Government, NGOs collaborate to revise biodiversity action plan

The Tuangata Poro Poro National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), adopted in 2002, has many gaps and is outdated, and has not been reviewed or updated in 22 years.

Last week, Tu’anga Taporoporo (National Environment Agency) hosted a two-day workshop for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies to “understand national biodiversity priorities” and align them with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to develop a revised and updated strategy and action plan.

Karen Silk, NBSAP project coordinator, said bringing together agencies and NGOs was a good starting point to fit into the framework of three global themes – reducing threats to biodiversity, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing, and tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming.

“We have 23 goals and a lot of things to accomplish, and we need to know how to work together,” Silk said.

The global biodiversity goals for 2030 are: protection and restoration, flourishing with nature, equitable sharing of benefits, investment and cooperation.

The objectives of the workshop include:

• Working with governments and society at large (NGOs and civil society organizations)
• Introduce the NBSAP project and its components, as well as the Global Biodiversity Framework;
• Aligning national policies and plans with GBF
• Identify GBF’s priority targets,
• Identify priority GBF targets for localisation in line with the updated Cook Islands NBSAP national targets.

Currently, the objectives of the NBSAP are to conserve endangered species, establish a system of protected areas, reduce the harmful impacts of endangered species and prevent further invasions, use biodiversity in a sustainable manner, conserve biodiversity-related knowledge, and ensure the equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity.

Gaps and challenges include lack of review since ratification, pollution, health issues, climate change, culture, gender and other pressing topics that need to be prioritized, funding, data, research, benefit sharing, awareness and education.

NBSAP’s success stories over the past 22 years include databases, surveys, biosecurity, the Marae Moana Multi-Use Marine Park project and its translation into Cook Islands Maori.