Pilot Project Programme

The Mid-term Review of the Japan Biodiversity Fund (JBF) recommended a shift in focus from National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) development and revision to implementation. The Pilot Project Programme was introduced in 2015 as a means of capacity-building whereby selected Parties would be supported in prioritizing and implementing actions from their NBSAPs. 

The projects implemented concrete activities to move forward with NBSAP implementation and provided pilot countries with clear and measurable outputs. 

To date, the JBF Team has focused on three main weaknesses identified in many pre-2010 NBSAPs, including: 

1. Mainstreaming,
2. Spatial data and information, and
3. Socio-economic data and indicators.

Pilot projects supported by the JBF include the following:

• SRI LANKA - Integrated Spatial and Socio-economic Data in Biodiversity Planning at National Scale
• Strengthening National Capacities for Biodiversity Monitoring, within the Framework of the Implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy of ECUADOR
• Mapping Biodiversity Priorities in BOTSWANA, ETHIOPIA, and MALAWI
• Integrating Biodiversity into National and Sectorial Development Policies in BURUNDI
• “Biodiversity is our Business” Valuing Ecosystem Services for in Biodiversity Protection in ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

In addition to the in-country results, the pilot project programme provides a series of demonstration projects to support the larger community of CBD Parties in tackling common challenges such as mainstreaming and the establishment of national monitoring systems.

The outcomes and lessons learned from the pilot projects were shared during two side events at: 

• COP13: Capacity Building for National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP) Implementation: Lessons learned from pilot projects under the Japan Biodiversity Fund (JBF)
• COP14: Tackling Common Challenges in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Implementation – Examples from Japan Biodiversity Fund’s (JBF) Pilot Projects