4.1 Second Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan

Biodiversity conservation is integral to sustainable development. The Second Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (1994-1999) asserted that all economic and social activities must be performed within the constraints of environmental andbiodiversity conservation and management. The following issues had to be addressed:

• All major development projects (productive and infrastructure) must have Environmental Impact Assessment; i.e. be evaluated on the basis of their potential environmental effects and include ameliorative actions in both the planning and implementation stages.

• Any major industrial and mining activities must be conducted consistently with ecologically sustainable development principles and within the framework of environmental standards and regulations.

• Exploitation of the country’s natural resources must be on the basis of long-term sustainability which balances the need for economic value, environmental protection and inter-generation equity; and

• Domestic energy consumption must aim to minimize adverse environmental effects (e.g. pollution, move from oil to gas, or preferably to renewable sources such as solar energy).

4.2 The National Biodiversity Action Plan and the Third Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan

Two environmental studies were carried out prior to NBSAP, namely, the “National Strategy on Environment and Sustainable Development” and the “National Resolution Plan”. Unfortunately, they were not implemented, because the mechanisms for their integration into the national development plans were not completely understood. These valuable experiences will be used in implementation of NBSAP. There have been great efforts to ensure the implementation of NBSAP in the Third Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan.

Four strategies have been formulated for conservation of biodiversity. The first strategy aims at the promotion of public participation. Involvement of private sector and non-governmental organizations would improve conservation activities. The second strategy relates to the formation of biodiversity information and monitoring systems. These systems would be used as environmental management tools. The third strategy includes reorganization of institutional structures for sustainable use. The fourth strategy deals with the systematic management of biodiversity resources (A full description of the strategies and action plans is included in the “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans” report).

For the above-mentioned strategies about 80 Actions Plans are under consideration and 35 are already being implemented. One of the fundamental activities is to prioritize these Action Plans. In order to coordinate the activities between different organizations, establishment of a “Coordination Council for Conservation of Biodiversity” is proposed, under the authority of the Supreme Council of the Environment.