NBSAP Project

TOPACTIVITIESNBSAP Research

Introduction

Since 2016, the IPSI Secretariat at UNU-IAS has been spearheading a series of IPSI Collaborative Activities on the application of landscape approaches to National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The project was initiated with research activities, aiming to re-conceptualize landscape approaches in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and analyze and validate their applicability for the development as well as implementation of NBSAPs. The research was carried out by the IPSI Secretariat at UNU-IAS along with IPSI members the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives (UT-IFI). Based on these activities, a practical manual has been developed by UNU-IAS and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) to inform policy administrators of how to incorporate landscape approaches into NBSAPs.
The project has been supported by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

Please see below for more information on past and current phases of the research, as well as available resources.

Background

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the main instruments for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). They offer a roadmap to each Party for integrating biodiversity considerations into national decision-making and also for mainstreaming issues across all sectors with the goal of fulfilling the objectives of the Convention. Through the NBSAP process, many contracting Parties expressed the need to strengthen NBSAPs and enhance their accountability. An attempt to assist with implementation of the CBD, this research project aims to investigate how integrated approaches for managing production landscapes and seascapes, in particular the SEPLS concept promoted through IPSI, can effectively facilitate NBSAP development and implementation.

Phase 1

The first phase of the research project, an IPSI Collaborative Activity titled “Research on development and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) toward realization of societies in harmony with nature,” was conducted during the fiscal year 2016-2017. Phase 1 research activities, which included literature reviews, analyses of NBSAPs and National Reports, and an international workshop, aimed to examine to what extent landscape approaches were incorporated into NBSAPs and how landscape approaches were implemented and contributed toward achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The research report from phase 1 of the research is available for download here or under “Resources” below.

Phase 2

A second phase was carried out in fiscal year 2018-2019 following up on the findings from phase 1, and was endorsed as an IPSI Collaborative Activity titled “Research on mainstreaming integrated approaches in production landscapes and seascapes into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)”. Phase 2 research aimed to continuously assist Parties in deepening their understanding of landscape approaches for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and to aid them in incorporating them in NBSAP development and implementation. Research activities included two web surveys, a second international workshop, and the development of a draft manual on applying landscape approaches to NBSAP processes and two policy briefs. The manual is designed as a technical guide to help policy administrators apply landscape approaches in development and implementation of NBSAPs and other relevant strategies and policies.

Final Phase

The final phase began in 2021 as an IPSI Collaborative Activity titled "Development of a manual on application of landscape approaches to National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) ". In this phase, a user-friendly manual is being developed to guide policymakers apply landscape approaches while updating and further implementing NBSAPs in line with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF). In addition, a pamphlet and a short video will complement the manual and support capacity development for the implementation of the post-2020 GBF.
    • Parties and other relevant organisations are being consulted to guarantee that the manual is useful to diverse decision makers. At the CBD Geneva meetings convened in March 2022, UNU-IAS organised a side event in partnership with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), UNDP, and the Government of Japan. The event hosted an open panel discussion that explored the challenges and capacity needs to apply landscape approaches in the development of NBSAPs . In April 2022, consultation workshops with Parties and relevant organisations were held to collect views and suggestions on a draft manual. 
The manual underwent further development based on feedback and was finalized following the adoption of the Post-2020 GBF at COP15, leading to its publication in October 2023 in collaboration with IGES and with the support of the Secretariat of CBD. This practical guide, titled "Using Landscape Approaches in National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Planning", facilitates the integration of landscape approaches into NBSAPs, which are crucial instruments for countries to achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Landscape approaches consider ecological, social, and economic contexts, harmonizing human activities with biodiversity conservation.

The guide and accompanying video are available for download in the Resources section below, and UNU-IAS encourages feedback on practical implementation challenges and case studies to enhance future editions. Contributions can be emailed to isi@unu.edu.

Resources

“Using Landscape Approaches in National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Planning”: Finalised guide.
“Integration of Landscape Approaches into NBSAPs”: A video to offer guidance for policymakers on integrating landscape approaches into NBSAPs.
“Research on development and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans toward realization of societies in harmony with nature”: The final research report from phase 1 of the project.
“Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production landscapes: Integrated Approaches in Design and Implementation of national Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans”: The workshop report from the international workshop held as part of phase 1 of the project.