Guidelines shared for mainstreaming biodiversity and development

To mark the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, IIEDt and UNEP-WCMC are sharing new guidelines for mainstreaming biodiversity and development.

News, 22 May 2015
The theme of the 2015 International Day for Biological Diversity is 'biodiversity for sustainable development' (Image: Convention on Biological Diversity)

The theme of the 2015 International Day for Biological Diversity is 'biodiversity for sustainable development' (Image: Convention on Biological Diversity)

They ;are a culmination of a joint three-year National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) project and are based on the experience of African project partners.

All parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are revising their NBSAPs, and this project was set up to guide the NBSAPs revisions process and build African leadership in biodiversity mainstreaming.

This Darwin Initiative-funded project focuses on making sure poverty alleviation is included in the strategies and plans in four developing countries.

These recently published guidelines are aimed at anyone working on mainstreaming biodiversity concerns into development policy and planning, or involved in national or sector development planning who wants to highlight how biodiversity contributes to economic and social development, and define ways to improve this.

It is also useful for those developing or revising a NBSAP who want to make sure that it really supports poverty reduction and social inclusion.