This research evaluates the effectiveness of conservation planning policy in the Solomon Islands and specifically examines the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). The NBSAP is a requirement under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)1 which the Solomon Islands ratified in 1995. The NBSAP outlines a framework to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity in the Solomon Islands and is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM). The practice of conservation or environmental policy evaluation is rarely undertaken in the Solomon Islands due to the lack of baseline data, inadequate monitoring of implementation, and unclear goals and objectives. In brief, effectiveness evaluation involves comparison of the actual result to the expected result at a given time in order to isolate the influence of a specific policy. However, because of unavailability of data and to avoid the complicated and lengthy process of evaluation, this research focussed instead on the performance principle2 of evaluation and considered the overall performance of the NBSAP policy to determine whether it is effective or not.
This research was qualitative and thus focussed on words with the intention to examine the NBSAP and its problems. Interviewing was the main data collection method and was conducted in two parts: semi-structured interviews involving eight participants, and two focus group interviews with four and six participants each. Research questions were prepared to guide the discussion but flexibility was allowed for explanations and asking of further questions.
The study found that biodiversity is of paramount importance in the Solomon Islands in that large proportion of the population lives in rural village settings and depends on biodiversity for their livelihoods and subsistence purposes. To the government, biodiversity forms a big portion of its export and revenue. This research noted that biodiversity continues to be destroyed and lost despite various interventions including the NBSAP, involving conservation partners such as the This research evaluates the effectiveness of conservation planning policy in the Solomon Islands and specifically examines the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). The NBSAP is a requirement under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)1 which the Solomon Islands ratified in 1995. The NBSAP outlines a framework to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity in the Solomon Islands and is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM). The practice of conservation or environmental policy evaluation is rarely undertaken in the Solomon Islands due to the lack of baseline data, inadequate monitoring of implementation, and unclear goals and objectives. In brief, effectiveness evaluation involves comparison of the actual result to the expected result at a given time in order to isolate the influence of a specific policy. However, because of unavailability of data and to avoid the complicated and lengthy process of evaluation, this research focussed instead on the performance principle2 of evaluation and considered the overall performance of the NBSAP policy to determine whether it is effective or not.
This research was qualitative and thus focussed on words with the intention to examine the NBSAP and its problems. Interviewing was the main data collection method and was conducted in two parts: semi-structured interviews involving eight participants, and two focus group interviews with four and six participants each. Research questions were prepared to guide the discussion but flexibility was allowed for explanations and asking of further questions.
The study found that biodiversity is of paramount importance in the Solomon Islands in that large proportion of the population lives in rural village settings and depends on biodiversity for their livelihoods and subsistence purposes. To the government, biodiversity forms a big portion of its export and revenue. This research noted that biodiversity continues to be destroyed and lost despite various interventions including the NBSAP, involving conservation partners such as the government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and donors. This study found that human behaviour and attitudes are real obstacles to conservation practices in the Solomon Islands, coupled with factors such as increasing economic demand, population growth and climate related effects. The study further found that networks of the actors involved, and integration of the NBSAP policy, which can be horizontal and vertical in structure, are needed. Strong leadership was also found to be lacking among the conservation stakeholders and specifically in the MECDM as a coordinating agency for the NBSAP policy. To conclude, it was found that NBSAP policy was not effectively playing a role in influencing the decision and implementation of other related policies.
