Antigua and Barbuda - Overview

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services

The islands of the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, have a combination of extremely high endemism and an intense packing of species per unit area. It should be considered one of the highest priority biodiversity hotspots on the planet since the Caribbean now maintains only 11.3% of its original biological habitat... More »

Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)

Since the preparation of the first national report, the threats to biodiversity have not really changed, although the extent of the pressure has intensified. Threats are mainly anthropogenic and include fragmentation and loss of habitats due to ad hoc development for tourism and housing purposes; overgrazing of vegetation by livestock in the watersheds; deforestation; improper land use practices leading to erosion and desertification and the introduction of invasive alien species that deplete local genetic diversity... More »

Implementation of the NBSAP

The NBSAP for Antigua and Barbuda was produced in 2001 after extensive consultations with stakeholders and agencies. The NBSAP process and actions received positive support from the NGO community however the NBSAP never received Cabinet approval. The document is considerably outdated and does not reflect the advances made by negotiations at the international level... More »

Actions taken to achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Since the development of the NBSAP in 2001, significant effort has been taken towards implementing recommended actions. Areas that are yet to be adequately addressed are: research, and the development of market measures for protection. Additionally, though legislation exists and new legislations have been drafted for the declaration and management of protected areas, there are still legislative gaps to be filled in order to ensure the implementation of necessary actions to effect change in overall environmental management throughout the country... More »

Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)

In general, there has been significant improvement in implementation since 2001, but the lack of capacity and legal framework suitable for small island states remain severely limiting factors. The integration process was driven by several agencies with the lead agency being the Environment Division. The Environment Division is the focal point of most of the MEAs as well as the GEF focal point... More »

Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation

Antigua and Barbuda did not establish specific national targets and a way to measure them until 2009. Baseline data was also not collected until 2009 and, since then, there has been no quantitative assessment of species or ecosystems status and the impacts of the actions taken. The assessment of implementation status was based on interviews with responsible agencies, as well as reports produced over the past ten years... More »