By Arasha Soila
Nairobi, Kenya: During the just concluded 26th session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Nairobi, concerns were raised about Kenya’s delay in submitting its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
Kenya boasts an incredible wealth of biological diversity. The country is home to a vast array of plant and animal species inhabiting diverse environments, from vibrant coral reefs to the icy alpine moorlands of its mountains.
Approximately 70% of Kenya’s biodiversity resources exist outside protected areas, with the remaining 30% found within national parks, reserves, sanctuaries, gazetted forests, and heritage forests.
However, Kenya’s biodiversity faces significant threats from both natural and human-induced factors. The most pressing issue is habitat degradation, fragmentation, and loss.
The primary drivers include human population growth, which places increasing pressure on habitats and land resources; poverty, which leads to the unsustainable exploitation of land and biodiversity; and insufficient financial resources to support effective conservation efforts. Without dedicated research and focused conservation actions, Kenya risks losing many unique species, some of which are endemic to the region.
Despite these pressing challenges, Kenya has not yet submitted its NBSAP. The NBSAP serves as a comprehensive framework designed to address the multifaceted threats to the country’s biodiversity. It outlines strategic actions for conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of benefits derived from biodiversity resources. The delay in submitting NBSAP raises concerns about the country’s commitment and prioritization to addressing biodiversity challenges comprehensively.
Speaking at a press briefing, David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the CBD, said that biodiversity and ecosystem services mitigate environmental catastrophes and also enhance the capability to recover from them. “We cannot dissociate biodiversity loss from the other global issues including climate change, the water crisis, and the pollution crisis. The Biodiversity Plan is part, an important part – an essential part – of the response to these challenges,” he emphasized.
“One year and a half after The Biodiversity Plan was historically adopted, Parties to the CBD must now fine-tune the important details that will take the world from agreement to action,” said Cooper. Adding that the Subsidiary Body is leveraging science and technology to help the parties to the CBD deliver on their commitment to people and nature.
Without a formally submitted NBSAP, Kenya risks falling behind in its biodiversity conservation obligations under international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The absence of a strategic action plan means continued habitat degradation, fragmentation, and loss. This could lead to the extinction of unique species and the deterioration of ecosystems that provide essential services.
Furthermore, biodiversity loss can have significant economic impacts. Agriculture, fisheries, and tourism which are key sectors in Kenya’s economy are at risk potentially leading to economic downturns. Degraded ecosystems will provide fewer resources pushing many livelihoods that are dependent on them beyond poverty levels.
According to David Ainsworth, Communications Director of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), Kenya, along with several other countries, struggles to develop their NBSAPs due to a lack of capacity. “The lack of scientific and technical knowledge and funding is what is delaying most countries,” he noted. This capacity gap hinders their ability to create comprehensive and effective biodiversity action plans.
Ainsworth highlighted that another major issue is the lack of effective communication and coordination within governments. “Ministries that need to collaborate on these plans often do not engage with each other properly, leading to further delays and inefficiencies. This lack of inter-ministerial communication exacerbates the difficulties in formulating and implementing NBSAPs,” he noted.
He emphasized that addressing the issues of funding and capacity building will be a major focus at the upcoming meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI). These discussions aim to forge solutions that will help countries overcome the barriers to developing their NBSAPs. By enhancing funding mechanisms and building technical and scientific capacities, the UNCBD hopes to support nations like Kenya in their biodiversity conservation efforts.
The SBI is a follow-up of the SBSTTA meeting which will take place between May 21 and 29 of this year. The deliberations at SBSTTA 26 on the monitoring framework will inform the discussion of the SBI on monitoring, review, and reporting mechanisms. Resource mobilization, funding, capacity building, and technology transfer are among the agendas that will be discussed at SBI.
