- This Plan assumes the fundamental principles of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its long-term vision of “Living in harmony with nature” adopted at COP15
- Among other measures, a national system for the generation, monitoring and governance of knowledge on natural heritage and biodiversity in Spain will be implemented from 2022
- Progress will also be made in the economic valuation of ecosystem services through the development and inclusion of a system of national accounting for natural capital
- The Plan promotes the development and implementation of green infrastructure and ecological connectivity and restoration. Overall, by 2030, 15% of degraded ecosystems will be restored
- At least 30% of species and habitats that do not currently have a favourable status should reach that status or show a strong positive trend by 2030
December 27, 2022- The Council of Ministers has today approved, at the proposal of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), the State Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity to 2030 to promote the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of heritage, terrestrial and marine natural resources, biodiversity and geodiversity.
This plan, which assumes the fundamental principles of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its long-term vision of “Living in harmony with nature” adopted at COP15, constitutes a key planning tool when it comes to defining objectives and actions to stop the deterioration of our ecosystems, to be developed in the next decade by the General State Administration.
It thus advances Spain’s commitments in this area at the international level and those of the European Union, especially those derived from the future Global Framework on Biodiversity for the period after 2020 of the aforementioned Convention, and the European Union strategy on biodiversity 2030 “Reintegrating nature into our lives”, adopted by the European Commission in May 2020.
The Strategic Plan complies with the provisions of the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Law approved in 2007 and with component 4 (Conservation of terrestrial and marine biodiversity) of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP). Its development will entail two packages of direct support investments under this instrument, with an initial estimated budget for 2025 of 4 million euros.
LINES OF ACTION AND MAIN MEASURES
The Plan’s priority lines of action include improving knowledge about biodiversity for the development of effective conservation strategies and policies, as well as for its greater consideration and integration into sectoral policies.
To this end, among other measures, a national system for the generation, monitoring and governance of knowledge on natural heritage and biodiversity in Spain will be implemented from 2022 onwards, which will allow information to be obtained and the continuous assessment of the state of conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity, so that by 2030 no species or type of habitat of community interest will have an unknown conservation status.
Progress will also be made in the economic valuation of Spain’s ecosystem services, through the development and inclusion of a national accounting system for natural capital.
On the other hand, the Plan promotes the development and implementation of green infrastructure and ecological connectivity and restoration, in line with the different Strategies approved. Overall, by 2030, 15% of degraded ecosystems will be restored.
It also advances in the consideration of the interrelationships between climate change and biodiversity, through mitigation and adaptation policies and nature-based solutions; It reinforces the fight against pollution: aquatic and terrestrial, but also light, acoustic and atmospheric.
In nature protection and conservation, the objective is set that at least 30% of species and habitats that do not currently have a favourable status will reach that status or show a decidedly positive trend by 2030. It also pays special attention to the conservation of pollinators and promotes prevention, early warning, control and eradication of invasive alien species.
The Plan also contemplates the integration of geodiversity and geological heritage in sectoral policies on the conservation of natural heritage, especially the geological heritage of Spain most threatened or at risk of disappearing. To this end, a National Plan for the Conservation of Geological Heritage and Geodiversity will be drawn up and the Spanish Inventory of Places of Geological Interest (IELIG) will be completed.
With regard to marine protected areas, it should be noted that new areas will be designated until 30% of the marine area is protected by 2030. Between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, 8 new marine protected areas will have been declared Natura 2000 Network.
Maintaining and strengthening actions against environmental crime is another priority. Also to contribute to green growth in Spain, favoring the participation of all sectors of society and involving the private sector and civil society; and intensify actions in the field of education and communication on biodiversity.
SPAIN, A COUNTRY WITH GREAT BIOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: DIAGNOSIS AND THREATS
The Strategic Plan includes a diagnosis of the natural heritage and biodiversity in Spain, one of the countries with the greatest biological diversity in the European Union, and one of the 25 sites with the greatest biodiversity in the world. It is home to more than 85,000 species of animals, fungi and plants, according to some estimates. This figure represents 54% of the species that inhabit Europe and about 5% of the known species.
Spain is also one of the Member States of the European Union in which it is possible to find larger and more numerous extensions of territory in a natural or semi-natural state. It is home to a total of 117 types of natural habitats of community interest, which represents 56% of the total of those present in the EU.
The geological diversity of the country is also very varied, the result of its evolution over millions of years, which defines the landscapes and ecosystems that include, together with a great variety of terrestrial ecosystems, a very outstanding diversity of wetland types, as well as a high diversity of marine and coastal ecosystems that include intertidal zones such as beaches, cliffs, dune systems, marshes or saline steppes.
Spain encompasses four terrestrial biogeographic regions (Mediterranean, Atlantic, Alpine and Macaronesian) and three marine regions (Atlantic, Macaronesian and Mediterranean). This biogeographic diversity has favored the development of a great diversity of fauna and floristic communities.
The Plan also identifies the main pressures and threats to natural heritage and biodiversity: changes in land use, forest fires, overexploitation of natural resources, desertification and land degradation, effects of climate change, increase in invasive toxic species, pollution or illegal trade in fossils and minerals.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
In its preparation, this plan has been submitted to consultation with the Autonomous Communities and the Cities of Ceuta and Melilla within the scope of the State Commission for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity. Subsequently, it has been approved within the Sectoral Conference on the Environment. In addition, the participation and consultation of the scientific community, economic and social agents, and non-profit organizations that pursue the objectives of the law has been especially promoted, and has been informed by the State Council of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
