National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2025-2035.

This National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) provides The Gambia’s national framework for conserving, restoring and sustainably using biodiversity while integrating biodiversity into economic and social development, in accordance with the country’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The Strategy moves towards a consolidated, cross-sectoral and decentralised approach, connecting biodiversity with food security and livelihood, fisheries and agricultural production, climate adaptation and resilience, water regulation and soil fertility, eco-tourism and employment, poverty reduction and sustainable national development. The Strategy describes five overarching strategic goals: 1) mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society; 2) reducing direct pressures on biodiversity and promoting sustainable use; 3) protecting ecosystems, species and genetic diversity; 4) maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services and their benefits to people; 5) improving participatory planning, knowledge management, capacity and institutional implementation. The Strategy focuses on a set of national targets arranged around thematic areas, including: creation of protected areas, to protect and manage terrestrial and marine ecosystems; increasing mangrove coverage and wetland protection; protection of marine turtles by reducing disturbance at key nesting sites; protection and management of fisheries; conservation of priority local crop and seed varieties; reducing chemical pesticide use in smallholder farming; reducing the spread of invasive alien species; reducing plastic and solid-waste inputs into the Gambia River and coastal waters, and securing compliance with national effluent standards by industrial dischargers; implementing ecosystem-based adaptation measures; training community rangers in biodiversity monitoring and sustainable resource management.
Implementation measures are grouped into six broad categories of action: 1) integrating biodiversity into agriculture, fisheries, forestry, infrastructure, urban development and other sectoral policies; 2) strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement; 3) establishing or strengthening protected areas; 4) community management of forests, wetlands and fisheries; 5) biodiversity information and monitoring; 6) improving partnerships with NGOs, communities, research institutions, businesses and international organisations. The Strategy also focuses on aquatic biodiversity, dealing with sustainable fish-stock management, reduction of illegal fishing, fishing-gear restrictions, protection of mangroves and estuaries, wetland and riparian restoration, aquaculture development. The Strategy concerns targeted measures on agricultural sector, including: agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, soil and water conservation, integrated pest management, sustainable grazing, conservation of indigenous livestock breeds, improved rangeland management.