The Gabon has taken a significant step forward in protecting its forests, coastlines, and wildlife. After several days of work, the national validation workshop for the 2022-2030 National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity (SPANB) closed on Monday in Libreville.

This new document is presented as « the roadmap of the country to guide public policies, strengthen ecosystem protection, and guarantee the sustainable management of its exceptional biological heritage ».

The objective is to translate the commitments made by 196 countries at the Kunming-Montréal agreement into a national framework. In practice, the Gabon aims to conserve at least 30% of its land, coastlines, and marine areas; restore degraded ecosystems; reduce threats to biodiversity such as poaching, deforestation, and pollution; and mobilize durable financing for conservation.

The SPANB has been consolidated after integrating the latest recommendations from stakeholders. It will be transmitted to the Government for final validation before being deposited with the Secretariat Executive of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to officially commit Gabon on the international stage.

However, Mme Tsayi Mouvagha, coordinator of the strategy, says that the real challenge now is to popularize the strategy among administrations, the private sector, communities, and civil society to ensure its operational deployment across the entire national territory.

This new strategy must serve as a compass for balancing economic development, resource exploitation, and conservation. However, the question of means remains: without a dedicated budget and real involvement from local authorities, businesses, and riverine communities, this strategy risks being hollow.