Table of content

A roadmap to a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

All aspects and levels of biodiversity will be taken into account, as well as how economic sectors may impact biodiversity resources (e.g. industry, energy, agriculture and forestry, tourism etc.).

Experience from other countries indicates that the NBSAP will not be effectively implemented without broad commitment of all interested stakeholders to the process and its outcomes. In order to secure the involvement of stakeholders in the process, a number of structures should be formed, including a steering committee, reference group, project management team, and thematic task teams.

Here follows a tentative scheme for structuring the various phases and stakeholder involvement in preparing the NBSAP.

1. General objectives of Iraqi NBSAP

Main policy objectives concerning biodiversity for the Iraqi National Biodiversity Strategy are as follows:

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  Review and update of all Environmental legislation
  
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  Creation of a NATIONAL law for protected areas
  
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  Pollution remediation and control
  
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  Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment policies for biodiversity protection
  
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  Legislation and practical control concerning Invasive species
  
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  Development of management plans for protected areas
  
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  Establishment of a national network of protected areas
  
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  NATIONAL law for forest management and protection
  
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  NATIONAL law for regulating hunting activities and the collection and trade of wild fauna and flora
  
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  Establishment and reorganization of environmental/agriculture departments at local governorates to communicate with local communities and manage/plan the sustainable use of their livelihoods
  
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  Enhancement and promotion of local, traditional knowledge and practices to sustainably manage the environment and resources
  
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  Capacity building and training initiatives
  
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  Promote activities that would generate revenue from sustainable use of nature resources.
  

2. Define other National priorities

3. Mainstreaming Biodiversity

Some of the existing actions for biodiversity conservation in Iraq span a number of these sectors: the Mesopotamia Marshland National Park Management Plan, the New Eden Master Plan for Integrated Water Resource Management in the Marshland Areas, and the Dalmaj Marsh Management for Aquaculture Operations of Bunni (Barbus sharpeyi), for instance, cross-cut with agriculture, health, water management, rural development, tourism, fishery and trade. The KBA projects cross-cut rural development, forestry, fishery, education, and tourism.

Additionally, some of the policy measures, processes, and actions started or already in place for the implementation of other international conventions (e.g. CITES, CMS, Ramsar, the World Heritage Convention, UNFCCC, and UNCCD) also involve multiple sectors.

In addition to the MOE, many other institutional bodies have environmental functions and that been involved in a number of environmental projects. Unfortunately, even for those ministries with core environmental functions (like Environment, Water Management and Agriculture) communication and cooperation capacity is still poor. Some examples of mutual involvement in environmental issues by different bodies include:

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  The designation, in February 2008, of the Hawizeh marsh as a Ramsar site involved higher government level cooperation to ratify the Convention. Moreover, in Iraq the instrument of adoption of an international convention (e.g. the National Law) has to be approved by the Parliament with the consensus of all the Ministries. A Ramsar National Committee has also been established involving all ministries concerned; since a Management Plan for the marsh exists, the National Committee has to approve it and implement it. Unfortunately, as stated previously, the plan has not been implemented as of yet, and therefore further cooperation and the functioning of the National Committee is under discussion.
  
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  A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between TRI, MOWR, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and MOA to try to address various issues related to water resources (see also paragraph II.2.5). This is an attempt to stimulate cooperation and mainstreaming between different institutional bodies, even though the outcomes of these activities are sporadic and do not have the necessary commitment and continuity.
  
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  The Ministries of Environment, Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Agriculture conducted research in 2005 on the degradation of Iraqi forested areas. Also in the collection of data and research activities more cooperation and communication is needed. Very often data are collected twice and used by the various stakeholders separately, replicating both efforts and results.
  
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  A Biodiversity National Committee has been established (see also Background Information above), involving all relevant governing bodies. Hopefully this Committee with time and increasing capacity will launch a new vision of the institutional roles and will take on the primary responsibility for mainstreaming biodiversity protection.