SANBI Mapping Biodiversity Priorities

This guide to practical, science-based approach to national biodiversity assessment and prioritisation has been produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The approach is based on the principles of Systematic Conservation Planning and is augmented by 10 operating principles. It sets out a practical, science-based approach to spatial biodiversity assessment and prioritisation and forms an excellent starting point to inform national spatial planning exercises, including detailed advice for low resource situations.

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Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development

Achieving a climate-resilient future requires rapid, sustained and far-reaching transformations in energy, land-use, infrastructure and industrial systems. Large-scale expansion of renewable energy can play a critical role in meeting the world’s growing energy demands and in the fight against climate change. However, even ‘clean’ energy sources can have significant unintended impacts on the environment. The guidelines aim to provide practical support for solar and wind energy developments by effectively managing risks and improving overall outcomes related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. They are industry-focused and can be applied across the whole project development life cycle, from early planning through to decommissioning and repowering, using the mitigation hierarchy as a clear framework for planning and implementation. The mitigation hierarchy is applied to direct, indirect and cumulative impacts. The catalogue of resources relevant to mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development (Annex 1 of the publication) is available as a separate, downloadable, spreadsheet.

Designing and managing protected and conserved areas to support inland water ecosystems and biodiversity

Inland waters – such as rivers, lakes and other wetlands – are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are also the most threatened; almost one in three species is at risk of extinction and monitored populations of freshwater species have declined by 85% since 1970. The loss of these ecosystems has cascading effects on human livelihoods, cultures and our overall well-being. While protected and conserved areas can play an important role in bending the curve of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem loss, they have rarely been designed, designated, and managed for that purpose. Motivated by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s inclusion of inland waters in the target to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030, this report provides guidance in employing protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to benefit these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. Through a series of case studies and synthesized research, it highlights how integrating the unique needs of inland waters into area-based strategies can improve conservation effectiveness across all realms, build climate resilience and sustain critical ecosystem services.

Agriculture and conservation

In 2021, IUCN launched the IUCN Flagship Report Series, to help demonstrate the importance of conserving nature for human well-being and all life on Earth. This report, the second in the series, focuses on agriculture and nature. The interactions, synergies, and tradeoffs between the two sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for ending hunger and ensuring food security while also mandating the protection and restoration of nature. Whether the two can be achieved simultaneously, and if so how, are crucial questions for humanity and our planet. IUCN therefore explores the positive and negative relationships between agriculture and nature conservation and mobilises new modelling approaches to examine both imperatives within a range of realistic policies.

Cercocebus and Mandrillus conservation action plan 2024–2028

Collectively, Cercocebus and Mandrillus include nine species and two subspecies of African monkeys: seven species of Cercocebus and two of Mandrillus, including two drill subspecies. Together, they represent some of the least studied and hence least known of the Afro-Eurasian Primates. This Plan includes taxon-specific conservation actions, devised under six overarching themes: increase engagement and local livelihood support, reduce knowledge gaps, promote habitat restoration, raise the profile of Cercocebus and Mandrillus taxa, enhance protection, and respond to public health needs for the neighboring human populations. The Plan aimes to raise the profile of the Cercocebus and Mandrillus species, encourage collaboration amongst conservation practitioners, local communities, government agencies, and other invested parties, and ultimately prevent the extinction of some of the most amazing primate species on the planet.

Building trust between rangers and communities

This is the first volume in the WCPA Good Practice Guidelines that is predominantly by rangers, for rangers. The editors worked with partners to collect good practices and stories from rangers worldwide, reflecting global experience and lessons learned. The text focuses on actions that rangers, and to a lesser extent managers, can do themselves. It does not address institutional changes that would need intervention at government level. Whilst the latter are often necessary, decisions are out of the hands of individual rangers. Nor is the guide the last word on the state of play, another global ranger survey is being carried out simultaneously with the production of these guidelines and we will continue to learn about ranger needs, strengths and challenges in the future.

Recognising territories and areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCAs) overlapped by protected areas

Many protected areas worldwide overlap with ‘territories and areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities’ or ‘ICCAs’ (Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved areas’). These overlapped ICCAs include conserved commons, sacred places and Indigenous and community protected areas. Appropriately recognising and respecting overlapped ICCAs in protected area governance, management and practice can strengthen conservation, affirm rights and promote equitable protected area governance. This volume identifies six approaches or pathways and provides guidance on implementing 20 good practices for appropriately recognizing, respecting and supporting overlapped ICCAs in existing, new and expanded protected areas of all governance types and management categories.

A stocktaking report on other effective area-based conservation measures in China : first edition

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) have been long recognised as an effective approach for safeguarding biodiversity at local, national and global levels. This report takes stock of the policies and practices relevant to OECMs in China. The report explores the critical role of OECMs in China’s conservation efforts, emphasising their potential contribution to the country’s commitment to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). With well-established policies and practical evidence base in place, China is poised to embrace OECMs through both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

Asian langurs (Presbytis) conservation action plan 2024–2034

Distributed in the Sundaland region (Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java and adjacent smaller islands), langurs of the genus Presbytis are one of the most threatened groups of Asian primates. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 24 of the 28 taxa (>85%) are threatened with extinction (listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). One taxon is classified as Near Threatened and one as Data Deficient. Only two Presbytis taxa are considered as Least Concern. This Asian langurs (Presbytis) conservation action plan 2024–2034 brings together the knowledge of experts on these monkeys to identify the most pressing threats and priority conservation actions for each taxon.

Analyse de la contribution économique des services écosystémiques des aires protégées d’Afrique de l’Ouest

Ce présent ouvrage vise à déterminer la contribution économique des aires protégées et de la biodiversité dans les politiques et stratégies environnementales régionales de l’espace UEMOA-CEDEAO (Union Economique et monétaire Ouest Africaine et de la Mauritanie – Communauté économique des états de l’Afrique de l’Ouest). Pour atteindre les objectifs visés par ce travail, cet ouvrage aborde successivement le rôle de la biodiversité et des aires protégées dans  l’amélioration du bien-être des communautés, l’importance de l’évaluation économique du capital naturel et des services écosystémiques et enfin les instruments d’intégration du capital naturel dans la planification et la prise de décision.

Climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation

Global climate mitigation policies are promoting a radical shift in emission reduction activities to achieve net-zero targets by 2050. Although recent scientific studies have  explored the impacts of some climate mitigation initiatives on biodiversity in various contexts, a global perspective of these developments is required. This report contributes to these needs and includes a current synopsis of the carbon market mechanisms implemented around the world, how these mechanisms are related to natural ecosystems, the potential impacts of their operation, and the potential contribution of natural ecosystems in the design of Nature-based Solutions to reducing carbon emissions.

Глобальный план действий в отношении видов

The Global Species Action Plan (GSAP) is a critical initiative developed to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to address the increasing biodiversity loss worldwide. The GSAP outlines strategic interventions and actions to conserve and sustainably manage species while ensuring equitable benefits. Emphasizing the critical role of species in ecosystem stability, human livelihoods, and cultural heritage, the GSAP seeks to prevent extinctions, reduce threats, and ensure equitable benefits from species use. Implementation involves diverse stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous peoples and Local communities, NGOs, academia, and businesses, fostering cooperation at global, regional, and local levels. The GSAP underscores the collective responsibility to safeguard Earth’s rich biological heritage for future generations.

Guidelines for the application of IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria : version 2.0

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is the global standard for ecosystem risk assessment and a framework for monitoring the status of the world’s ecosystems. It  is part of the growing toolbox for assessing risks to biodiversity and aims to support  conservation, resource use and management decisions by identifying ecosystems  most at risk of biodiversity loss. By targeting a level of biological organisation above  species, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems complements The IUCN Red List of  Threatened Species™ in supporting biodiversity conservation decision-making and action. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria are designed to be  widely applicable across ecosystem types and geographical areas, transparent and scientifically rigorous, and easily understood by policy makers and the public.