Multi-stakeholder Platform for Protecting Biodiversity

The session began with opening remarks from the Ministries of Environment in Palestine and Lebanon, representative of the Embassy of Sweden, and of ESCWA.

The Palestinian Minister emphasized the importance of biodiversity conservation in the Arab region, noting regional and national efforts despite challenges posed by the Israeli occupation. The statement of the Lebanese Ministry of Environment highlighted national initiatives in biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the role of the platform in fostering regional collaboration and knowledge exchange. The Swedish Embassy representative stressed the need for prioritizing biodiversity conservation in the Middle East, advocating for cross-border cooperation, inclusive participation, private sector finance mobilization, and multi-stakeholder engagement. The ESCWA representative underscored the platform's role in mobilizing biodiversity finance in a changing climate and amidst limited regional climate finance, aiming to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the session, IUCN-ROWA’s representative highlighted the challenges protected areas in West Asia face in climate change planning and management, stressing the importance of integrating biodiversity conservation with climate action from the design phase. UNESCO’s representative showcased the benefits of geopark networks and biosphere reserves for monitoring climate impacts, implementing Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), and fostering socio-dynamic interactions. UNEP’s representative highlighted strategies to tackle the triple planetary crisis including integrating biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in UN programs and updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. UNEP also called for increased investments in NBS and the phasing out of harmful subsidies. The Chair of the Arab Working Group on Biodiversity and Desertification MEAs provided updates on the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and highlighted the potential for funding biodiversity by incorporating biodiversity concepts into climate funding. The representative of the technical secretariat of the Council for Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) emphasized leveraging financial opportunities for biodiversity conservation and achieving synergies among the three Rio conventions.

In this session, ESCWA provided an overview of the current status, and opportunities for action offered by Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in the Arab region. The representative of the European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis of the University of Malaga (Spain) emphasized integrating nature conservation into developmental projects, promoting science, innovation, and technology for NBS, and using AI and big data to monitor biodiversity. Al-Qasim Green University’s representative highlighted the need to rehabilitate Iraq's damaged marshlands, while Les Amis de Capte organization shared their biodiversity conservation efforts in Tunisia including the introduction of agro-forestry systems. The representative of the Union for the Mediterranean stressed innovative financing to support regional and local NBS implementation, scaling up NBS projects, evidence-based decision-making by linking scientific knowledge with policymaking, and an integrated approach to NBS for comprehensive and sustainable impact. The representative of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) focused on agroforestry's role in biodiversity conservation, citing successful models in Sudan and Morocco, and the potential for cash crops in the region.

In this session, ESCWA provided an overview of the current status, and opportunities for combatting land degradation for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in the Arab region. FAO/RNE’s representative highlighted the need to integrate land degradation and biodiversity into climate planning for resilience and long-term adaptation, emphasizing traditional knowledge and a landscape approach while scaling up projects project. ACSAD’s representative focused on greenbelts and land reclamation activities for climate resilience and food security. The representative of Elard-Syria discussed post-conflict biodiversity threats and restoration initiatives, stressing essential post-conflict actions for safeguarding biodiversity, including environmental assessments, integrating conservation into development plans, involving women and youth, and building capacity. The Royal Scientific Society’s representative highlighted gaps in estimating land degradation costs in Jordan and emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy involving cross-sectoral coordination for addressing land degradation. Key recommendations included engaging local communities, mobilizing funds, empowering local communities for enhanced governance, addressing land tenure issues, investing in biodiversity for food security, differentiating between Nature Reserves and the Hima approach, and enhancing data availability for meeting Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.

In this session, ESCWA provided an overview of renewable energy (RE) technologies in the Arab region and their intricate connection with biodiversity, highlighting challenges and emphasizing opportunities to address trade-offs and synergies. The representative of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) emphasized scaling up RE for a 1.5-degree Celsius scenario, with insights on implications on biodiversity including increased material usage and mining for renewables, and the possible effects of scaling up bioenergy use. IRENA highlighted the need for a robust, cross-sectoral policy framework for sustainable development of bioenergy. The representative of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) showcased bird-safe wind turbine projects in Egypt, adopting a comprehensive multi-stakeholder approach and advanced monitoring systems. BIOFIN Egypt’ representative addressed biodiversity finance gaps, emphasizing renewable energy initiatives' socio-economic and environmental benefits. Eco-servlb highlighted e-waste challenges from RE components such as batteries, inverters, and panels and shared insights into their circularity initiatives to manage e-waste in Lebanon. The discussions stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, capacity building, and policy frameworks for sustainable energy transitions and biodiversity conservation.

During this session, the representative of the Adaptation Fund highlighted opportunities for accessing climate finance for biodiversity, noting only two accredited entities in the Arab region, despite available funding of up to $1 billion. She outlined criteria for fundable nature-based solutions (NBS) projects and acknowledged challenges such as quantifying benefits and ensuring sustainability. The Fund’s representative emphasized complementing NBS with other adaptation measures and shared lessons on community-based approaches, balancing short and long-term needs, and the importance of policy frameworks, regulation, financial mechanisms, governance, and adopting a multi-hazard risk approach. In this session, ESCWA outlined the Working Groups' scope of work, goals, roles, responsibilities, and deliverables, along with a proposed activity timeline. The Expression of Interest for institutions to apply for membership or convenor roles was also announced.

During this session, the representative of UNDP regional Hub for Arab States highlighted diverse funding sources and the importance of updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) for accessing funds. He also presented regional project insights, including developing policy reports for supporting the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and NBSAP Updates. The representative of the Commercial International Bank (Egypt) discussed modernizing education and accounting to include environmental costs and highlighted sustainability investment opportunities, allocating 19% of their green bond portfolio to adaptation projects, suggesting that adaptation can be financially viable through innovative models like their Brain Trust Model. IFAD’s representative presented financing opportunities for biodiversity conservation, showcasing interventions such as supporting community-based agriculture loans and grants, promoting adaptive agriculture and rangeland restoration, investing in nurseries and improved seedlings to restore vegetation cover, and supporting government to integrate biodiversity conservation and climate change into national and local agricultural policies and plans. The National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Areas (ANDZOA) shared their success in securing GCF finance for argan forest restoration and planting argan orchards in abandoned agricultural terraces. They emphasized the importance of community involvement, partnerships with national research institutions, coordination mechanisms for policies and sectors, and building national capacities.

In this session, attendees were divided into three working groups: 1) Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience, 2) Land Degradation in Arid Agricultural Ecosystems, and 3) Renewable Energy and Biodiversity. Each group reviewed their objectives and scope, defined terms of reference, established guidelines and timelines, and outlined the roles and responsibilities of their members. They identified key challenges and opportunities within their thematic areas and discussed potential project ideas, focusing on their relevance, impact, feasibility, and scalability.

Discussions of the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Working Group focused on consolidating NBS knowledge in the Arab region, identifying priority needs, and generating scientific evidence. Suggested key areas included coastal ecosystems, urban biodiversity, and conflict zones. Pilot projects ideas were proposed involving diverse stakeholders, ensuring economic, social, and environmental viability. Discussions of the Land Degradation in Arid Agricultural Ecosystems working group proposed establishing a sustainable community of practice under the platform, involving entrepreneurs and the private sector. Ensuring coordination with governments when developing projects and aligning them with multilateral agreements and regional policies was highlighted. The Renewable Energy and Biodiversity working group validated the platform's objectives and emphasized the need for more elaboration, focusing on funding and mutually beneficial opportunities for renewable energy and biodiversity. Additionally, recommendations included starting with research and taxonomy on issues related to the subject, providing capacity-building on project preparation, ensuring diverse membership representation, and addressing data challenges. Ideas for potential projects that consider synergies and trade-offs between renewable energy and biodiversity were also shared.

During the closing session the main key messages and recommendations resulting from the meeting were presented by ESCWA in addition to outlining the next steps regarding the platform and the establishment of the working groups.