Draft 10-Year National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Published for Public Comment

Posted 05 August 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Environmental Law

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has published the draft revised 10-year National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for public comment by 4 September 2026.

In terms of South Africa’s international obligations under the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the draft revised strategy functions as the country’s primary legal and policy instrument for implementing international biodiversity targets at national level. The strategy sets out updated vision statements, quantifiable targets, and actionable measures for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of domestic biological resources.

According to the official covering notice, the revised framework introduces notable strategic updates compared to the preceding ten-year iteration, including:

  • A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach: Expanding accountability beyond environmental departments to embed biodiversity considerations across broader public sector planning and private commercial activities.
  • National target alignment: Establishing concrete measures for conserving, restoring, and sustainably using terrestrial, aquatic, and marine biodiversity within current national capabilities.
  • Integration with domestic legislation: Harmonising international biodiversity targets with statutory regulatory frameworks governed under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Professional compliance officers and legal advisors should monitor the policy shift toward a whole-of-government approach to anticipate upcoming legal and procedural requirements.
  • For your business: Businesses operating in environmental consultancy, agriculture, mining, or land development must audit current land-use practices against the proposed national targets to evaluate future operational constraints.
  • For your clients: Commercial clients seeking environmental authorisations should review the draft policy and submit public comments prior to the 4 September 2026 deadline to highlight potential regulatory burdens.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/biodiversity-input-sought-on-draft-action-plan

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