National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, 2016-2022 (Sri Lanka)

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) envisions that Sri Lanka's biodiversity is valued, conserved and sustainably used to benefit all its citizens. The NBSAP will have an operational period of seven years from 2016 to 2022 and will provide the strategic approach needed to ensure that Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity is conserved and used in a sustainable manner. It includes national targets that are synergistic with global targets such as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals. Further, the NBSAP is also consistent with other national and sub-national policy frameworks, mainly the updated National Action Plan for Haritha Lanka Programme, which will have a similar operational period as the NBSAP. The NBSAP is also a guiding policy framework for provincial authorities of Sri Lanka, as well as civil society groups and private sector organizations in approaches to biodiversity conservation and ecosystems management. Therefore, during the NBSAP preparation, all these stakeholders were consulted in order to ensure that the proposed actions are acceptable to all stakeholders and can be practically implemented. The NBSAP also outlines the strategy to raise public awareness and implement the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing (CBD, 2010b)—to achieve the third objective of the CBD. The country will need a systematic capacity building strategy to achieve this and thereby, protect its sovereign resources and provide benefits for all Sri Lankans.