This chapter discusses the need for greater coordination and coherence in the design, approval, financing, and implementation of biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based solutions across the MENA region. Considering the wide-ranging impacts of biodiversity loss on water, energy, and food security, as well as on cultural heritage, tourism, urban planning, healthcare, human rights, and other key sectors, comprehensive and wide-ranging responses are required. This chapter therefore examines the guiding principles of implementing a nexus and integrated governance approach across the region to effectively mainstream biodiversity and nature conservation into all aspects of development planning and decision making. It discusses the need for coherent and holistic legal responses; clear and comprehensive legislation; institutional coordination; biodiversity entrepreneurship, increased biodiversity financing; human rights due diligence; and biodiversity-focused environmental law education as essential steps for advancing the nexus and integrated implementation of biodiversity and nature conservation across the MENA region.

Biodiversity is vital to humanity, and its continued existence cuts across the rights and duties of states and their obligations pursuant to a plethora of international environmental agreements. There is a wide array of international and regional treaties focusing on biodiversity and conservation issues. Several Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries have signed, ratified, and, in some instances, domesticated some of these treaties into their national legal systems. However, notwithstanding the avalanche of national and international mechanisms on biodiversity, several barriers are militating against the successful implementation of the regime on biodiversity in many MENA countries. This chapter argues that reliance on environmental law education can be one of the strategies to improve the implementation of biodiversity treaties across the MENA region. Drawing salient lessons from emerging best practices on environmental law education across the region, this chapter examines the role of environmental law education in advancing biodiversity and nature conservation. It discusses legal and institutional gaps that hinder the profusion of environmental law education on biodiversity in the MENA region and key reforms necessary to address such gaps.