Photo by the author from COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, 2024

Nepal is a state party to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). Nepal ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1993 and it came under enforcement on February 21, 1994. Article 26 of the CBD requires every signatory country to prepare a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) that is technically sound, objective, transparent, collaborative, constructive, and enhances collectivism. NBSAP is the main instrument for integrating the UN's CBD goals.

As of October 31, 2024, only 43 out of 196 parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have submitted their revised and updated NBSAP plans. Nepal is among those who have not submitted the required NBSAP documents. Nepal has previously prepared NBSAP 2014–2020 and is currently working on revising NBSAP for 2024–2030. Hence, Nepal needs to revise NBSAP as an umbrella strategy for biodiversity management while ensuring effective and meaningful participation of all actors, including Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).

This article explores why Nepal’s NBSAP revision is taking so long and what is delaying it. Nepal is currently assessing the current state of biodiversity, including underlying drivers of biodiversity threats, by attempting to understand stakeholders’ problems, needs and priorities. Global Voices spoke to leader Krishna Chandra Paudel, Team Leader for the revision of NBSAP in the consultation meeting, who said:

The planning phase started in July 2023, and involved a Situation analysis which was completed in November 2024. Currently, Nepal is drafting NBSAP which started in  July 2024 and aims to complete in Feb 2025. This process aims to complete its validation workshop of NBSAP by April 2025.

Photo by the Author from the slides presented in NBSAP consultation meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Used with permission.

Among the multiple consultations held at the central level, Global Voices had an opportunity to interact at the event on January 5, 2025, organised by NIWF, with the Technical Expert of the NBSAP revision team, Uttam Babu Shrestha, Sunaina Sharma, on why it is taking a long time to draft NBSAP in Nepal.

Uttam explained the COVID-19 pandemic was the first issue that delayed the process of consultation, documentation, and interaction with all the rights holders and stakeholders. Furthermore, Uttam mentioned that:

This NBSAP process has required detailed stakeholder consultations and their participatory engagement, this has extended the time for consultation making it more late in drafting the NBSAP revision.

In a similar conversation, Bijendra Basnyat, a representative from BIOFIN Nepal, shared:

Around 24 Stakeholder Engagement Experts and 18 NBSAP revision Team has been recruited and currently Nepal is carrying out 49 consultations on NBSAP all over Nepal representing all physiographic and provinces of Nepal. We have around more than 111 round table consultations, 42 workshops in total, and then seven province-level validations. Each sites will have consultation on three themes (Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities issues, Biodiversity Conservation and Biodiversity mainstreaming) and 1 workshop in each provinces.

This will further delay leading to unplanned consultations and interactions with wider stakeholders, right holders of a government entity, and non-government entities.

During an in-person interview with Kamal Sapang Rai, a member of the NBSAP Technical Steering Committee, he mentioned:

To make the process more inclusive and follow the principles of ‘whole of society and whole of government approach’ we are planning to make it more inclusive and participatory. Nepal’s National target has almost doubled to 36 whereas KMGBF target is only 23. Voices were missing out from rights holders and stakeholders hence consultation is ongoing in all 3 tiers of governing system; Local, provincial and federal systems. Additionally, a Technical Steering Committee of NBSAP is yet to carry out dialogue with the Ministry, government line agencies and UN bodies  so, it is taking bit more time.

Financial limitations further hinder the allocation of adequate resources for comprehensive NBSAP development and consultations, leading to poor coordination among different stakeholders, including government agencies, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and civil society organizations.

Bureaucratic inefficiencies, political instability, and changes in leadership affect long-term planning and decision-making, which will also ultimately impact institutional and organizational management. This leads to a delay in effectively engaging Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), which is essential in the NBSAP revision process.

Photo by the author of an interaction meeting held in Lalitpur District, Nepal. Used with permission.

At this stage of the revision process, a strategic approach to stakeholder engagement is imperative to overcome the constraints and enhance the effectiveness of NBSAP implementation in Global Majority countries. Engaging stakeholders is crucial for achieving conservation goals. Achieving stakeholder buy-in at the broadest level is necessary for the success of these initiatives. The involvement and commitment of various stakeholders are critical to achieving the goals of NBSAP. Multi-stakeholder engagement horizontally and vertically in all forms is essential.

This critical action necessitates the identification of key stakeholders, including local communities, to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity initiatives.

In the year 2024, I had an opportunity to attend a side event organised at SABSTA 26 and SBI 4 in Nairobi, Kenya, the delegation team from Bhutan shared a success story of submitting the NBSAP in a timely manner. The Bhutan delegates said that the formation of a technical working group is essential for the development of the NBSAP.

The delegates emphasized the crucial need to involve the right people with the appropriate knowledge and expertise. This group should have specific terms of reference to guide the NBSAP development process effectively. According to delegates from Bhutan, even if some stakeholders do not directly contribute to the NBSAP, raising their awareness is necessary. Nature-based solutions and the concepts of a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach are often not well understood. Therefore, these concepts need to be communicated in an accessible manner to all stakeholders.

Transferring ownership and responsibility is significant because environmental issues are often perceived as solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE).

Photo by the author of an ongoing plenary session in Nairobi, Kenya, 2024. Used with permission.

As Nepal moves on with the revision of NBSAP, capacity building of stakeholders and right holders at all levels is necessary as there is a need for collaboration around NBSAP development. Additionally, officials must reach out to other groups for support and knowledge sharing.

Furthermore, there is a need for integrated NBSAP data monitoring, which is a common issue faced by many countries in the realm of biodiversity conservation. This helps officials track progress and make informed decisions. The absence of reliable indicators further exacerbates this problem, as there are no benchmarks to measure against. Lack of data related to biodiversity has significantly impacted the implementation of conservation strategies, hindering the ability to assess the effectiveness of initiatives and adapt them as needed. Addressing these gaps in data monitoring and indicator development is crucial for improving biodiversity conservation efforts globally.