CHM - ORTSaint Vincent and the Grenadines National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2026-2030 is developed based on lessons learned from NBSAP 2015-2020. It aligns national ambition with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted at COP15, translating its four goals and 23 targets into 14 National Targets that address spatial planning, protected areas and OECMs, endangered species recovery, invasive species control, pollution reduction, sustainable use, restoration, biosafety, inclusive governance, and biodiversity finance. By design, the NBSAP advances a whole-of-government and whole-of-society agenda, strengthens access to international financing, and focuses delivery on island priorities such as coastal and marine conservation, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, climate resilience, and community stewardship through 2030.
NBSAP Vision: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines live well in harmony with nature as a climate-resilient archipelago where connected, effectively managed protected and conserved areas, restored ecosystems, and sustainable land- and seascapes along with resilient communities halt and reverse biodiversity loss, secure food, water and livelihoods, ensure climate adaptation, facilitate sustainable economic growth, and fully contribute to achieving the Kunming–Montreal GBF Goals A, B, C, and D at the national level.
NBSAP Objective: By 2030, achieve all 14 National Targets as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ fair-share contribution to the Kunming–Montreal GBF Targets, through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach
National Targets: NBSAP 2026-2030 have 14 National Targets identified and formulated through participatory stakeholder consultation process in March-September 2025:
- Target 1. Spatial Planning: By 2028, establish an integrated national spatial planning framework that includes all ecologically significant terrestrial and marine ecosystems and ecosystem services (e.g., clean water, flood protection, soil fertility), incorporating key biodiversity areas and climate resilience strategies into national land use and marine planning;
- Target 2. Integrating Biodiversity into Economic Sectors: By 2029, integrate biodiversity considerations into national economic policies, ensuring that all key industries (agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry, construction, and waste management) adopt nature-positive practices;
- Target 3. Endangered Species: By 2030, prevent extinction and improve conservation status of key nationally threatened species through habitat protection, species recovery programs, and stronger anti-poaching enforcement;
- Target 4. Deforestation: By 2030, reduce the national deforestation rate by at least 50% and restore connectivity between fragmented forests;
- Target 5. Protected Areas Expansion: By 2030, legally protect at least 30% of terrestrial (including 100% of elfin woodlands) and 5% of marine areas, with Protected Areas and OECMs
- Target 6. Invasive Species Control: By 2030, contain the most dangerous invasive alien species and establish effective biosecurity measures to prevent new introductions;
- Target 7. Pollution Reduction (Agrochemicals and Waste): By 2030, reduce nutrient, chemical and plastic pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems by 50%;
- Target 8. Sustainable Fisheries & Wildlife Use: By 2030, bring all wild harvesting (fisheries, hunting) to sustainable levels and eliminate illegal exploitation;
- Target 9. Habitat Restoration and Climate Resilience: By 2030, restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems nationwide (with key focus on rainforest, mangroves, littoral woodlands, beaches, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows) prioritizing climate vulnerable habitats;
- Target 10. Sustainable Tourism: By 2026, implement national eco-friendly tourism standards and by 2030 ensure all major tourism sites operate within ecological carrying capacity;
- Target 11. Sand Mining and Coastal Erosion: By 2027, stop illegal sand mining in all ecologically sensitive and adaptation value areas, including sea turtle nesting sites;
- Target 12. Increasing Biodiversity Finance & Reducing Harmful Subsidies: By 2030, mobilize at least US$70 million in biodiversity financing from national, regional, and international sources, and phase out at least 50% of subsidies that harm biodiversity;
- Target 13. Biosafety: By 2030, establish and fully implement a comprehensive national biosafety framework that effectively manages risks associated with living modified organisms (LMOs), biotechnology products, and genetic resources; and
- Target 14. Gender Equality and Community Participation: By 2027, ensure full participation of women, youth, and local communities in biodiversity decision-making, conservation, and sustainable use, with representation via whole-of-government approach.
Structure of the NBSAP: The NBSAP 2026–2030 is structured into several interconnected components designed for effective implementation and coordination:
- Action Plan (2026–2030): A costed, time-bound Action Plan operationalizes the 14 National Targets through prioritized and sequenced activities with clear ownership. For each target, specific activities are defined, each with a lead agency and partners, geographic scope, alignment to relevant GBF Targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), expected outputs, indicative budgets and financing sources, and risk considerations. This ensures that the strategy is concrete and implementable. The Action Plan emphasizes “no-regrets” measures and scalable pilot projects while identifying enabling policy and capacity actions for long-term sustainability.
- Whole-of-Government & Whole-of-Society Framework: The NBSAP is implemented via a tiered governance model that mobilizes all levels of government and society. Pillar 1 is a High-Level NBSAP Steering Committee that sets strategic direction and secures resources; Pillar 2 establishes Biodiversity Focal Points in all relevant ministries to mainstream biodiversity into sector plans and budgets; and Pillar 3 fosters civil society and private sector co-management and co-financing for biodiversity initiatives. Through this framework, central ministries, local authorities, communities, resource-user groups, NGOs, academia, and the private sector are all engaged as partners. This whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach ensures biodiversity is embedded in national governance, sectoral policies, and community actions, reinforcing that biodiversity conservation underpins sustainable development and climate resilience goals.
- Monitoring Plan: A robust Monitoring Plan underpins NBSAP delivery. The plan compiles for each National Target the baseline values, target values, GBF headline and complimentary indicators, means of verification, and responsible agency. This allows transparent tracking of NBSAP progress toward 2030.
- Policy Coherence Plan: To reduce implementation barriers, the NBSAP includes a Policy Coherence Plan that coordinates necessary policy, legislative, and institutional reforms across sectors. Biodiversity considerations will be mainstreamed into spatial planning laws, agriculture and fisheries regulations, tourism and infrastructure permitting, pollution control standards, biosafety frameworks, and public finance mechanisms (e.g., green budgeting and subsidy reform). This ensures the enabling environment (policies, laws, incentives) is aligned with NBSAP objectives, so that sectoral activities and investments directly support achieving the National Targets by 2030.
Opportunistic Implementation Approach: A key element of the NBSAP’s implementation strategy is flexibility and opportunism in securing funding and partnerships. Recognizing limited domestic fiscal space, the NBSAP is designed so that each activity can be implemented as a stand-alone “investable” project if an opportunity arises. Dependencies between actions are minimized, meaning even if one project is delayed, others can proceed independently. This modular design allows SVG to rapidly take advantage of international funding streams, technical assistance, or private investment whenever they become available. As a result, the NBSAP serves as a ready-made portfolio of projects for donors and partners to support, aligning national conservation needs with international sustainable development and climate finance priorities. Priority for delivering the National Targets should be placed on National Target 12, National Target 1, National Target 2, and on policy and legislation measures embedded across the Targets. National Target 12, focused on resource mobilization and partnerships, acts as the “fuel” for implementation by catalyzing financing, reducing transaction costs, and creating predictable support for field activities under other Targets; it should therefore be initiated as the highest priority. National Targets 1 (spatial plans) and 2 (biodiversity-inclusive policies) provide core foundations for safeguarding key biodiversity assets and reducing immediate pressures on biodiversity, delivering early wins that build momentum and confidence among partners and investors.
Budget and Resource Mobilization: The total five-year budget to implement the NBSAP (2026–2030) is estimated at US$ 69,080,000 – 87,710,000. This investment will be sourced through a combination of domestic budget allocations and, significantly, new external funding mobilized via the Biodiversity Finance Plan (Target 12). Notably, the NBSAP financing strategy emphasizes attracting international grants, loans, and private sector funds to avoid placing undue burden on SVG’s public finances. Potential sources include global environmental funds (GEF, GBFF, GCF), climate finance facilities, multilateral development banks, and innovative mechanisms like conservation trust funds or debt-for-nature swaps. By positioning biodiversity projects as opportunities for sustainable development (e.g., eco-tourism, climate resilience, green agriculture), the plan aims to tap into a wider pool of financing. Additionally, domestic resource allocation will be improved through measures such as integrating biodiversity into annual budget planning.
Job Creation and Economic Benefits: Implementing the NBSAP will not only protect nature but also deliver socio-economic co-benefits. Green and Blue economy employment will expand significantly. It is estimated that NBSAP execution will create between 241-351 permanent jobs and 1,057-1,455 temporary jobs in SVG by 2030. Permanent jobs will largely be in areas like park management, forestry and fisheries officers, biodiversity planners, environmental educators, and other roles that can be sustained through institutional mandates or revenue (e.g., user fees, conservation funds) beyond 2030. Temporary jobs will include consultants, construction workers for green infrastructure, community mobilizers, researchers and field technicians, nursery workers for reforestation, etc., often tied to specific projects or campaigns. These employment opportunities underscore how biodiversity action contributes to inclusive growth: many jobs will directly engage rural communities and youth in conservation (for example, community wardens, invasive species removal teams, eco-tourism guides, sustainable farmers/fishers supported through incentives). The overall economic stimulus from the NBSAP (in jobs, training, and capital projects) supports a just transition to sustainability, aligning environmental objectives with livelihood improvement.
Alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework: The NBSAP 2026–2030 is explicitly framed as the country’s vehicle for implementing GBF and directly contributes to GBF Target 1 – Spatial planning, GBF Target 2 – Restore 30% ecosystems & connectivity, GBF Target 3 – Conserve 30% of ecosystems, GBF Target 4 – Halt extinction & recover species, GBF Target 5 – Sustainable, legal use/trade of wildlife, GBF Target 6 – Invasive alien species, GBF Target 7 – Reduce pollution, GBF Target 8 – Climate resilience, GBF Target 10 – Sustainable agriculture/aquaculture/forestry/fisheries, GBF Target 11 – Nature’s contributions, GBF Target 12 - Urban Nature, GBF Target 14 – Integrate biodiversity in policies, GBF Target 15 – Business disclosure & impacts, GBF Target 16 – Sustainable consumption & waste, GBF Target 17 – Biosafety & benefits of biotechnology, GBF Target 18 – Reform harmful incentives, GBF Target 19 – Mobilize biodiversity finance, GBF Target 22 – Inclusive, rights‑based participation, and GBF Target 23 – Gender equality.
NBSAP Theory of Change:
Summary of National Targets, Indicators, Budgets & Job Estimates
| Target # | Target Statement | Indicators | Baseline | Target Indicator Value | Estimated Budget (USD) | New Jobs Estimates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spatial Planning: By 2028, establish an integrated national spatial planning framework that includes all ecologically significant terrestrial and marine ecosystems and ecosystem services (e.g., clean water, flood protection, soil fertility), incorporating key biodiversity areas and climate resilience strategies into national land-use and marine planning.
GBF Target 1 – Spatial planning; GBF Target 11 – Nature’s contributions; and GBF Target 8 – Climate resilience | GBF Headline Indicator 1.1 Percentage of land and seas covered by biodiversity-inclusive spatial plans:
% of national territory covered with biodiversity-inclusive and climate-resilient spatial plans approved by Government:
% of national marine area covered with biodiversity-inclusive and climate-resilient spatial plans approved by Government: |
0%
0%
0% |
100%
100%
100% | 1,450,000 – 1,900,000 | 6-9 permanent
10-26 temporary
|
| 2 | Integrating Biodiversity into Economic Sectors: By 2029, integrate biodiversity considerations into national economic policies, ensuring that all key industries (agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry, construction, and waste management) adopt nature-positive practices.
GBF Target 14 – Integrate biodiversity in policies; GBF Target 12 – Urban Nature; GBF Target 15 – Business disclosure & impacts; and GBF Target 10 – Sustainable agriculture/aquaculture/forestry/fisheries | GBF Headline Indicator 15.1 Number of companies reporting on disclosures of risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity:
% economic sectors (agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry, construction, and waste management) that have biodiversity conservation integrated into sectoral policies, plans, and practice | 0
33% (forestry and fishery) | >5
100% | 2,250,000 – 2,800,000 | 17-21 permanent
38-50 temporary |
| 3 | Endangered Species: By 2030, prevent extinction and improve conservation status of key nationally threatened species through habitat protection, species recovery programs, and stronger anti-poaching enforcement.
GBF Target 4 – Halt extinction & recover species; and GBF Target 5 – Sustainable, legal use/trade of wildlife | GBF Headline Indicator A.3 Red List Index:
Populations of key nationally threatened species: |
0.74 (2024)[1]
Saint Vincent Parrot: baseline TBE in 2026 Union Island Gecko: baseline TBE in 2026 Hawksbill Turtle: baseline TBE in 2026 Leatherback Turtle: baseline TBE[2] in 2026 Grenadines Pink Rhino Iguana: baseline TBE in 2026 Saint Vincent Black Snake: baseline TBE in 2026 Saint Vincent Whistling Frog: baseline TBE in 2026 Whistling Warbler: baseline TBE in 2026 Saint Vincent Wren: baseline TBE in 2026 Acroporid corals: baseline TBE in 2026 Parrotfish (Scaridae): baseline TBE in 2026 Queen Conch: baseline TBE in 2026 |
>=0.76
No population decline from baseline by 2030 | 3,130,000 – 3,730,000 | 10 – 18 permanent
55 – 87 temporary |
| 4 | Deforestation: By 2030, reduce the national deforestation rate by at least 50% and restore connectivity between fragmented forests.
GBF Target 10 – Sustainable forestry; GBF Target 2 – Restore 30% ecosystems & connectivity; Target 1 – Spatial planning; and GBF Target 12 – Urban Nature | GBF Headline Indicator 10.2 Progress towards sustainable forest management, based on the following sub-indicators:
|
-0.2%
219.1[3]
46%[4]
15.9%[5]
0 |
≥ +0.05% net gain
≥ 223 t/ha
≥ 50%
≥ 30%
≥ 0.2 | 9,300,000 –10,280,000 | 11–20 permanent
140 – 209 temporary |
Annual deforestation rate measured for last 5 years, ha/year Forest Landscape Integrity Index[6] | 21.2 (2019-2023, GFW)
69.9 (2024) | <=10.6 ha/year
>=75.0 | ||||
| 5 | Protected Areas Expansion: By 2030, legally protect at least 30% of terrestrial (including 100% of elfin woodlands) and 5% of marine areas, with Protected Areas and OECMs.
GBF Target 3 – Conserve 30% of ecosystems (PAs & OECMs) | GBF Headline Indicator 3.1 Coverage of protected areas and OECMs (terrestrial & marine):
% of terrestrial area under legal protection:
|
22.6% (2024)
0.22% |
30%
5% | 8,100,000 – 9,700,000 | 22–42 permanent
75–105 seasonal/ temporary |
| 6 | Invasive Species Control: By 2030, contain the most dangerous invasive alien species and establish effective biosecurity measures to prevent new introductions
GBF Target 6 – Invasive alien species | GBF Headline Indicator 6.1 Rate of invasive alien species (IAS/year) establishment in SVG during last 10 years:
Population density of key IAS, ind./ha:
|
≈0.45 IAS/year[7]
Lionfish: baseline TBE in 2026; Mongoose: baseline TBE in 2026; Giant African Snail: baseline TBE in 2026; Cuban Tree Frog: baseline TBE in 2026; Lemongrass: baseline TBE in 2026, West Indian Fruit Fly: baseline TBE in 2026; Banana Black Sigatoka: baseline TBE in 2026; Banana Moko Disease: baseline TBE in 2026 Halophila stipulacea: baseline TBE in 2026 Xeniidae soft corals: baseline TBE in 2026
|
0.2 IAS/year
>=30-50% reduction in key IAS population density
| 8,850,000-11,100,000 | 24-32 permanent jobs
191 – 255 temporary jobs |
| 7 | Pollution Reduction (Agrochemicals and Waste): By 2030, reduce nutrient, chemical and plastic pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems by 50%.
GBF Target 7 – Reduce pollution | GBF Headline Indicator 7.1 Index of Coastal Eutrophication Potential (nutrients):
GBF Headline Indicator 7.2 Aggregated Total Applied Toxicity (pesticides):
GBF Headline Indicator 10.1 Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture:
Concentration of nitrate, phosphate, and pesticide residues (µg/L) in freshwater streams and coastal marine areas:
Number (or weight) of plastic items per meter (or km) of shoreline: | baseline TBE in 2026
baseline TBE in 2026
baseline TBE in 2026
baseline TBE in 2026
baseline TBE in 2026 | 50% reduction
50% reduction
>=30% of agricultural area
50% reduction in concentration
50% reduction number (weight) | 5,700,000 – 7,850,000 | 32–43 permanent
92–127 temporary
|
| 8 | Sustainable Fisheries & Wildlife Use: By 2030, bring all wild harvesting (fisheries, hunting) to sustainable levels and eliminate illegal exploitation.
GBF Target 5 – Sustainable, safe, legal use/trade of biodiversity; and GBF Target 10 – Sustainable fisheries & aquaculture | % of fisheries harvested at sustainable levels (GBF Headline Indicator 5.1 Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels):
Number of IUU cases per year:
|
0%
baseline TBE in 2026
baseline TBE in 2026 |
100%
Decreased by 70%
Decreased by 70% | 5,800,000 – 7,700,000 | 13–18 permanent
69–89 temporary |
| 9 | Habitat Restoration and Climate Resilience: By 2030, restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems nationwide (with key focus on rainforest, mangroves, littoral woodlands, beaches, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows) prioritizing climate-vulnerable habitats.
GBF Target 2 – Restore 30% ecosystems& connectivity; GBF Target 8 – Climate resilience; and GBF Target 11 – Nature’s contributions | Area of degraded habitat restored for the ecosystems (GBF Headline Indicator 2.1 Area under restoration (all ecosystems)):
Rainforest: Elfin Woodlands: Littoral Woodlands: Mangroves: Dry Scrub Woodlands: Coral Reefs: Seagrass Beds: Sandy Beaches: Freshwater ecosystems: |
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
600 150 30 15 300 1,000[8] 250 10 50 | 7,400,000 – 9,500,000 | 198-227 temporary |
| 10 | Sustainable Tourism: By 2026, implement national eco-friendly tourism standards and by 2030 ensure all major tourism sites operate within ecological carrying capacity.
GBF Target 14 – Integrate biodiversity in policies; GBF Target 15 – Business disclosure & impacts; GBF Target 16 – Sustainable consumption & waste; and GBF Target 12 – Urban Nature | - % of tourism operators certified under eco-friendly tourist standards
|
0%
baseline TBE in 2026 | >=80% (2030)
100% (2030) | 5,850,000 – 8,200,000 | 51-73 permanent
51–86 temporary |
| 11 | Sand Mining and Coastal Erosion: By 2027, stop illegal sand mining in all ecologically sensitive and adaptation value areas, including sea turtle nesting sites.
GBF Target 11 – Nature’s contributions (risk reduction); GBF Target 8 – Climate resilience; and GBF Target 3 – Area‑based conservation | Presence of full ban on sand mining on beaches
Number of sand mining violations per year
| Absent
baseline TBE in 2026 | Present (2027)
0 violations (2030) | 2,450,000 – 3,200,000 | 25–36 permanent
76–97 temporary |
| 12 | Increasing Biodiversity Finance & Reducing Harmful Subsidies: By 2030, mobilize at least US $70 million in biodiversity financing from national, regional, and international sources, and phase out at least 50% of subsidies that harm biodiversity.
GBF Target 19 – Mobilize $200B/yr biodiversity finance; and GBF Target 18 – Reform harmful incentives ($500B/yr) | Total biodiversity funding mobilized in 2026-2030, US$: GBF Headline Indicator 18.2. Value of subsidies and other incentives harmful to biodiversity that have been eliminated, phased out or reformed[9], US$:
GBF Headline Indicator D.1. International public funding, including official development assistance (ODA) for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems, US$/year:
GBF Headline Indicator D.2. Domestic public funding on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems, US$/year:
GBF Headline Indicator D.3. Private funding (domestic and international) on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems, US$/year: | $0
$0 (2024)
$3.5-5.0 mln.
~$3.3 mln. (2024)[10]
<$1 mln. | >=$70,000,000
>= $90-100 mln. (>50% reduction from the 2024 value)
>= $10 mln.
>= $6.0 mln.
>= $5 mln. | 5,450,000 - 7,150,000 | 26 – 34 permanent
28 – 45 temporary |
| 13 | Biosafety: By 2030, establish and fully implement a comprehensive national biosafety framework that effectively manages risks associated with living modified organisms (LMOs), biotechnology products, and genetic resources.
GBF Target 17 – Biosafety & benefits of biotechnology | Presence of the operational National Biosafety Framework (NBF) (GBF Binary Indicator 17.b Number of countries that have taken action to implement biosafety measures as set out in Article 8(g) of the Convention and measures for the handling of biotechnology and the distribution of its benefits as set out in Article 19): | Absent | Present | 2,450,000 – 3,350,000 | 1–2 permanent
19–32 temporary |
| 14 | Gender Equality and Community Participation: By 2027, ensure full participation of women, youth, and local communities in biodiversity decision-making, conservation, and sustainable use, with representation via whole-of-government approach.
GBF Target 22 – Inclusive, rights‑based participation; and GBF Target 23 – Gender equality | - % representation of women, youth, and local groups in biodiversity committees and conservation projects | baseline TBE in 2026 | >= 50% | 900,000 – 1,250,000 | 3 permanent
15-20 temporary
|
TOTAL BUDGET/JOBS: | 69,080,000 – 87,710,000 | 241-351 permanent jobs
1,057-1,455 temporary | ||||
The following supplemental plans are under development:
- A Strategic Communications Plan
- National Gender Analysis and Action Plan
- An Integrated Climate–Pollution Biodiversity Assessment to Strengthen Cross-MEA Policy Alignment and Mainstreaming
- An assessment on NBSAP readiness, including potential environmental and social impacts and potential risks of the implementation and pathways to overcome risks.
- An assessment of capacity needs related to monitoring, reporting and implementation of the NBSAP and capacity development plan