme 20); and maintain and restore green and blue spaces in urban and peri-urban areas (12, Programme 21) [§44]. Measurability: all directional aspirations.

Strategic Goal 3 — Equitable access and benefit-sharing

Commitment 13 increases the sharing of benefits from utilisation of biological and genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge [§44]. Delivery operationalises the Access to Biological and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Act, No. 2 of 2017, including establishment of the Competent National Authority within MEFT, formalisation of the ABS Advisory Council, and tracking of digital sequence information (DSI) developments. Measurability: directional aspiration.

Strategic Goal 4 — Implementation

Commitments 14–23 cover mainstreaming (14), business risk and disclosure (15), sustainable production and consumption (16), biosafety (17), harmful incentive reform (18), finance mobilisation (19), capacity and technology (20), data and information (21), inclusive participation (22) and gender equality (23) [§44]. Commitment 17 is grounded in the Biosafety Act No. 7 of 2006 and is led by NCRST rather than MEFT. Commitment 19 is delivered through Programme 30, which includes a dedicated biodiversity window under the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) and a BIOFIN-supported national biodiversity finance plan. Measurability: all directional aspirations. The NBSAP does not flag any commitment as provisional, but Annexure 2 indicators and costing are "still to be formulated" [§46], a structural deferral that affects every commitment.

Indicators. The NBSAP notes that per-programme indicators and baselines are deferred to Chapter 7 and Annexure 2, which are not yet populated [§46].

Sources:

  • §43–§45 — Chapter 5 > 5.3–5.4 National Biodiversity Targets and GBF Alignment
  • §44 — National Biodiversity Targets (list)
  • §46 — Chapter 6: National Action Plan overview
  • §139, §143 — Programme 19 (Devils Claw model)

4. Delivery Architecture

The Action Plan is delivered through 33 Strategic Programmes organised under the seven Thematic Pillars, implemented via existing mandates, legislation and planning instruments at national, regional and local levels [§46][§47].

Legal foundation. Biodiversity governance is anchored in Article 95 of the Constitution (1990), the Environmental Management Act (2007), the Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975 (as amended), the Forest Act 12 of 2001, the Communal Land Reform Act (2002), the Inland Fisheries Resources Act (2003), the Marine Resources Act (2000), the Water Resources Management Act (2013), the Access to Biological and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Act No. 2 of 2017, and the Biosafety Act (2006) [§34]. The Community Based Natural Resource Management Policy underpins wildlife governance on communal land. National Development Plan (NDP) 6 (2025) sets development targets including expansion of conservation land from 47% to 50%, active management plans for 90% of protected areas, and strengthened biodiversity finance [§34].

Lead institutions. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) leads biodiversity policy, coordination and CBD reporting. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) holds mandates over fisheries, inland and marine living resources, land administration, water resources and agriculture — a concentration the NBSAP notes "underscores both the opportunities and the importance of effective cross-sectoral coordination" [§35]. NCRST (National Commission on Research, Science and Technology) leads biosafety, and the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) leads private-sector finance mobilisation. Regional councils, traditional authorities and communal land boards govern land-use decisions in communal areas; communal conservancies, community forests and community fisheries reserves provide legally recognised community-level structures.

Flagship programmes. Delivery clusters thematically: ecosystem mapping and spatial planning (Programmes 1–3, including the Spatial Biodiversity Assessments, Prioritisation and Planning (SBAPP) system); restoration (Programmes 4–5, building on the National Strategy for Sustainable Management of Bush Resources (2022) and the Namibia Rangeland Policy and Strategy (2012)); protected and conserved areas (Programmes 6–8, including the Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area (NIMPA) and the Namibia Metric for Assessing Protected Area Management Effectiveness (NAMETT)); species and human–wildlife conflict (Programmes 9–10); sustainable use (Programmes 11–12); IAS and pollution (Programmes 13–15, including the four-component Invasive Alien Species Action (IASA) framework); climate integration (Programmes 17–18, coordinated through the Benguela Current Commission); livelihoods and production (Programmes 19–22); ABS (Programme 23 and a paired capacity programme); mainstreaming, business risk, biosafety, incentives and participation (Programmes 24–29); and finance, capacity, data and gender (Programmes 30–33).

Market and finance mechanisms. The EIF biodiversity window, BIOFIN-supported finance planning, biodiversity credits, carbon credits, biodiversity offsets, environmental mitigation funds (including a proposed Mining Rehabilitation Fund), and finance-for-permanence endowment instruments are all identified [§183][§213].

Transboundary and regional. Alignment extends to the African Union Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (ABSAP) 2023–2030, the SADC Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2025–2035), the KAZA TFCA, OKACOM, ZAMCOM, ORASECOM, bilateral Kunene River arrangements, and the Benguela Current Commission [§32][§33].

Sources:

  • §32–§35 — Chapter 3 > 3.3 Institutional Framework; Chapter 4 > 4.1 Policy Frameworks
  • §46–§47 — Chapter 6 > National Action Plan overview
  • §183 — Programme 25 instruments
  • §213 — Programme 30 activities

4a. CBNRM and Communal Conservancies as a Conservation Backbone

Community-Based Natural Resource Management is structurally distinctive in Namibia's NBSAP: it recurs across geography, action portfolio, strategic framework, delivery and finance sections, and provides the operational substrate for protected-area expansion, species conservation, livelihoods and monitoring.

By 2026, 86 registered communal conservancies covered more than 166,000 km² and involved approximately 244,000 people, and over 43% of Namibia's land was under some form of conservation management [§25][§79]. This is an unusually large community-tenure system relative to most NBSAPs, and it is the main reason Namibia's terrestrial commitment under Commitment 3 (50%) sits above the GBF 30x30 baseline.

CBNRM structures are layered with community forests and, increasingly, community fisheries reserves — by the end of 2025 there were 20 gazetted and 6 emerging community fisheries reserves along perennial river systems in the north-east [§27]. The draft national OECM framework (Programme 7) must resolve an explicit legal question: the status of CBNRM areas relative to the Namibian protected-area definition, which the NBSAP flags for clarification [§84][§86].

Operationally, CBNRM underpins Programme 6 (PCA expansion), Programme 9 (species, including black rhino persistence outside formal protected areas), Programme 10 (human–wildlife conflict, with predator-proof kraals, geofencing and self-insurance schemes), Programme 19 (livelihoods, including the Devils Claw commercialisation model as a template for other wild products), and Programme 32 (community-based monitoring through NACSO and the Community-Based Monitoring and Information System) [§96][§98][§139][§143][§221][§222]. Programme 30 (finance) positions biodiversity credits, benefit-sharing from permits and community-level carbon credits as channels to sustain CBNRM financially [§213].

5. Monitoring and Accountability

MEFT holds the lead mandate for biodiversity policy, CBD reporting and NBSAP coordination [§35]. The NBSAP 2 review identified weak institutional coordination, fragmented planning, inadequate and unsustainable financing, data and capacity gaps, and limited accountability mechanisms as the principal barriers to implementation, and Strategic Goal 4 is framed as a direct response [§29][§172].

Coordination mechanisms. Formal mechanisms include inter-ministerial committees, technical working groups, and transboundary governance structures (transfrontier conservation areas, river basin commissions, the Benguela Current Commission) [§35]. A Biodiversity Finance Coordination Platform (MEFT, Ministry of Finance, EIF, sector ministries, development partners, private sector) is to be established under Programme 30 [§213].

Reporting. Namibia reports under the CBD and the KMGBF, with additional obligations under UNFCCC, UNCCD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar and UNCLOS [§31]. Progress against the 23 national commitments to 2030 will inform the midterm review of NBSAP 3 [§43].

Monitoring framework. Per-programme indicators, baselines and costing are deferred to Chapter 7 and Annexure 2, which the NBSAP explicitly states are "still to be formulated" [§46]. Programme 32 commits to align participatory and community-based monitoring (conservancies, community forests, fisheries reserves, traditional authorities) with national frameworks and KMGBF reporting "to ensure coherence with national indicators and KMGBF reporting requirements" rather than establishing parallel systems [§222]. NACSO and member NGOs are named implementation partners for participatory monitoring, and the Community-Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS) is to be expanded [§222][§223].

Gender-responsive reporting. Programme 33 integrates gender-disaggregated and intersectional indicators into NBSAP 3 monitoring and CBD reporting, supported by a biodiversity–gender focal point [§230].

Sources:

  • §29 — Chapter 3 > 3.3 Barriers, Enablers and Lessons Learnt
  • §31, §43 — International reporting; midterm review horizon
  • §35 — Chapter 3 > 3.3 Institutional Framework
  • §46 — Chapter 6: Action Plan overview
  • §172 — Strategic Goal 4 overview
  • §213, §222, §223, §230 — Programmes 30, 32, 33

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP does not state a total costing for NBSAP 3 implementation or quantify a financing gap in the source material [§8 finance intro]. Commitment 19 receives substantive treatment through Programme 30: Mobilising and sustaining financial resources for biodiversity implementation [§210].

Domestic public finance. Primary instruments are national and sectoral budgeting and public finance management frameworks, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, biodiversity expenditure reviews and tracking systems, and environmental and climate finance mechanisms [§212]. The programme commits to "improved integration of biodiversity into national and sectoral budgets and public investment frameworks" and addresses efficiency of public biodiversity expenditure to reduce duplication [§211].

Environmental Investment Fund (EIF). A dedicated biodiversity window under the EIF is to be developed and operationalised, led by the EIF with support from MEFT, UNDP and the Biodiversity Steering Committee [§213]. The EIF is also designated to lead private-sector, philanthropic and NGO partnerships.

International and donor finance. Periodic biodiversity finance alignment dialogues with development partners and the private sector are to be convened "to reduce project fragmentation and promote pooled or programmatic funding" [§213].

Private sector and innovative mechanisms. Engagement runs through fiscal incentives, certification schemes, biodiversity credits, corporate social responsibility, and public-private partnerships [§213]. Additional mechanisms include offsetting (a national biodiversity offset programme is proposed under Programme 4), community-level carbon credits, and benefit-sharing from permits [§69][§213].

Planning and tracking. A national biodiversity finance plan (as part of NBSAP and BIOFIN) is to be updated, a biodiversity expenditure review and needs assessment conducted, and a biodiversity finance tracking and reporting mechanism established to capture public, donor and private flows [§213]. All listed Programme 30 activities are classified High priority.

Subsidy and incentive reform. Under Commitment 18, Programme 28 commits to identify, map and prioritise incentives and subsidies that may negatively affect biodiversity across agriculture/rangelands, fisheries, forestry, mining, infrastructure and urban development, including cost–benefit analysis and distributional impacts, followed by options to reform, redirect or phase out harmful incentives and scale up positive ones [§202].

Sources:

  • §44, §202, §209–§213 — Chapter 5 Target 19; Programme 28; Programme 30
  • §69 — Programme 4 (biodiversity offset programme)

4b. Namibia's Policy-Gap Agenda

The NBSAP explicitly identifies five priority policies as absent or unfinished and lists their development or finalisation as high-priority Programme 24 activities [§179]. This self-diagnosis is unusual in its specificity and recurs across multiple commitments:

  • Invasive Alien Species policy — Programme 24 Activity 2; underpins Commitment 6, where no dedicated Programme is populated pending the policy.
  • Restoration and rehabilitation policy — cross-sectoral, flagged because no policy currently guides restoration of previously mined areas; underpins Commitment 2 (Programmes 4–5).
  • Inland fisheries policy — to include a restoration strategy for a freshwater fisheries network and the community fisheries reserves system; underpins Commitments 2, 5 and 10.
  • Land use planning policy — identified as absent, with the legal status and enforceability of the current IRLUP framework flagged for review; underpins Commitment 1 (Programme 2).
  • Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) policy — underpins ABS (Commitment 13) and inclusive participation (Commitment 22).

Updates to the CBNRM Policy, Mining Policy and the 1997 Regional Planning Development Policy are also committed to promote biodiversity-inclusivity and integrate Indigenous and Local Knowledge. In addition, the draft OECM framework, the National Biodiversity Capacity Development Plan and the National Biodiversity Gender Action Plan are all described as under development rather than adopted [§83][§215][§226].

7. GBF Target Coverage

GBF Target 1 — Spatial planning. Addressed. Three dedicated programmes (1 ecosystem mapping, 2 IRLUPs, 3 marine spatial planning) deliver Namibia's Commitment 1. SBAPP identifies ~200 terrestrial ecosystem types aligned with IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology level 3. The NBSAP explicitly diagnoses the absence of a land-use planning policy and gaps in IRLUP legal enforceability and freshwater coverage. Urban spatial planning is addressed through Programme 21. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration. Addressed. Commitment 2 places at least 30% of priority degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030. Programme 4 builds on the National Strategy for Sustainable Management of Bush Resources (2022) and the Namibia Rangeland Policy and Strategy (2012); Programme 5 uses the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries, the Transboundary Fisheries Framework for the Okavango River Basin (2023), and proposes gazetting the 200 m isobath as a no-trawling zone. A cross-sectoral restoration and rehabilitation policy and a biodiversity offset programme are to be developed. Environmental Mitigation Funds, including a Mining Rehabilitation Fund, are to be operationalised. Measurable commitment.

GBF Target 3 — Protected areas (30x30). Addressed. Commitment 3 sets 50% terrestrial, 30% inland water, and 20% marine and coastal coverage through protected areas and OECMs. Baseline: over 43% of land under conservation management, 86 communal conservancies covering more than 166,000 km², and NIMPA at approximately 9,500 km² (about 1.7% of Namibia's marine waters); six further marine areas recognised as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas. Programme 6 commits to extend NIMPA northward to Cape Fria, declare EBSAs as PCAs/OECMs, and develop a network of community-led freshwater fisheries reserves. Programme 7 will finalise the OECM framework, declare the 200 m isobath as an OECM, and incentivise privately protected areas on commercial farmland. Programme 8 applies NAMETT, IUCN Green Listing, SMART patrols and SAGE. Measurable commitment.

GBF Target 4 — Species recovery. Addressed. Commitment 4 targets urgent management actions to reduce extinction risk for threatened, near-threatened and nationally significant species and to significantly reduce human–wildlife conflict. Programme 9 supports priority species including African Wild Dog, Black and White Rhino, Cheetah, Pangolin, African Penguin, cormorants, cranes, vultures, aloes and lithops, with action plans to be developed. Programme 10 applies the National Policy on Human–Wildlife Conflict Management through predator-proof kraals, geofencing, self-insurance schemes and communal herd replacement. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 5 — Sustainable harvest. Addressed. Commitment 5 requires use, harvesting and trade of wild species to be sustainable, safe and legal. Programme 11 operates through the Nature Conservation Ordinance, Forest Act, CBNRM frameworks and CITES submissions; Programme 12 uses fisheries legislation, river basin plans, MSP and the forthcoming inland fisheries policy, including extension of Tori lines across all fisheries. Community fisheries reserves (20 gazetted, 6 emerging by end-2025) anchor inland sustainability. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 6 — Invasive alien species. Addressed. Commitment 6 reduces IAS introduction and establishment rates by at least 50%. Delivery via Programmes 13 and 14, the Alien Species Working Group, and the four-component Invasive Alien Species Action (IASA) framework (import prohibition, containment, active management, institutional mechanism). A national IAS policy is flagged for urgent finalisation. Measurable commitment.

GBF Target 7 — Pollution reduction. Addressed. Commitment 7 reduces pollution from nutrients, industrial waste, plastics and hazardous chemicals. Programme 15 operates through the Environmental Management Act, the Water Resources Management Act, EIA and licensing, and hazardous chemicals and waste regulations. Activities include fast-tracking draft pesticide legislation and regulations to ban single-use plastic bags. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity. Addressed. Commitment 8 minimises impacts through nature-based and ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation. Programme 17 is implemented through the National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, with wetland restoration and long-term ocean monitoring stations measuring pH, CO₂ and dissolved O₂. Programme 18 is coordinated through the Benguela Current Commission. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 9 — Wild species use. Addressed. Commitment 9 sustainably manages wild species for social, economic and environmental benefits, particularly for vulnerable and biodiversity-dependent communities. Programme 19 builds on CBNRM and blue-economy value addition (mariculture, marine tourism) within safeguards, and replicates the Devils Claw commercialisation model for other wild products. Women, youth and marginalised groups are explicitly named in value chains. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 10 — Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry. Addressed. Commitment 10 mainstreams biodiversity into production sectors. Programme 22 references review of the Aquaculture Master Plan and certification schemes (MSC, FSC); Programme 5 applies EAF and community fisheries reserves; Programme 4 integrates rangeland management. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 11 — Ecosystem services / NbS. Addressed. Commitment 11 enhances nature's contributions to people through NbS and ecosystem-based approaches. Programme 20 covers terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine functions, with explicit attention to ocean warming, acidification and productivity changes. Primary Implementation Instruments are marked "To insert" in the current draft. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 12 — Urban biodiversity. Addressed. Commitment 12 maintains and restores urban and peri-urban green and blue spaces. Programme 21 updates the 1997 Regional Planning Development Policy and the National Urbanisation Strategy, and prioritises informal settlements and high-density urban areas for green-space access. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS. Addressed. Commitment 13 increases benefit-sharing from biological and genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Delivery operationalises the Access to Biological and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Act No. 2 of 2017, with full operationalisation of the Competent National Authority within MEFT, formalisation of the ABS Advisory Council, SOPs for PIC/MAT/MTA, and tracking of digital sequence information (DSI). Coordination with the IKS Council aligns ABS with Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 14 — Mainstreaming. Addressed. Commitment 14 integrates biodiversity into policies, regulations, planning and decision-making across all sectors. Programme 24 is the hub, with the five priority policy gaps (IAS, restoration and rehabilitation, inland fisheries, land use planning, IKS) flagged for urgent finalisation, and mainstreaming into NDP 6/7 and sectoral strategic plans. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 15 — Business disclosure. Addressed. Commitment 15 identifies and addresses biodiversity-related business risks through EIA, SEA and other mechanisms. Programme 25 uses the Environmental Management Act No. 7 of 2007, promotes ESG frameworks and MSC/FSC certification, and commits to establish Environmental Mitigation Funds including a Mining Rehabilitation Fund. Engagement with banks, investors and insurers is explicit. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 16 — Sustainable consumption. Addressed. Commitment 16 promotes resource-efficient, biodiversity-friendly production and consumption, including waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Programme 26 applies the waste hierarchy and circular economy principles. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 17 — Biosafety. Addressed. Commitment 17 commits to effective implementation of the Biosafety Act No. 7 of 2006 and regulations, led by NCRST with support from MEFT, MAFWLR, MHSS, MIT, MHETI, UNAM, NUST and IUM. Programme 27 covers legal framework finalisation, case-by-case GMO risk assessment, institutional coordination with the Biosafety Council, strengthened contributions to the Biosafety Clearing-House, capacity development, research, awareness and a sustainable financing strategy. Coordination with ABS under CBD Article 19 is explicit. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 18 — Harmful subsidies. Addressed. Commitment 18 commits that harmful incentives are eliminated, phased out or reformed, and positive incentives scaled up. Programme 28 identifies, maps and prioritises incentives across agriculture/rangelands, fisheries, forestry, mining, infrastructure and urban development, with cost–benefit and distributional analysis. Activities are classified Medium priority. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 19 — Finance mobilisation. Addressed. Commitment 19 significantly increases biodiversity finance from domestic, international and private sources. Programme 30 establishes the Biodiversity Finance Coordination Platform, operationalises the EIF biodiversity window, updates a BIOFIN-supported national biodiversity finance plan, and establishes a biodiversity finance tracking and reporting mechanism. Biodiversity credits, carbon credits and offsets are all included. All Programme 30 activities are High priority. Directional aspiration; no total cost or gap stated.

GBF Target 20 — Capacity and technology. Addressed. Commitment 20 enhances capacity-building, technology transfer and scientific cooperation. Programme 31 covers systemic, institutional, technical and individual capacity, building on the BIOFIN Policy and Institutional Review and the GIZ biodiversity policy analysis. A National Biodiversity Capacity Development Plan is to be developed. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 21 — Data and information. Addressed. Commitment 21 makes biodiversity data accessible to decision-makers, practitioners and communities. Programme 32 enhances existing tools — NACSO-supported participatory monitoring, the Community-Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS) — and aligns them with national frameworks and KMGBF reporting rather than building parallel systems. Programme 1 commits to an open-access national biodiversity database. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 22 — Inclusive participation. Addressed. Commitment 22 ensures equitable and inclusive participation of local communities, conservancy members, marginalised groups and traditional authorities. Delivery is cross-cutting — across Programmes 19 (CBNRM benefit-sharing), 23 (ABS PIC and MAT), 24 (ILK in new policies), 29 (access to information and justice, FPIC awareness, vernacular-language consultation platforms), 32 (participatory data) and 33 (gender) — rather than a single programme. Directional aspiration.

GBF Target 23 — Gender equality. Addressed. Commitment 23 mainstreams gender equality and a gender-responsive approach in biodiversity governance and implementation. Programme 33 develops the National Biodiversity Gender Action Plan aligned with the CBD Gender Plan of Action (2023–2030), designates a biodiversity–gender focal point, integrates gender-disaggregated indicators into NBSAP 3 reporting, and emphasises conservancies, community forests, fisheries structures, restoration initiatives and biodiversity-based value chains. Directional aspiration.