Sudan

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Northern AfricaApplies 2025–2030Source: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2030

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2030

1. Overview

Sudan's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2030 was developed by the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR) and adopted in 2025, updating the country's previous 2015 NBSAP [§8]. The document was prepared through a GEF-funded programme — the Programme to Support National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Update — building on preparatory work conducted in 2024 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support (GBF-EAS) Project [§8]. Sudan has been a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity since 1995 and has prepared national biodiversity strategies since 2000 [§121].

The NBSAP sets 23 national commitments* mapped one-to-one to the 23 GBF Targets, alongside 115 component-level commitments across twelve biodiversity components and related aspects [§8]. The strategy organises implementation under four national goals,† with 304 specific actions scheduled for 2025–2030 [§8].

*Sudan's NBSAP refers to its 23 country-level pledges as "national targets." This page uses "national commitment" to avoid confusion with the 23 GBF Targets.

†Sudan labels its four implementation categories as Goals A–D. These are not the same as GBF Goals A–D (the four 2050 long-term outcomes). They serve as budget and implementation categories organising Sudan's 304 actions.

The seven biodiversity components addressed are: cultivated plant agrobiodiversity, range plant and animal agrobiodiversity, forest biodiversity, wildlife biodiversity, marine biodiversity, inland waters and wetlands biodiversity, and insect and microorganism biodiversity. Five cross-cutting aspects are addressed separately: access and benefit sharing, pollution, climate change impacts, biosafety and biotechnology, and health [§8].

The total estimated implementation budget is US$409.5 million across 304 actions, with an additional US$2.36 million for the monitoring framework [§8]. Capacity building and development actions account for 152 of the 304 actions — 50% of the total — reflecting the NBSAP's own characterisation of this share as evidence that biodiversity conservation in Sudan "still need[s] major capacity development interventions" [§8].

Sudan's 2025–2030 NBSAP establishes 23 national commitments aligned with all GBF Targets and an estimated US$409.5 million action plan spanning seven biodiversity components, developed against the backdrop of an active armed conflict that has caused documented biodiversity losses. The strategy is shaped by Sudan's position as a global centre of crop genetic origin, a legislative framework in which major sectoral acts remain unratified across every biodiversity component, and a structure in which half of all 304 actions are classified as capacity building.

Sources:

  • §8 — Executive Summary
  • §121 — Chapter 7 — National Biodiversity Strategy (introduction)

2. Ecological Context

Sudan covers approximately 1,886,065 km² across five ecological zones defined by rainfall gradient: desert (0–75 mm annually), semi-desert (75–300 mm), low rainfall savannah (300–800 mm), high rainfall savannah (800 mm+), and montane vegetation (500–2,000 mm) [§19]. Bare soils and rock account for 53% of land cover; agriculture covers 18% and forests 12%, based on a 2020 assessment by the Forests National Corporation and FAO under the REDD+ programme [§19].

Wildlife populations are in documented decline. Twelve species are classified as extinct in Sudan, including the addax, dama gazelle, scimitar-horned oryx, tora hartebeest, cheetah, bongo, and colobus monkey [§43]. Species currently listed as endangered or vulnerable include the African lion, leopard, African elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, Cape buffalo, dugong, and green turtle [§43]. Three hippopotamus individuals were last recorded south of the Roseries Dam in Blue Nile state; elephant herds of 4–8 individuals now visit Dinder and Radom National Parks only seasonally [§44]. Dorcas gazelle density has declined to between 0.007 and 0.1 per km² in areas that formerly held the largest populations [§44].

Sudan's Red Sea coastline extends up to 750 km and hosts fringing reefs running almost continuously along the coast, barrier and patch reefs 1–14 km wide, and the Sanganeb Atoll approximately 25 nautical miles offshore. Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay and Mukawwar Island Marine National Park were jointly inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2016 [§54]. Levels of biodiversity and endemic species among reef fishes and reef-associated benthic fauna are described in the NBSAP as "approaching their maxima in the Sudanese Red Sea" [§47].

Rangelands make up approximately 25% of Sudan's land area, supporting 109 million head of cattle, sheep, goats, and camels under pastoral and agro-pastoral systems [§22]. Range plant diversity is declining: six plant species were not encountered in the Butana area over a 13-year survey period ending in 2013, and five grass species and sixteen herb species were not encountered in West Kordofan over a 20-year period ending in 2013 [§22].

Major pressures include drought, overgrazing, expansion of mono-crop agriculture, poaching, artisanal gold mining using cyanide and mercury, and human encroachment on protected areas [§93][§95][§96]. Sudan is ranked eighth in vulnerability to climate change out of 185 countries and 175th in preparedness according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Matrix [§91]. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is identified in the NBSAP as a potential threat to Blue Nile ecology through altered hydrology and reduced turbidity [§98].

Sources:

  • §19 — Chapter 2 — Sudan: Geography and Environment
  • §22 — Chapter 3 — 3.2 Range Plant Agrobiodiversity
  • §43 — Chapter 3 — 3.5.2 Status of Wild Animals
  • §44 — Chapter 3 — 3.5.2.1 Mammals
  • §47 — Chapter 3 — 3.6 Marine Biodiversity
  • §54 — Chapter 3 — 3.6.4.1 Corals
  • §91 — Chapter 4 — Threats and Causes of Loss of Biodiversity
  • §93 — Chapter 4 — 4.2 Range Plant Agrobiodiversity
  • §95 — Chapter 4 — 4.4 Forest Biodiversity
  • §96 — Chapter 4 — 4.5 Wildlife Biodiversity
  • §98 — Chapter 4 — 4.7 Inland Waters and Wetlands Biodiversity

Sudan as a Global Centre of Crop Genetic Origin

Sudan lies within the East African Primary Region of crop genetic diversity. Sorghum, pearl millet, sesame, watermelon, okra, and dates most likely originated in Sudan, where wild and weedy relatives and traditional farmers' cultivars still exist [§21]. The country holds all three wild sorghum species believed to be the progenitors of cultivated sorghum — Sorghum aethiopicum, S. verticilliflorum, and S. arundiaceum — alongside approximately 18 wild Pennisetum species associated with pearl millet's origin in western Sudan [§21]. The Kordofan melon (Citrullus lanatus subsp. cordophanus) from Sudan has been identified as the closest known relative to domesticated watermelons [§21]. More than 50 indigenous date palm varieties are described, with cultivation in northern Sudan traced to approximately 3200 BC [§21].

This genetic heritage shapes the NBSAP's institutional architecture and budget in ways that are not apparent from the target list alone. The Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre (APGRC) of the Agricultural Research Corporation is a dedicated implementing body for cultivated plant agrobiodiversity, with responsibilities spanning community gene banks, crop wild relative collection missions, germplasm access procedures, and access and benefit sharing provisions linked to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) Benefit Sharing Fund [§113]. The APGRC operates a germplasm access system using a request form and material transfer letter for genetic resources outside the ITPGRFA Multilateral System [§103].

The ongoing war intersects directly with this heritage. Deep freezers storing seed samples at the national gene bank in Wad Medani were looted, laboratory equipment stolen or damaged, and a collection of 357 banana accessions in Kassala state was completely lost [§92]. The action plan includes two recovery measures directly addressing these losses: re-collection of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) to fill taxonomic and geographical gaps caused by the conflict (US$300,000) [§159], and restoration of traditional crop varieties into conflict-affected states of Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile (US$50,000) [§162]. The ABS provisions in the NBSAP include dedicated instruments for traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, reflecting obligations under both the Nagoya Protocol and the ITPGRFA.

Sources:

  • §21 — Chapter 3 — 3.1 Cultivated Plant Agrobiodiversity
  • §92 — Chapter 4 — 4.1 Cultivated Plant Agrobiodiversity
  • §103 — Chapter 5 — 5.1.2 Legal Frameworks (Plant Genetic Resources)
  • §113 — Chapter 6 — 6.1 Cultivated Plant Agrobiodiversity (Institutional Frameworks)
  • §159, §162 — Action tables

War, Biodiversity Loss, and Implementation Risk (2023–present)

The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, is embedded in the NBSAP as both a documented cause of biodiversity loss and a named implementation risk. The Executive Summary identifies the war among the "major threats currently causing great dangers to different components of biodiversity and ecosystems in the country" [§8]. The threats chapter describes destruction of ecosystems on a large scale, with long-term repercussions including increased vulnerability to climate change, deforestation, and soil degradation [§91].

Two specific material losses are documented. The national gene bank at the APGRC in Wad Medani suffered the looting of deep freezers storing seed samples and the theft or damage of laboratory equipment [§92]. A collection of 357 banana accessions in Kassala state has been completely lost [§92]. No systematic or quantified assessment of broader ecosystem damage from the conflict is provided in the NBSAP.

The NBSAP identifies the war alongside "lack of sufficient funding" as the primary risks that "might impede the implementation of a number of actions" [§8]. This risk statement bears directly on interpreting the strategy's implementation timeline: 61% of actions are ranked high priority [§8], and 64–70% of capacity building actions are planned to begin in 2025 [§590][§591] — a substantial front-loading of effort in a country where institutional capacity is simultaneously being degraded by active conflict.

Two recovery actions are explicitly budgeted in direct response to war damage: PGRFA re-collection to fill gaps caused by the conflict (US$300,000) [§159], and restoration of traditional crop varieties into war- and disaster-affected states (US$50,000) [§162]. No expected timeline for conflict resolution or for restoring the Wad Medani gene bank is stated in the NBSAP.

Sources:

  • §8 — Executive Summary
  • §91 — Chapter 4 — Threats and Causes of Loss of Biodiversity
  • §92 — Chapter 4 — 4.1 Cultivated Plant Agrobiodiversity
  • §159, §162 — Action tables
  • §590, §591 — Chapter 11 — Capacity Building Implementation Plan

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Sudan's 23 national commitments are aligned one-to-one with GBF Targets 1–23. The commitments are grouped below by thematic cluster.

Conditions of Nature (GBF Targets 1–4)

GBF Target 1 — Spatial planning. Sudan's national commitment on spatial planning calls for bringing down the rate of loss of all natural habitats by at least 25% by 2030, with degradation and fragmentation significantly reduced through participatory, integrated, and biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and/or effective management processes [§130]. Measurable commitment. The 25% threshold is explicit with a 2030 deadline. The GBF calls for reducing habitat loss to "close to zero"; Sudan's commitment sets a 25% reduction threshold. Monitoring uses headline indicators for the extent of natural ecosystems and the percentage of land and sea under biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning, with zonation targets of 75% terrestrial and 25% marine coverage.

GBF Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration. The national commitment on ecosystem restoration calls for ensuring that at least 10% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems are restored and safeguarded by 2030, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable [§131]. Measurable commitment. The 10% threshold is explicit with a 2030 deadline. The GBF sets a 30% threshold. The monitoring matrix specifies progress thresholds per ecosystem category: below 8% (low), 8–14% (moderate), above 14% (high).

GBF Target 3 — Protected areas (30x30). The national commitment on protected areas calls for conserving at least 15% of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030 through effectively and equitably managed protected areas, recognising the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities [§132]. Measurable commitment. The 15% threshold is explicit with a 2030 deadline. The GBF sets a 30% threshold. The NBSAP inventories Sudan's existing protected area network but does not state the current percentage of territory under formal protection; the gap to close to 15% cannot be derived from this document.

GBF Target 4 — Species recovery. The national commitment on species recovery calls for urgent management actions to prevent the extinction of known threatened species, maintain and restore genetic diversity within and between populations of native, wild, and domesticated species, and effectively manage human-wildlife interactions [§133]. Directional aspiration. The commitment specifies types of action and direction without setting quantitative thresholds. Key delivery instruments include community gene banks (US$500,000), APGRC capacity strengthening (US$1,000,000), reserved forest registration and reforestation with Acacia senegal, Acacia nilotica, and Khaya senegalensis (US$14,000,000), and a captive breeding centre for rare and extinct species with a genebank unit (US$5,000,000).

Reducing Pressures (GBF Targets 5–8)

GBF Target 5 — Sustainable harvest. The national commitment on sustainable harvest calls for ensuring that use, harvesting, and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe, and legal, preventing overexploitation and minimising impacts on non-target species, while respecting customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities [§134]. Directional aspiration. The commitment sets a qualitative standard; the Fish Stock Sustainability Index figure of 79% appears in the monitoring framework rather than the commitment text.

GBF Target 6 — Invasive alien species. The national commitment on invasive alien species calls for eliminating, minimising, reducing, and mitigating IAS impacts by identifying and managing pathways and controlling or eradicating priority species [§135]. Measurable commitment, with a discrepancy in source material. The national target text states a reduction rate of "at least 20%" [§135], while the per-target analysis states "at least 50%." The NBSAP text should be verified against the primary source; both figures are presented here as found. Key instruments include IAS eradication for forests (US$7,000,000), an IAS control and monitoring unit in Dinder National Park (US$3,000,000), and a ballast water analysis laboratory for detecting marine IAS (US$400,000).

GBF Target 7 — Pollution reduction. The national commitment on pollution calls for bringing pollution from excess nutrients, pesticides, and plastic to levels not harmful to biodiversity by 2030, reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by half, reducing pesticide risks, and working towards eliminating plastic pollution [§136]. Measurable commitment for the nutrients and pesticides elements; the plastic element uses explicitly hedged language ("working towards eliminating"). Pollution aspects receive the second-largest component budget in the NBSAP at US$120.19 million, with the majority designated for incinerators for hazardous chemicals and bioremediation — targeting contamination from artisanal gold mining and agrochemical abuse. The NBSAP proposes ratification of the Minamata Convention to address mercury use in artisanal mining (US$20,000).

GBF Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity. The national commitment on climate and biodiversity calls for minimising the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity, increasing resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction, and enhancing biodiversity's contribution to carbon stocks [§137]. Directional aspiration. The commitment specifies approach without quantitative thresholds. Forest biodiversity receives US$12.4 million for climate-related actions; delivery instruments include a Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan (US$350,000) and the REDD+ Programme.

Tools and Solutions (GBF Targets 9–13)

GBF Target 9 — Wild species use. The national commitment on wild species use calls for ensuring that governments, businesses, and stakeholders have implemented plans for sustainable use of wild species, keeping impacts within safe ecological limits, while protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities [§138]. Directional aspiration. The commitment specifies a process obligation without quantitative thresholds.

GBF Target 10 — Agriculture and forestry. The national commitment on agriculture and forestry calls for managing areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry sustainably through biodiversity-friendly practices, contributing to production system resilience, long-term productivity, and food security [§139]. Directional aspiration. Delivery instruments include an Ecosystem Approach Fishery Management plan (US$500,000), a national certification and labelling scheme for sustainably sourced forest products (US$900,000), a community incentive scheme for sustainable forest management (US$8,000,000), and climate adaptation breeding programmes using PGRFA (US$500,000).

GBF Target 11 — Ecosystem services (NbS). The national commitment on ecosystem services calls for restoring, maintaining, and enhancing nature's contributions to people — including regulation of air, water, climate, soil health, pollination, and disease risk reduction — through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches [§140]. Directional aspiration. Monitoring uses National Environmental Accounting aligned with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) as the headline indicator, alongside establishment of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management unit as a tracked instrument.

GBF Target 12 — Urban biodiversity. The national commitment on urban biodiversity calls for significantly increasing the area, quality, connectivity, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban areas through biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, and contributing to sustainable urbanisation [§141]. Directional aspiration. The monitoring framework sets a specific indicator of 10% green/blue space as a share of total city area; this threshold appears in the monitoring framework, not the commitment text.

GBF Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS. The national commitment on genetic resources and access and benefit sharing calls for taking effective legal, policy, administrative, and capacity-building measures to fully implement the Nagoya Protocol, including benefits from digital sequence information on genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources [§142]. Directional aspiration. The ABS legal framework is described as being "in the last stage of the endorsement and adoption process" [§467]. Total ABS budget across all national goals is US$14.88 million, with dedicated instruments for community ABS protocols (US$3,000,000), traditional knowledge documentation (US$3,500,000), and a traditional knowledge protection system (US$3,000,000).

Implementation Enablers (GBF Targets 14–23)

GBF Target 14 — Mainstreaming. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for integrating biodiversity and its values into national, state, and local development and poverty reduction strategies, planning processes, environmental assessments, and national accounting [§143]. Biodiversity economic accounting integration into educational curricula is a specified action.

GBF Target 15 — Business disclosure. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for measures to encourage business to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose biodiversity risks, dependencies, and impacts [§144]. Source material on this commitment is limited to an awareness action targeting artisanal gold mining chemicals (US$1.37 million under Goal D); no named partnership framework, reporting standard, or regulatory mechanism for broader private sector engagement is identified in the NBSAP.

GBF Target 16 — Sustainable consumption. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for governments, businesses, and stakeholders to implement plans for sustainable consumption, encouraging sustainable choices and waste reduction [§145]. The national certification and labelling scheme for sustainably sourced forest products is the primary delivery instrument.

GBF Target 17 — Biosafety. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for establishing and implementing biosafety measures under CBD Article 8(g) and biotechnology measures under Article 19 [§146]. Total biosafety and biotechnology budget is US$9.81 million, with instruments including the Sudan biosafety electronic platform and clearing house (US$150,000) and GMO detection and accreditation laboratories (US$1,500,000).

GBF Target 18 — Harmful subsidies. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for identifying, eliminating, phasing out, or reforming incentives harmful to biodiversity by 2030, starting with the most harmful, while developing positive incentives for conservation [§147]. No quantitative phaseout threshold is specified in the commitment text.

GBF Target 19 — Finance mobilisation. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for substantially increasing and mobilising financial resources from all sources, facilitated by a national biodiversity finance plan [§148]. A monitoring indicator of a 10% increase from reference data appears in the monitoring framework rather than the commitment text. Full financial treatment appears in Section 6.

GBF Target 20 — Capacity and technology. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for improving the knowledge and science base on Sudan's biodiversity through capacity building, technology transfer, access to innovations, and joint scientific research [§149].

GBF Target 21 — Data and information. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for ensuring the best available data, information, and knowledge are accessible to decision makers, practitioners, and the public, with traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities accessed only with free, prior, and informed consent [§150]. A monitoring framework was adopted in 2024 as part of the KMGBF Early Action Support project.

GBF Target 22 — Inclusive participation. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities at all relevant levels, respecting their cultures and rights, as well as women and girls, children and youth, and persons with disabilities, with full protection of environmental human rights defenders [§151]. A specific action calls for at least 10% indigenous peoples and local community representation in decision-making bodies, with women comprising at least 30% of those representatives.

GBF Target 23 — Gender equality. Directional aspiration. The commitment calls for gender equality in NBSAP implementation through a gender-responsive approach, recognising women's and girls' equal rights and access to land and natural resources [§152]. Specific numeric thresholds appear in the gender mainstreaming matrix in Appendix 5, not in the national commitment text: 50% women among community groups, 40% of training participants, 30% in expert and leadership roles, and 20% in some technical contexts [§593]. A national gender action plan for biodiversity (US$20,000) has confirmed funding.

Sources:

  • §130–§152 — National Targets 1–23 (Chapter 7 — National Biodiversity Strategy)
  • §294, §329, §356, §369, §379, §434, §445, §467, §478, §479, §545, §578, §593, §602, §610 — Action tables and monitoring framework

4. Delivery Architecture

Governance and institutional framework

HCENR serves as the overarching coordinator for policies and strategic planning across all biodiversity components, and is the main implementing and reporting agency for actions spanning inland waters, marine biodiversity, pollution, climate change impacts, biosafety, and access and benefit sharing [§112][§118].

Sector-specific agencies hold lead responsibility for discrete components. The Wildlife Conservation Forces (WCF), under the Ministry of Interior, administers wildlife conservation and law enforcement and reports on treaties including CITES [§117]. The Wildlife Research Centre (WRC) provides scientific consultation informing CITES implementation [§117]. The Forests National Corporation (FNC) holds authority over forest policy, technical supervision, afforestation, and reserved forest administration [§116]. The APGRC leads on cultivated plant genetic resources [§113]. Marine biodiversity implementation is shared among the Marine Fisheries Administration, the Institute of Marine Research, the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries at Red Sea University, and the Sea Ports Corporation [§118].

Legislative framework

The NBSAP catalogues over 20 sectoral acts dating from the Wildlife Protection Act (1935) through to the Environmental Protection Act (2001, amended 2020) [§100]. A systemic pattern of unratified legislation runs across every major biodiversity sector. The National Forest Policy (2006) has not been ratified; the revised Forests Act (2015) is "not sanctioned" [§107][§108]. The Wildlife Protection Law revision is "waiting for further steps towards official endorsement" [§109]. National plant genetic resources legislation is "not yet approved by the legislative authority" [§103]. The ABS legal framework is in "the last stage of the endorsement and adoption process" [§467]. The Rangeland Act (2015) requires activation, budgeted at US$100,000 [§211]. Activating or endorsing each of these instruments appears as a distinct budgeted action in the NBSAP's action plan; no expected ratification timelines are stated.

Sudan has ratified the CBD (1995), CITES (1983), the Ramsar Convention (2005), the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds Agreement (1999), the ITPGRFA (2002), and the Nagoya Protocol [§100][§102][§110]. The NBSAP proposes ratification of the Minamata Convention to address mercury use in artisanal gold mining (US$20,000) [§610].

Named programmes and instruments

For forests: the REDD+ Programme (initiated 2012, supported by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank); the Landscape Approach to Riverine Forests Restoration project (FNC–FAO, 2022–2024, covering 50,878 hectares of riverine forest ecosystems); and the BRIDGES multi-country programme targeting sustainable management of dryland forests and agro-silvo-pastoral systems [§116]. For wildlife: the SMART management system for all national parks (US$2,000,000); an e-CITES permitting and enforcement system integrated with Sudan's export platforms (US$10,000,000); and Ecosystem-Based Wildlife Conservation Plans for key protected and buffer zones (US$20,000,000) [§300][§318][§329]. For marine: an Ecosystem Approach Fishery Management plan (US$500,000), a Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan (US$350,000), and an Integrated Coastal Zone Management unit (US$600,000) [§356][§369][§379].

The NBSAP also includes an insects for food and feed programme under the University of Khartoum, proposing mass rearing of desert locust, tree locusts, and bugs as alternative protein sources, budgeted at US$800,000 [§451]. This programme addresses the same species — desert locust — that the NBSAP elsewhere identifies as a crop pest, treating insects simultaneously as a threat to agriculture and as a biodiversity component with food security potential.

Sources:

  • §100, §102, §103 — Chapter 5 — Policies, Plans and Legal Frameworks
  • §107, §108 — Chapter 5 — Forest Biodiversity
  • §109 — Chapter 5 — Wildlife Biodiversity
  • §110 — Chapter 5 — Inland Waters
  • §112, §113, §116, §117, §118 — Chapter 6 — Institutional Frameworks
  • §211, §300, §318, §329, §356, §369, §379, §451, §467, §610 — Action tables

5. Monitoring and Accountability

The monitoring framework for Sudan's 2025–2030 NBSAP was developed and adopted during 2024 as part of the KMGBF Early Action Support project [§602]. It employs a four-tier indicator system at the national target level — headline indicators, binary indicators, component indicators, and complementary indicators — with national-level action indicators incorporated into the action tables [§602]. The total dedicated monitoring budget is US$2,355,000 [§602].

HCENR is the primary body for implementation oversight and reporting. The monitoring matrix in Appendix 7 specifies progress measurement thresholds for each national target using three bands — low, moderate, and high — with verification methods including remote sensing, GIS, field surveys, and ground truth [§624][§625]. Implementing groups for monitoring span multiple agencies, including HCENR, FNC, WCF, the Faculty of Geographical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Khartoum, and the Sudan Surveying Authority [§624].

Action-level indicators in Appendix 1 range from output indicators (e.g., "Existence of the strategic action plan," "Web platform operating") to outcome indicators (e.g., "Trend in increase of forest cover," "Percentage of CITES regulated trade processed through the e-system") [§604][§605]. Each action specifies a responsible implementing body and named collaborators.

Existing data infrastructure relevant to monitoring baselines includes the FNC GeoNode-based geoportal, the Sudan National Forest Monitoring System (SNFMS) web portal, and the electronic Resource Management System at FNC [§116]. A National Forests Inventory conducted in 2017–2018 provides a forest baseline [§116].

Chapter 13 of the NBSAP identifies 14 actions with explicit roles for indigenous peoples and local communities, distributed across six biodiversity components and three CBD objectives, aligned with elements of the Programme of Work on Article 8(j) [§601]. Chapter 12 specifies a gender mainstreaming matrix in Appendix 5 covering 42 priority actions across 16 national targets, with tiered numeric participation targets of 50% women among community groups, 40% of training participants, and 30% in expert and leadership roles [§593]. A national gender action plan for biodiversity (US$20,000) has confirmed funding at time of NBSAP publication — the only cross-cutting action under GBF Target 23 with secured financing [§577].

Sources:

  • §116 — Chapter 6 — 6.4 Forest Biodiversity (Institutional Frameworks)
  • §577 — Chapter 10 — 10.1 Budgets
  • §593 — Chapter 12 — 12.1 Gender Mainstreaming
  • §601 — Chapter 13 — 13.3 IPLC Actions Overview
  • §602 — Chapter 14 — Monitoring Framework
  • §604, §605 — Appendices — Action Summary Tables
  • §624, §625 — Appendix 7 — Monitoring System Matrix

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP estimates a total implementation budget of US$409,525,000 for 304 actions across 2025–2030, with an additional US$2,355,000 for the monitoring framework and US$20,000 already secured for the national gender action plan for biodiversity [§577].

Allocation by national goal. Goal A (Protect and Restore) receives US$283,955,000 — 69% of total — across 125 actions. Goal D (Invest and Collaborate) accounts for US$96,930,000 across 126 actions. Goal B (Prosper with Nature) is estimated at US$18,490,000 across 40 actions, and Goal C (Share Benefits Fairly) at US$10,150,000 across 13 actions [§577].

Allocation by biodiversity component. Wildlife biodiversity receives the largest component allocation at US$120,550,000. Pollution aspects are second at US$120,190,000; the NBSAP notes that most of this budget is designated for "acquiring necessary equipment such as incinerators for hazardous chemicals" [§578] — targeting contamination from artisanal gold mining and agrochemical abuse. Forest biodiversity receives US$74,435,000. Smaller allocations cover inland waters and wetlands (US$18,420,000), access and benefit sharing (US$14,880,000), marine biodiversity (US$14,600,000), health (US$13,725,000), biosafety and biotechnology (US$9,810,000), insect and microorganism biodiversity (US$7,950,000), cultivated plant agrobiodiversity (US$7,380,000), range plant and animal agrobiodiversity (US$4,025,000), and climate change impacts (US$3,560,000) [§578].

Capacity building costs. Of the 304 total actions, 152 are categorised as capacity building and development, with an estimated budget of US$230,195,000. Within this, creating new structures, institutions, systems, or acquiring equipment accounts for US$168,215,000 — including a US$100,000,000 line item for chemical incinerators and bioremediation [§591].

Possible funding sources. The NBSAP identifies Sudan's Ministry of Finance as the primary domestic source, alongside multilateral funds (GEF, Green Climate Fund, LDCF, Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, ITPGRFA Benefit Sharing Fund, World Bank Group), international organisations (IUCN, IGAD, CGIAR, Global Crop Diversity Trust, WWF, PERSGA), UN agencies (FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO), bilateral cooperation agencies (JICA, GIZ, USAID, Sida, FINIDA), and the European Union [§579]. The NBSAP process itself was funded by GEF and implemented by HCENR [§8].

GBF Target 19 treatment. National Target 19 commits Sudan to substantially increasing financial resources from all sources, facilitated by a national biodiversity finance plan. Dedicated component targets for financial mobilisation are set under every biodiversity component in the NBSAP. The monitoring framework sets an indicator of at least 10% increase from reference data for international, domestic, and private funding separately — this threshold appears in the monitoring framework, not the national commitment text.

Implementation risks. The NBSAP identifies the ongoing war together with lack of sufficient funding as the primary risks to implementation [§8].

Sources:

  • §8 — Executive Summary
  • §148 — National Target 19
  • §577 — Chapter 10 — 10.1 Budgets
  • §578 — Chapter 10 — 10.2 Component Budgets
  • §579 — Chapter 10 — 10.3 Possible Sources of Funding
  • §591 — Chapter 11 — 11.3.3 Structures and Equipment

7. GBF Target Coverage

GBF Target 1 — Spatial planning

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to reducing the rate of loss of all natural habitats by at least 25% by 2030 through participatory, biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning, while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. The GBF calls for reducing habitat loss to "close to zero"; Sudan's commitment sets a 25% reduction threshold. Actions are distributed across five biodiversity components with a combined Goal A budget exceeding US$12 million. The monitoring framework uses headline indicators for the extent of natural ecosystems and land and sea coverage under biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning, with zonation targets of 75% terrestrial and 25% marine.

GBF Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to restoring and safeguarding at least 10% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems by 2030, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable. The GBF sets a 30% threshold. The monitoring matrix specifies progress thresholds per ecosystem category — below 8% (low), 8–14% (moderate), above 14% (high) — using remote sensing and GIS verification. Budget under Goal A includes US$300,000 for assessment studies to identify and prioritise degraded forest areas.

GBF Target 3 — Protected areas (30x30)

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to conserving at least 15% of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030 through effectively and equitably managed protected areas. The GBF sets a 30% threshold. Sudan's existing network comprises nine national parks (seven terrestrial, two marine — Sanganeb and Dungonab in the Red Sea), game reserves, one game sanctuary, and two bird sanctuaries. The current percentage of territory under formal protection is not stated in the NBSAP. Wildlife biodiversity actions alone are budgeted at over US$35 million under Goal A.

GBF Target 4 — Species recovery

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to urgent management actions to prevent extinction of known threatened species, maintain and restore genetic diversity, and manage human-wildlife interactions. Key instruments include community gene banks (US$500,000), APGRC capacity strengthening (US$1,000,000), reserved forest registration and reforestation with Acacia senegal, Acacia nilotica, and Khaya senegalensis (US$14,000,000), a captive breeding centre for rare and extinct species (US$5,000,000), and ecosystem-based wildlife conservation plans (US$20,000,000). Monitoring tracks threatened species status, population sizes above 500, and human-wildlife conflict indicators.

GBF Target 5 — Sustainable harvest

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to ensuring that use, harvesting, and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe, and legal while respecting customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities. The Ecosystem Approach Fishery Management plan is a named delivery instrument. The monitoring framework uses the Fish Stock Sustainability Index as a headline indicator with a target of 79% of seafood sustainably harvested. A wildlife sustainable use policy (US$250,000) and sustainable fishing regulations (US$150,000) are specifically budgeted.

GBF Target 6 — Invasive alien species

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to eliminating, minimising, reducing, and mitigating IAS impacts by identifying and managing pathways and controlling or eradicating priority species. There is a discrepancy in the source material: the national target text cites a reduction rate of "at least 20%" [§135] while the per-target analysis states "at least 50%"; both figures are noted without resolution. Delivery instruments include a US$7,000,000 IAS eradication programme for forests, an IAS control and monitoring unit in Dinder National Park (US$3,000,000), and a ballast water analysis laboratory for detecting marine IAS (US$400,000).

GBF Target 7 — Pollution reduction

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to bringing pollution from excess nutrients, pesticides, and plastic to levels not harmful to biodiversity by 2030, reducing excess nutrients by half, reducing pesticide risks, and working towards eliminating plastic pollution — the last element using explicitly hedged language. Pollution aspects receive US$120.19 million, primarily for hazardous chemical incinerators and bioremediation targeting contamination from artisanal gold mining and agrochemical abuse. Additional instruments include a national Integrated Pest Management plan (US$50,000), a plan to restrict highly toxic insecticides (US$500,000), a marine pollution laboratory (US$800,000), and proposed ratification of the Minamata Convention (US$20,000).

GBF Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to minimising the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity, increasing resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction, and enhancing biodiversity's contribution to carbon stocks. Forest biodiversity receives the largest sectoral allocation for climate-related actions at US$12.4 million across four actions. Monitoring indicators include greenhouse gas inventories from land use change, areas planted with climate-resilient trees, operationalisation of an early warning system, and the Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan as a tracked instrument.

GBF Target 9 — Wild species use

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to ensuring that governments, businesses, and stakeholders have implemented plans for sustainable use of wild species, keeping impacts within safe ecological limits while protecting customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities. Insect and microorganism sustainable use receives US$1,200,000 under Goal B — indicating attention to non-charismatic species alongside wildlife (US$800,000) and marine (US$600,000) sustainable use actions. Monitoring includes the percentage of women working in sustainable use activities.

GBF Target 10 — Agriculture and forestry

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to managing areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry sustainably through biodiversity-friendly practices contributing to food security and production system resilience. Delivery instruments include an Ecosystem Approach Fishery Management plan, a national certification and labelling scheme for sustainably sourced forest products (US$900,000), a community incentive scheme for sustainable forest management (US$8,000,000), and a climate adaptation breeding programme using PGRFA (US$500,000). The monitoring framework sets a threshold of 15% of forest area under long-term management.

GBF Target 11 — Ecosystem services (NbS)

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to restoring, maintaining, and enhancing nature's contributions to people through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches. Monitoring uses National Environmental Accounting as a headline indicator, aligned with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), tracking regulation of air quality, water quality, and protection from hazards. The Integrated Coastal Zone Management unit establishment is a specific monitoring indicator. Health aspects receive US$1,500,000 for two actions.

GBF Target 12 — Urban biodiversity

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to significantly increasing the area, quality, connectivity, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban areas through biodiversity-inclusive urban planning. The monitoring framework sets a target of 10% green/blue space as a share of total city area, with progress thresholds of below 4% (low), 4–7% (moderate), and above 7% (high). This threshold appears in the monitoring framework, not the national commitment text. Budget under this target is US$620,000.

GBF Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to fully implementing the Nagoya Protocol, including provisions covering digital sequence information on genetic resources and traditional knowledge, to ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing. Total ABS budget across all national goals is US$14.88 million. Key instruments include community ABS protocols (US$3,000,000), traditional knowledge documentation (US$3,500,000), a traditional knowledge protection system (US$3,000,000), ABS institutional structures including the Competent National Authority and checkpoints (US$100,000), and the ABS Clearing-House Mechanism (US$25,000). The ABS legal framework awaits final endorsement.

GBF Target 14 — Mainstreaming

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to integrating biodiversity and its values into development and poverty reduction strategies, planning processes, environmental assessments, and national accounting at all levels. Pollution aspects receive the largest allocation under this target (US$1,600,000) under Goal D, reflecting integration into environmental regulation. Biodiversity economic accounting integration into educational curricula is a specified action.

GBF Target 15 — Business disclosure

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to measures to encourage and enable businesses — particularly large and transnational companies and financial institutions — to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose biodiversity risks, dependencies, and impacts. The primary delivery mechanism in the NBSAP is an awareness action targeting artisanal gold mining chemicals (US$1.37 million under Goal D); no named partnership framework, reporting standard, or regulatory mechanism for broader private sector engagement is identified. The monitoring framework tracks the number of companies reporting on biodiversity disclosures.

GBF Target 16 — Sustainable consumption

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to ensuring that governments, businesses, and stakeholders implement plans for sustainable consumption, encouraging sustainable choices and waste reduction through education and awareness. The national certification and labelling scheme for sustainably sourced forest products (US$900,000) is the primary delivery instrument. Monitoring tracks the food waste index, sustainability in consumption of wild species, and mainstreaming of education for sustainable development across all levels of the education system.

GBF Target 17 — Biosafety

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to establishing, strengthening capacity for, and implementing biosafety measures under CBD Article 8(g) and biotechnology measures under Article 19. Total biosafety and biotechnology budget is US$9,810,000. Instruments include the Sudan biosafety electronic platform and clearing house (US$150,000), GMO detection and accreditation laboratories (US$1,500,000), and biosafety standard operating procedures (US$50,000). The number of institutional biosafety committees and levels of public participation in biosafety matters are monitored as indicators.

GBF Target 18 — Harmful subsidies

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to identifying, eliminating, phasing out, or reforming incentives harmful to biodiversity by 2030, starting with the most harmful, while developing positive incentives for conservation and sustainable use. Forest biodiversity receives the largest allocation under this target at US$15,300,000 across four actions. Instruments include a trust fund to encourage local communities and the private sector to raise wild animals and plant productive trees (US$2,000,000), a subsidised alternative energy scheme to reduce firewood and charcoal use (US$1,600,000), and distribution of free or subsidised seedlings for community forests (US$5,000,000). No quantitative phaseout threshold for harmful subsidies is specified in the national commitment text.

GBF Target 19 — Finance mobilisation

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to substantially increasing and mobilising financial resources from all sources facilitated by a national biodiversity finance plan. The NBSAP estimates a total budget of US$409,525,000 for 304 actions, with component targets for financial mobilisation set under every biodiversity component. Fifteen international and bilateral funding sources are explicitly named. The monitoring framework tracks increases of at least 10% from reference data for international, domestic, and private funding separately; this threshold appears in the monitoring framework, not the national commitment text.

GBF Target 20 — Capacity and technology

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to improving the knowledge and science base on biodiversity through capacity building and development, technology transfer, access to innovations, and joint scientific research programmes. 152 of the 304 total actions — 50% — are categorised as capacity building, with an estimated budget of US$230,195,000. Goal D (Invest and Collaborate) totals US$96,930,000. Key monitoring indicators include SMART system deployment across all national parks, percentage of stakeholders receiving training, and supply of GIS equipment, GPS devices, and drones.

GBF Target 21 — Data and information

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to ensuring the best available data, information, and knowledge are accessible to decision makers, practitioners, and the public, with traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities accessed only with free, prior, and informed consent. A monitoring framework was adopted in 2024 as part of the KMGBF Early Action Support project, with a dedicated budget of US$2,355,000. Existing data infrastructure includes the FNC GeoNode geoportal, the Sudan National Forest Monitoring System web portal, and the electronic Resource Management System at FNC. The ABS Clearing-House Mechanism and Sudan biosafety clearing house are tracked as information accessibility indicators.

GBF Target 22 — Inclusive participation

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities at all relevant levels, as well as women and girls, children and youth, and persons with disabilities, with full protection of environmental human rights defenders. Chapter 13 identifies 14 specific actions with explicit indigenous peoples and local community roles across six biodiversity components, aligned with the Programme of Work on Article 8(j). Numeric thresholds include at least 10% indigenous peoples and local community representation in decision-making bodies, with women comprising at least 30% of those representatives. Monitoring tracks the proportion of adult population with secure tenure rights, disaggregated by sex, and the percentage of positions held by women in national and local institutions.

GBF Target 23 — Gender equality

Tier 1 — Addressed. Sudan commits to gender equality in NBSAP implementation through a gender-responsive approach, recognising women's and girls' equal rights and access to land and natural resources. Chapter 12 and Appendix 5 provide a dedicated gender mainstreaming matrix covering 42 priority actions across 16 national targets, distributed by CBD objective: conservation (64%), sustainable use (17%), access and benefit sharing (7%), and cross-cutting (12%) [§593]. Tiered participation targets are specified — 50% women among community groups, 40% of training participants, 30% in expert and leadership roles, and 20% in some technical contexts. A national gender action plan for biodiversity (US$20,000) has confirmed funding, the only cross-cutting action under this target with secured financing at time of NBSAP publication.