Summary
National Species Action Plans for river dolphins, also known as National Conservation Action Plans, help to align conservation efforts within a country, thereby increasing their effectiveness. These Action Plans should be:
- based on a foundation of shared knowledge and include a wide range of stakeholders in both their design and implementation. Stakeholders include government agencies, research institutions, NGOs and communities;
- reviewed every 5-10 years to ensure management adapts to changing knowledge, opportunities and threats;
- able to cover more than one species that benefit from the same protection measures;
- designed to include awareness-raising and education activities where applicable, and the participation of local communities in implementing conservation measures;
- clear about who is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Action Plan, ideally involving multiple stakeholders such as the Technical Support Group (GAT) in Brazil, which is composed of a mix of government officials and other experts; and
- underpinned by sustainable funding mechanisms for their implementation, including private-public partnerships.
Rationale
Rationale: How do National Species Action Plans help to protect river dolphins?
Whilst local communities and regional and international initiatives are important for river dolphin conservation, national governments also have a fundamental role to play to enact effective policies and laws for addressing the multiple threats to river dolphin populations found within their jurisdiction. Although laws can be enacted piecemeal in reaction to new information or threats that arise, conservation at the national level will be much more effective if it is proactive and led by a cohesive vision, rather than if it is purely reactive. National Species Action Plans provide an effective mechanism to bring different stakeholders together to develop a shared vision for river dolphin conservation. Plans often include the following broad elements, which require the inputs and expertise of different stakeholders, ranging from government agencies to research institutions, NGOs and local communities:
- Research and monitoring – to determine the conservation status and conservation needs of the target species;
- Community engagement – including awareness raising and education to ensure buy-in and participation from those who have local knowledge and share their resources with river dolphins;
- Proposed actions and policies to address the most pressing threats to river dolphins, including those from fishing, water infrastructure and navigation, water pollution, and extraction and mining;
- A clear structure for implementation, designating which stakeholders are responsible for implementation, monitoring and oversight of different elements of the plan; and
- A supporting legal framework (in the form of decrees or statutes) that allows elements of the plan to be enforced. This can include laws that designate protected status to river dolphins (with corresponding penalties for hunting or harming), designation of protected areas, fisheries regulations, establishment of water quality standards, and other regulations to protect river dolphin habitat.
Examples
The table below lists many of the National Action Plans that are in place in countries that host river dolphin populations, and provides links to their Action Plans to enable a more detailed review. These provide guidelines and direction for conservation efforts for policy makers, researchers, funders and NGOs.
The South American action plans are based on the Regional Action Plan for South American River Dolphins 2010-2020 to ensure harmony between approaches used in different parts of shared river basins. The linked South America documents are in the local language.
Table of National Action Plans
| Country and title | Primary stakeholders | Core elements of the Action Plan |
| Bangladesh
Conservation Action Plan for Ganges River Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphin of Bangladesh 2021-2030 |
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| Bolivia
Bolivia-action-plan-for-the-conservation-of-the-bufeo-2020-2025 |
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| Brazil
September 2026 – Action Plan is under review |
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| China
September 2026 – Action Plan (2026-2035) is awaiting publication |
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This link provides an explanation of the 2026-2035 Action Plan pending publication of the Plan itself.
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| Colombia
Colombia Action Plan for the Conservation of Aquatic Mammals 2022-2035 |
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| Ecuador |
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| India |
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| Myanmar
Management plan for the Ayeyarwady dolphin protected area 2008 |
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| Nepal |
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| Peru |
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| Venezuela |
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