National Progress towards Targets of the Global Strategy

The Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in the Hauge (April 2002) adopted the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC): a strategy that aims at halting the current and continuing loss of plant diversity, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and sustainable development. This strategy was also an innovative advance for the convention as it incorporated for the first time a framework of 16 targets for biodiversity conservation aimed at achieving measurable plant conservation outcomes by 2010. These targets are addressing the five themes of the GSPC: 1- understanding and documenting plant diversity (3 targets), 2-conserving plant diversity (7 targets), 3- using plant diversity sustainable (3 targets), 4- promoting education and awareness about plant diversity (one target), and 5- building capacity for the conservation of plant diversity (2 targets). Egypt has diverse habitats with micro-climates that host many plant species and communities. This book presents the substantial progress that has been made towards reaching the 16 GSPC targets in Egypt.