THE STATE OF ERITREA MINISTRY OF LAND, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT th 6 National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity December 2019 ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 i ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 ii ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 Table of Contents List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ....................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. ix 1. Background and Context ............................................................................................. 1 2. 6th National Report for the Convention on Biological Diversity .............................. 2 2.1 Information on the Targets Being Pursued at the National Level ......................... 2 2.2 Implementation measures taken, assessment of their effectiveness, associated obstacles, and scientific and technical needs to achieve national targets .............. 27 2.3 Assessment of progress towards each National Target ......................................... 68 2.4 Description of the National Contribution to the Achievement of each Global Aichi Biodiversity Target ........................................................................................... 96 2.5 Description of the National Contributions that support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals........................................... 109 3. Biodiversity Country Profile (Updated) ................................................................. 114 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 114 3.2 Country Profile ........................................................................................................ 114 3.3. Biodiversity Profile (Biodiversity facts) ............................................................... 116 3.3.1 Terrestrial biodiversity ................................................................................. 116 3.3.2 Marine biodiversity ....................................................................................... 118 3.3.3 Agricultural biodiversity .............................................................................. 121 3.3.4 Main pressures on & drivers of change to biodiversity (direct &indirect) ......................................................................................................................... 124 3.3.5 Measures to enhance implementation of the Convention and Implementation of the NBSAP: ................................................................... 124 3.3.6 Overall actions taken to contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020: .................................................................. 125 3.3.7 Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming) ...................................... 126 3.3.8 Challenges ...................................................................................................... 126 Reference ........................................................................................................................... 127 iii ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 Annex 1. Methodology .................................................................................................. 131 Annex 2. Persons interviewed and offices visited during CBD Survey ................... 132 Annex 3. List of 1st Consultative Workshop Participants (August 16, 2019) .......... 133 Annex 4. List of Validation Workshop Participants (December 17, 2019) ............. 134 iv ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 List of Acronyms ABT Aichi Biodiversity Targets AED Agricultural Extension Department BIHI Buri-Irrori Hawakil Islands CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CCD Convention to Combat Desertification CGRIS Computerized Genetic Resource Information System CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora COP Conference of the Parties DoE Department of Environment DoL Department of Land DRS Departments of Regulatory Services ECMIB Eritrea’s Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIT Eritrean Institute of Technology FAO Food and Agricultural Organization of UN FFS Farmers Field School FRMP Fisheries Resources Management Project FWA Forestry and Wildlife Authority GBH Girth at Birth Height GEF Global Environmental Facility GIS Geographical Information System HAC Hamelmalo Agricultural College IAS Invasive Alien Species ICAM Integrated Coastal Area Management ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics IFAD International Fund for Agriculture Development IMO International Maritime Organization IPCC International Panel for Climate Change IPM Integrated Pest Management ITPGRFA International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature& Natural Resources LDN Land Degradation Neutrality MARPOL International Convention for the Protection of Pollution from Ships COMSAT College of Marine Science and Technology v ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 MCS Monitoring, Control and Surveillance MHAP Minimum Integrated Household Agricultural Package MoA Ministry of Agriculture MoD Ministry of Defense MoE Ministry of Education MoI Ministry of Information MoLHW Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare MoLG Ministry of Local Government MoLWE Ministry of Land Water and Environment MoEM Ministry of Energy and Mines MoMR Ministry of Marine Resources IOSEA Indian Ocean and South-East Asia MPA Marine Protected Area MRRD Marine Resources Research Division MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield NARI National Agricultural Research Institute NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NEAPG National Environmental Assessment Procedures and Guidelines NEMP-E National Environmental Management Plan for Eritrea NIP National Implementation Plan NRSRA Northern Red Sea Regional Administration ODS Ozone Depleting Substances PAS Protected Area System PGR Plant Genetic Resources PPAs Proposed Protected Areas SLM Sustainable Land Management SoC State of the Coast UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biodiversity UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change vi ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 List of Tables Table 1: Selected Physical, Economic and Social Indicators for Eritrea ........................................ 117 Table 2: Estimated Livestock Population, Nationwide (MoA, 2019). ............................................ 123 vii ERITREA SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD), 2019 List of Figures Figure 1: Proposed protected areas 2018 (Modified from FWA Report, 1997) ................................ 31 Figure 2: African wild ass photo by Ahmed Refik ............................................................................ 32 Figure 3: Junipeurs procera Vegetation Community in Rora-Habab Plateau (left) and Semienawi and Debubawi Bahri (right) (Source: MoLWE, 2018 and NBSAP, 2015) ....................................... 33 Figure 4: Aloe schoeleri (critically endangered endemic species), Kohaito (left) and Aloe neosteudneri threatened species associated with invasive alien species of Opuntia ficus-indica (right)(Source: NBSAP, 2015) .......................................................................................................... 34 Figure 5: Asmara Toad: Re-found toad species [left] and Eritrea Side neck Turtle in Eritrea [right] (Photo by Futsum Hagos, 2016) ........................................................................................................ 34 Figure 6: Poster prepared by FWA to raise awareness on the toads present around Asmara. .......... 35 Figure 7: Distribution map of Prosopis juliflora in Eritrea (Harnet, 2008) ...................................... 38 Figure 8: Avicennia marina (Mangrove) planted in Dahlak Island (Kormelil area) ......................... 40 Figure 9: Satellite image of mangrove forest area cover in a) Assab b) Berasole c) Massawa d) Dahlak e) Marsa Mubarek f) Berite (Source: Elias, 2018) ................................................................ 43 Figure 10: Estimates of mangrove cover in the Eritrean coast from 1999 to 2017 (Source: Elias, 2018) .................................................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 11: Prosopis trees growing in the coastal area- Massawa environs ....................................... 44 Figure 12: Corals from the reefs around Massawa (Photo: Zekeria Abdulkerim, February 2016) ... 50 Figure 13: Bleaching corals in Twalot reef