Guidance on including wetlands in National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to boost biodiversity and halt wetland loss and degradation

Wetland conservation and restoration is an essential component of delivering the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) vision of a world living in harmony with nature where “by 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.”

This document supports the inclusion of ambitious wetland commitments and actions in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as a pivotal way of boosting biodiversity, to achieve the goals of both the Convention on Wetlands and the KM-GBF.

This report focuses on the critical role of wetlands in achieving the 23 targets of the KMGBF by 2030. It provides guidance to Parties to the CBD on how to incorporate the role and importance of wetlands and key actions into their NBSAPs in relation to each target.

It also provides Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands, with information on how to support delivery of the KM-GBF and achieve targets within the Fourth Strategic Plan of the Convention on Wetlands and the forthcoming Fifth Strategic Plan. For each KM-GBF target, technical guidance, along with case studies, is provided about what could be included in NBSAPs for wetlands.

Annex 1 also provides information on alignment of the KM-GBF targets with national delivery of targets within the Convention on Wetlands’ Fourth Strategic Plan along with more detailed information on target setting and implementing wetland conservation and restoration.

This report is designed to assist all those involved in updating and delivery of NBSAPs, including those responsible for assessing progress at different scales. It will be useful for government officials (including CBD Focal Points and Convention on Wetlands Focal Points), national level NBSAP Steering Committees, those providing advice and those involved in implementation across sectors at national and global levels. We encourage all parties to share this guidance widely with relevant stakeholders.