Professor Patience Gandiwa – Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) Director of International Conservation Affairs
John Cassim
Professor Patience Gandiwa, a renowned Zimbabwean conservationist and ecologist with extensive experience in wildlife conservation and transboundary conservation initiatives, has dismissed claims that countries yet to submit their National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs), aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, lack commitment.
Gandiwa, who is the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) Director of International Conservation Affairs, refuted claims by certain media outlets that 22 African countries, yet to submit their Target 3 ahead of COP17, are failing.
While responding to a publication by The Citizen based in Kenya titled “Eastern, Southern Africa fall behind on biodiversity goals,” Patience Gandiwa stated:
“The article’s headline is very misleading. Perhaps it could have been: ‘Only 2 countries in Africa submitted their NBSAPs aligned to the KM-GBF,’ bearing in mind that nearly all those countries already submitted their targets. Since it’s not the first time they are developing NBSAPs—but just a review/update—there shouldn’t be such a label on countries that are probably doing their level best under the circumstances.”
She added, “The author’s interpretation of Target 3—a global target—while giving Kenya’s example that it’s falling short, is somewhat unfair as well—we have common but differentiated circumstances.
It is therefore not true that we are falling behind on biodiversity goals. Failure to meet a deadline to share a document is not failure to do the needful on the ground. We are busy making progress towards the goals whilst others may be smarter at writing documents. Our struggles are not well understood sometimes—we don’t want to tick boxes only. We are sincere and we want to do it well for us and the future.”
African’s Biodiversity Goals: A Closer Look at Submissions and Progress
According to The Citizen, as of the third week of June 2025, the Regional Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity, Forests, and Seascape Ecosystems Management in Eastern and Southern Africa (RCoE-ESA) map book reveals that “only two countries—Uganda and Tanzania—have so far complied in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on submission of the National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs)” within the Eastern and Southern Africa region.
The COP16 biodiversity conference was held from October 21 to November 1, 2024, in Cali, Colombia. COP17 is scheduled for later in 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Meanwhile, the RCoE-ESA map book serves as a call to action for countries yet to meet their obligations, emphasizing the urgency of timely submissions ahead of the February 2026 deadline before the next biodiversity COP17.
According to The Citizen, timely and inclusive NBSAP submissions are critical to ensuring regional and global progress toward halting biodiversity loss. The publication quoted Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Director General of the RCMRD, during the Map Book launch, as stating that geospatial science is a powerful tool for conservation and sustainable development.
“Through data-driven planning and ecosystem mapping, we can restore biodiversity-rich forests, seascapes, wetlands, and other vital ecosystems. This Map Book is a call to action and a key tool for strategic planning across our region,” he was quoted as saying.
The RCoE-ESA Map Book also shows how the 24 countries in Africa are progressing toward Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for 30% of the Earth’s land and sea to be conserved. Notwithstanding this data, as pressures such as climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable land use intensify, stakeholders maintain that the need for informed, data-driven policy interventions has never been greater.
The Map Book is a new tool expected to guide conservation priorities, policy formulation, and sustainable land and sea use planning.
Zimbabwe’s Commitment to Biodiversity Conservation
Zimbabwe has submitted National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and is actively working on its third one (Target-3). The country is committed to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)and has developed NBSAPs to align with its obligations. Zimbabwe’s latest NBSAP will guide biodiversity conservation efforts from 2025 to 2030 and aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Zimbabwe developed its initial NBSAP in 1998, covering the period 2000-2010. The second NBSAP, adopted in 2014, reviewed and aligned with the UNCBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets, including 18 national biodiversity targets.
Zimbabwe is currently finalizing its third NBSAP, which will cover the period from 2025 to 2030. This new NBSAP will address biodiversity loss with 23 targets, aligning with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
NBSAPs are crucial for implementing the UNCBD at the national level and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into various sectors. They guide national biodiversity management and are a central policymaking tool.
Zimbabwe is reaffirming its commitment to biodiversity conservation through the development and implementation of these NBSAPs. The country submits national reports to the CBD every four years, detailing the measures taken to implement its NBSAPs and their contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.