Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

The Sheik Hadid Shrine is a sinkhole near Haditha town where two endemic species of fish are found — Typhlogarra widdowsoni and Caecocypris basimi [ ] 126 Consolidating achievements on the fifth National Report In the fifth National Report, Iraq highlighted three key successes. The first concerning the implementa- tion of the Convention relates to the cross-sectoral institutional involve- ment achieved under the coordina- tion of the Iraqi Ministry of Environ- ment (MOE) for the development of national strategies and action plans concerning the environment and bi- odiversity. This involvement includes the development of the National En- vironmental Strategy and Action Plan for Iraq (NESAP), the development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the collection of data for the 5NR to the CBD. Both the strategies have adopt- ed a participatory approach, between the MOE, acting as the national um- brella supervising all environmental related activities and actions, and the involved institutional stakeholders (all ministries, various Committees of the Parliament Council). Data collection for the fifth Na- tional Report is another successful story for Iraq’s implementation of the Convention; a Ministry of Environ- ment dedicated team has repeatedly visited and surveyed main scientific and technical information sources nationally, trying to fill the gaps of information that have already been recognized as a main issue in the Fourth National Report. The most re- cent findings of the KBA Programme have been reported as concerns the field work and field surveys; recent scientific articles and discoveries have been searched from national librar- ies, from the web and from personal communication/sources with local experts and scientists. This methodical research has allowed not only the enrichment and increase of the data archives about the environment in Iraq; but has also contributed to spreading the message of biodiversity importance, thereby raising awareness among the contact- ed stakeholders. The third success story for the Iraqi implementation of the Convention deals with the local level and active stakeholder involvement in the pro- tection of biodiversity. The services that the ecosystems provide consist of a wide range of benefits of which the local people are the direct and main beneficiary. At the same time, the most effective effort that can protect and conserve the local natural re- sources, including biodiversity, comes from the local people themselves. The idea of educating and building the capacity of the locals everywhere, especially around the KBAs, ensures that the best approach for protection measures. In Iraq there are currently two sites that are already protected to a certain extent, in one case on the basis of customary law and, in the other case, with a local conservation group. These two excellent examples of local initiatives to protect biodiver- sity are the Barzan Tribal protected area (Kurdistan Nature Watch) and Dalmaj marsh (Friends of Dalmaj). I raq is a vast, biodiversity-rich and biogeographically diverse country, which encompasses seven main terrestrial ecoregions, Zagros Mountain forest steppe, Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllousbroadleaf forests, Middle east steppe, Mesopotamian shrub desert, Arabian Desert and East SaheroArabian xeric shrublands, Red Sea Nubo- Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert, and South Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert. There is one marine ecoregion, the Arabian Gulf. The variety of natural habitats including lowlands, desert, steppes, plateaus, mountains, wetlands, coastal and marine habitats, provide the country with natural, biological and economical diversity. Zakho, Iraq Aram Sabah on Unsplash Iraq