CBD First National Report - Saudi Arabia (English version)

Part Three reviews the status of terrestrial biodiversity with its 2,250 species of flora, 76species of mammals, 444 species of birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. The status ofmarine and freshwater biodiversity is also covered. The major threats for each of thosesectors are discussed.Part Four contains seventeen strategic goals for the conservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity that include in-situ conservation both inside and outside protected areas; exsituconservation; conserving and developing forests and woodlands, desert rangelands,living marine resources and agricultural biodiversity; regulating access to geneticresources and introducing national biosafety standards; enacting environmentallegislation, supporting scientific research, enhancing environmental education, andachieving socio-economic development; encouraging collaborative management andpromoting cooperation for biodiversity; generating income from wildlife resources anddeveloping nature based tourism.Part Five contains seventeen sets of preliminary action plans to serve as a guide for theimplementation of the above strategic goals. The final detailed working action plans foreach strategic goal will need to be individually prepared and implemented by thoseministries, organizations or institutions that have been identified in the Strategy, as wellas cross-sectoral coordination among all parties concerned, as highlighted in the forewordby HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal.Part Six deals with the mechanism for implementing and monitoring the Strategy andstresses the fact that all the government agencies, non-governmental organizations,scientific institutions, and local stakeholders in Saudi Arabia will need to participate. Themechanism for implementing the strategy includes an organizational chart and adescription of its components.Saudi Arabia has ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity and fulfilled itsobligation of preparing a National Biodiversity Strategy [Article 6(a)]. The next step is tointegrate the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into all the relevantsectors of the government and national plans of the country [Article 6(b)].National Biodiversity Strategies are designed and implemented throughpartnerships - where the different parties work together as partners and not ascompetitors. The roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, as well as their agreementon modes of collaboration, must be properly defined to avoid conflict.In order to implement the National Biodiversity Strategy all concerned ministries,organizations and institutions in Saudi Arabia need to prepare detailed Action Plans.These plans will reflect the level of experience, human resources and budgets thoseinstitutions are prepared to commit to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity.The National Biodiversity Strategy has proposed a set of seventeen action plans toguide the implementation of the Strategy. The proposed action plans list priorityactivities, projects and programmes that require immediate attention.However, the preparation of detailed action plans is the next step in the process and is anintegral part of the mechanism for implementing the Strategy. It will require thecombined effort of a National Coordinator (representing the National Commission forWildlife Conservation and Development) and Sectoral Coordinators (representing theNational Committee for Biological Diversity).48