A new flagship report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature – on the interplay between agriculture and conservation – argues that better designed and targeted policies could benefit both biodiversity and agriculture and should be considered and implemented by countries across the world.
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Primary tools and resources
CBD voluntary guidelines on Traditional Knowledge and ILPCs
The UN Convention on Biodiversity has developed sets of detailed guidance on ILK. These include the Tkarihwaié:ri Code of Ethical Conduct to Ensure Respect for the Cultural and Intellectual Heritage of Indigenous and Local Communities Relevant to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity; the Mo’otz Kuxtal Voluntary Guidelines for the development of mechanisms, legislation or other appropriate initiatives to ensure the “prior and informed consent”; and The Rutzolijirisaxik Voluntary Guidelines for the Repatriation of Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Relevant for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity
International Whaling Commission (IWC) Programmes on Chemical Pollution
Research on cetaceans indicates that many classes of chemical pollutants, particularly persistent organic pollutants, are so-called ‘endocrine disrupters,’ meaning that they interfere with the hormone system and can increase susceptibility to disease and reduce reproductive success. The huge number of synthetic chemicals released into the environment and their interactions makes quantifying impacts on whale populations a complex task.
The IWC Scientific Committee has initiated four programmes, Pollution 2000, Pollution 2000+, Pollution 2020 and Pollution 2025. The first two initiatives examined tissue concentrations of priority pollutants in key cetacean species and determined toxicological markers and health assessment endpoints to determine adverse health effects, culminating in the development of tools and techniques to estimate population level effects.
The IWC Scientific Committee has also initiated work on the sources of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) which pose a significant ongoing threat to some cetacean populations long after their production was banned. Pollution 2020, assessed the risk to cetaceans from microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Pollution 2025 is focused on cumulative effects and multiple stressors. Pollution 2025 is also setting out a multi-disciplinary, ‘One Health’ approach, recognising that the health of people, animals and the environment are closely connected.
African Wildlife Poisoning Database
The Vulture Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission gathers and collates data on historical and current incidents of wildlife poisoning to assess the scope and impact of this threat to vultures and other scavenging birds and wildlife on the African continent. The Database is accompanied by a map of poisoning incidents in Africa. A webform and a data submission template have been designed to facilitate simple uploading of records of poisoning incidents.
SSC Species Conservation Planning Guidelines
The Guidelines aim to be equally relevant for any taxon on Earth. Recent experience has shown that no two planning situations are the same. So while the principles of planning may be constant, the purpose of the planning and the circumstances, the information available and its accuracy, and other factors, all combine to make every situation unique. This then demands a planning process that is both rigorous in analysis but flexible in its application. These Guidelines are very much an evolution based on experience, rather than a fundamental replacement of the 2008 Handbook (Strategic Planning for Species: A Handbook).
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
WH Sites identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural heritage around the world that is considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. Sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria to be included on the World Heritage List. The criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.
These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is the main working tool on World Heritage.
How to use
To download the text of the Convention, operational guidelines for implementation, and to search the map and individual sites: https://whc.unesco.org
To explore the WHS criteria and download the operational guidelines:
IUCN Guidelines on the Use of Ex Situ Management for Species Conservation
As habitats and ecosystems become increasingly altered and populations evermore impacted by human activities, a growing number of species will require some form of management of both individuals and populations to ensure their survival. Ex situ management is one possible option that can contribute to the conservation of threatened species. The aim of these guidelines is to provide practical guidance on evaluating the suitability and requirements of an ex situ component for achieving species conservation objectives.
International Whaling Commission (IWC) programmes on ocean noise
Anthropogenic ocean noise is identified as one of the priority threats in the Strategic Plan of the IWC Conservation Committee. In 2018, the IWC agreed a Resolution that recognised the increasing concern over ocean noise, and clarified next steps to better understand and manage the threat. In 2022 the IWC endorsed a Workplan on Anthropogenic Ocean Noise. The Scientific Committee is also undertaking research on the impact of noise on cetaceans, and the effectiveness of different approaches to reduce exposure.
Biological Diversity Protocol
The Biological Diversity Protocol (BD Protocol) provides companies with a standardised accounting and reporting framework to consolidate their biodiversity impact data across value chains and jurisdictions. The BD Protocol assists companies to develop their biodiversity impact inventory and the associated Statements of Biodiversity Position and Performance from site or project management to disclosure.
The BD Protocol is an output of the Biodiversity Disclosure Project (BDP), an effort spearheaded by the National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN) of South Africa and managed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. The BD Protocol aims to support existing impact measurement approaches so that biodiversity impact disclosure becomes comparable across industries and companies.
International Whaling Commission (IWC) Bycatch Mitigation initiative
As the leading global body addressing cetacean science, conservation and management, the IWC has the capacity to play a significant role in global efforts to address bycatch and in 2016, endorsed a new Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI). In collaboration with other organisations, national governments and fishing communities, this aims to develop, assess and promote effective bycatch prevention and mitigation measures world-wide.
The initiative is currently focused on addressing gillnet bycatch in small-scale fisheries, although some work continues on bycatch in other gears and fisheries.
The concepts of collaboration and co-ordination underpin the BMI. Bycatch is an issue that needs to be tackled on several different scales, from fishing communities to national governments and intergovernmental fishery bodies.
The BMI works closely with the Global Whale Entanglement Response Network (GWERN), a pioneering initiative which actively addresses welfare, conservation and human safety impacts of large whale entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris.
Species+
The Species+ website was developed jointly by UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat to assist Parties to implement CITES, CMS and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Species+ contains information on all species listed in the Appendices of CITES and CMS, other CMS Family listings, and in the Annexes to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The species pages contain information on legal, species names and distribution, Appendix listings, references, and other documentation.
The data can be searched by species, location, or Convention. The “Locations” filter allows a search for a species or group of species occurring in a particular country, territory, or region.
Key species lists can be downloaded in an Excel-ready format as a csv file. The terms of use should be reviewed prior to downloading.
IPBES Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control
The IPBES Thematic Assessment of Invasive Alien Species and their Control was adopted in September 2023 and synthesizes information from over 13,000 references on IAS into a comprehensive scientific assessment and a concise summary document for policy makers. The assessment assesses the current status and trends of invasive alien species, their impacts, drivers, management, and policy options to address the challenges they pose. It results from four years of work by experts from 49 countries.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments. It provides open access to data on all types of life on Earth. GBIF provides data-holding institutions around the world with common standards, best practices and open-source tools enabling them to share information on species. The data derive from many sources, from museum specimens collected in the 18th and 19th centuries to DNA barcodes and citizen science smartphone photos.
The network collates these diverse data sources through data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for most of GBIF’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Publishers provide open access to their datasets using machine-readable Creative Commons licence designations, allowing scientists, researchers, and others to apply the data.
Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation
The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, or Conservation Standards (CS) for short, are a set of principles and practices that bring together common concepts, approaches, and terminology for conservation project design, management, and monitoring. They were developed by the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP), have been widely adopted, and are updated regularly in collaboration with the wider conservation community. The Conservation Standards are open-source (Creative Commons license) and can be shared, used, and adapted as users wish to fit their context.
The Standards describe ideal practices for doing effective conservation work, using a mutually defined vocabulary and focus on a rigorous approach to project management. Recognising that adequate resources are lacking, a draft “Cookbook” for Lighter Approaches to the Conservation Standards and a supporting video are also provided.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary international agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport, and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
The Protocol establishes an advance informed agreement (AIA) procedure for ensuring that countries are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of such organisms into their territory. The Protocol also establishes a Biosafety Clearing-House to facilitate the exchange of information on living modified organisms and to assist countries in the implementation of the Protocol. The Biosafety Clearing-House is an online platform for exchanging information on living modified organisms and is a key tool for facilitating the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol. It includes national information published by countries (primarily Parties to the Protocol) as well as virtual library of biosafety resources, information on different living modified organisms as well as laboratories for their detection.
How to use
Further information on the Cartagena Protocol is available at: https://bch.cbd.int/protocol
The Biosafety Clearing House can be accessed at: https://bch.cbd.int/en/
Ramsar Wetland Sites of International Importance
A Ramsar site is a wetland designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands). The convention provides for national action and international cooperation on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Sites are identified according to any one of nine criteria. The Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Types has been developed by the Ramsar Convention. There are currently more than 2,400 Ramsar Sites around the world, covering over 2.5 million km2. The Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) provides online information on wetlands that have been designated as internationally important.
How to use
- For further information on the Convention visit: https://www.ramsar.org
- For an overview of the Ramsar Sites network or to obtain information on a specific Site, visit
- https://rsis.ramsar.org/
- The Administrative Authority of a Contracting Party can submit or update Ramsar Site information using the new online RIS by logging in or registering – instructions at: https://rsis.ramsar.org/sites/all/modules/custom/rsiswp_main/data/RSIS_Instructions_E.pdf
Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)
ISRAs have been developed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group to ensure that discrete portions of habitats critical to shark species are delineated and used in site-based conservation and management initiatives in global waters. ISRAs are identified through the application of four criteria, incorporating seven sub-criteria. The Criteria provide an objective framework for identifying areas crucial for the persistence of sharks and rays and, where required, their recovery.
Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) produced Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development for biodiversity policymakers and practitioners in developed and developing countries, as well as development co-operation agencies and other national ministries. The report highlights examples of good practice and remaining challenges in four key areas: mainstreaming biodiversity at national level; mainstreaming biodiversity in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors; development co-operation and biodiversity mainstreaming; and monitoring and evaluating biodiversity mainstreaming. Examples and insights are included from 16 predominantly megadiverse countries which span the full range from high-income to lower-income economies. The national level entry point for biodiversity mainstreaming is important and elements to encourage mainstreaming and its implementation in practice across relevant national plans and strategies.
How to use
The policy highlights report can be downloaded at: https://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/Policy-Highlights-Mainstreaming-Biodiversity-for-Sustainable-Development.pdf
Further information on the OECD is available at: https://www.oecd.org/
Emprendiendo en la conservación
Basándose en ejemplos de los sectores de tecnología y de empresas emergentes (startups), la UICN desarrolló la idea de una incubadora para identificar y alimentar las ideas de los administradores de áreas protegidas y de otros agentes que carecen de conocimientos, recursos o contactos profesionales para hacerlas realidad: la Incubadora para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (INC, por sus siglas en inglés). El objetivo del presente documento es reunir las lecciones, ejemplos y recursos clave generados a través del trabajo de INC para guiar futuros proyectos de financiamiento de la conservación y ayudar a cerrar la brecha entre conservación e inversión.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The objective of the IPCC is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. IPCC reports are also a key input into international climate change negotiations.
An open and transparent review by experts and governments around the world is an essential part of the IPCC process to ensure an objective and complete assessment and to reflect a diverse range of views and expertise. Through its assessments, the IPCC identifies the strength of scientific agreement in different areas and indicates where further research is needed. The IPCC does not conduct its own research.
The IPCC has completed its Sixth Assessment cycle, during which it produced Assessment reports from its three Working Groups, three Special Reports, a Methodology Report, and the Synthesis report (SYR 6) which was finalized in March 2023.
CBD Guidance on enhancing positive and minimizing negative impacts on biodiversity of climate change adaptation activities
This document was produced by the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) in 2016. It provides guidance on enhancing the positive and minimizing the negative impacts on biodiversity of climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, based on recent literature, case studies, and experience.
Section I presents the main principles of enhancing positive and reducing negative impacts of climate change adaptation activities on biodiversity. Section II provides guidance on enhancing positive and minimizing negative impacts of climate change adaptation activities, with specific examples from different sectors and ecosystems. Section III provides examples of tools to enhance the benefits and reduce the negative impacts of mitigation on biodiversity, with references to other reports where additional information can be found.
The IUCN Restoration Barometer
The IUCN Restoration Barometer is designed for use by countries that have committed to restore landscapes under international goals or agreements. It is used by governments to track the progress of restoration targets across all terrestrial ecosystems including coastal and inland waters. The Barometer allows governments to simplify and streamline reporting on their restoration commitments and it to track and record progress towards global goals, including The Bonn Challenge, the 30×30 target under the Post-2020 GBF, the Paris Agreement, and the Land Degradation Neutrality Target. Ecosystem restoration interventions are classified according to the IUCN Restoration Intervention Typology for Terrestrial Ecosystems (RITTE) and categorization of ecosystems by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The Barometer has eight indicators and records the size of the area being brought under restoration as well as the corresponding climate, biodiversity, and socio-economic benefits. Currently, only government focal points can create accounts on the Barometer website. New users can request an account and after verification, restoration related data can be entered securely. A set of simple tutorials is provided to assist the process.
IUCN Green Status of Species
The decline of many species towards extinction has largely focused conservation efforts on ensuring that species remain extant. However, conservationists have long recognised the need to complement this by aiming to recover depleted populations throughout a species’ range and to restore species to ecosystems from which they have been extirpated. The main objectives of the IUCN Green Status of Species are: to provide a standardised framework for measuring species recovery; to recognise conservation achievements; to highlight species whose current conservation status is dependent on continued conservation actions; to forecast the expected conservation impact of planned conservation action; and to elevate levels of ambition for long-term species recovery. These objectives together encourage conservation towards species recovery, throughout a species’ range.
PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet
The PANORAMA platform documents and promotes examples of inspiring solutions on conservation and sustainable development topics. PANORAMA allows practitioners to share their experiences, increase recognition for successful work, and to learn how similar challenges have been addressed around the globe. Over 1200 case studies are presented in a standard format that identifies “building blocks” (key success factors) and the context in which solutions were implemented. Solutions consist of elements that can potentially be replicated or scaled up in other geographic, social, or sectorial contexts. The PANORAMA initiative has many partners. The partnership secretariat is jointly managed by IUCN and GIZ.
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
The Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a global initiative to promote the development, delivery, and use of biodiversity indicators. Its primary role is to delivering indicators to monitor progress toward global and national goals and targets, such as those under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on Migratory Species, Ramsar, and others. The BIP also supports indicators used in IPBES Assessment reports and for reporting progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. Indicators supported by the BIP are also used by national and regional governments.
How to use
- To obtain the list of BIP indicators and further guidance: https://www.bipindicators.net/
- To access resources: https://www.bipindicators.net/resources?filters%5Bcategory%5D=47
- To access data by country from the BIP Dashboard, enter the country name or browse by region at: https://bipdashboard.natureserve.org/SelectCountry.html