BY NOXOLO DLAMINI
PIGGS PEAK – Eswatini has begun validating a new 10-year national strategy aimed at guiding the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s biodiversity from 2026 to 2035.
The Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, in partnership with the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), is convening the National Validation Workshop for the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 3.0), bringing together relevant stakeholders to scrutinise and validate the strategy before its finalisation and adoption.
The workshop is reviewing the final draft of NBSAP 3.0 to determine whether it adequately captures Eswatini’s biodiversity priorities and provides practical actions, implementation arrangements and clearly defined responsibilities for the next decade.
NBSAP 3.0 is expected to serve as Eswatini’s principal national framework for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use between 2026 and 2035. It also seeks to translate the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into national priorities, targets and actions.
Opening the workshop, the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs highlighted the central role biodiversity plays in the country’s development, particularly through ecosystems that support food production, water security, tourism and livelihoods.
“Biodiversity is fundamental to the wellbeing and development of our nation. Our ecosystems support food production, water security, tourism, livelihoods, cultural values and climate resilience,” the Minister said.
The Minister added that protecting these natural resources should not be viewed solely as an environmental responsibility, but as an important part of the country’s wider development agenda.
The validation process is intended to allow stakeholders to provide final input and recommendations that can strengthen the strategy before it proceeds to finalisation and adoption.
Once adopted, NBSAP 3.0 will provide a framework for guiding national biodiversity conservation efforts, sustainable use of natural resources and coordinated implementation of biodiversity-related priorities over the 2026–2035 period.
The workshop therefore represents a key step in determining how Eswatini will translate its biodiversity commitments into practical national actions over the coming decade.
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(Courtesy Pic)
