In the midst of the 2026 electoral year, Peru approved the 2030 Action Plan of its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), formally launching the plan’s implementation phase. While Peru’s National Biodiversity Strategy was approved in 2024, the 2030 Action Plan designed to operationalize that strategy received formal approval on February 17, 2026. During an electoral year, this advancement was celebrated as a promising, sustainable, move forward.

Peru’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) translates its long-term biodiversity vision into more than 140 concrete measures aligned with 29 national targets and the overarching Global Biodiversity Framework. These measures address land-use planning, conservation, restoration, biodiversity finance, governance, and capacity development.

Implementation is designed as a shared responsibility. National and regional governments, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, civil society, academia, private sector actors, and international partners all have roles to play. Importantly, over 20 public institutions have defined responsibilities within the plan, reinforcing institutional ownership and increasing the need for effective coordination.

Peru is recognized as one of the world’s megadiverse countries, yet faces continued pressures from deforestation, informal land conversion, pollution, and climate change. While its biodiversity framework is aligned with global biodiversity goals, the main challenge has consistently been implementation.

The 2026 electoral cycle adds complexity. Changes in leadership and shifting policy priorities can slow administrative processes and decision-making. In this context, Peru has focused on advancing actions that are technically sound, politically viable, and socially beneficial regardless of electoral outcomes.

A key strategy has been to prioritize “no-regret actions.” Rather than introducing new regulatory reforms, institutions are strengthening the use of existing instruments. For example, approved Ecological-Economic Zoning (ZEE) processes in several regions are being used more proactively to guide public investment and infrastructure decisions and reduce land-use conflicts without reopening politically sensitive debates.

Nature-based solutions have also proven to be an effective entry point. Ecosystem restoration and watershed protection initiatives are increasingly framed as responses to water insecurity, disaster risk, and climate impacts. Regional evidence shows that ecosystem degradation is directly affecting water supply for cities, irrigation systems, and hydropower generation. As a result, biodiversity is no longer perceived solely as an environmental concern but as a development issue with direct social and economic implications. When biodiversity is linked directly to development progress, such as water availability, agricultural productivity, and energy security, it becomes part of a broader resilience agenda.

At the national level, coordination remains essential. Embedding biodiversity measures into planning instruments, budgeting processes, and public investment systems helps safeguard continuity during political transitions and ensures that commitments remain operational beyond electoral cycles.

Peru’s experience demonstrates that election years do not need to halt environmental progress. The approval of a detailed and participatory NBSAP provides a solid operational foundation. The priority now is steady implementation, anchored in existing tools, inter-institutional coordination, and solutions that deliver visible benefits to citizens.

Alfredo Gálvez Ballón, Peru’s National Facilitator for the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, highlighted:

The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership will continue supporting Peru in implementing its NBSAP, working with institutions and partners to sustain momentum and translate commitments into measurable results.

Learn more about the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership’s Facilitator Programme and its MatchMaking Mechanism, core tools supporting accelerated NBSAP implementation.