Progress Towards Protected Area Targets
Protected Area targets have been set globally, regionally, and sometimes at a country level. During the last decade, the global protected area targets that all country signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) committed to were the CBD's Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Specifically, Aichi Target 11 which stated that:
Partner support and interactions with communities show mixed effects on governance of community-based resources
Community-based natural resource management is recognized as an effective area-based conservation approach. Accordingly, conservation organizations worldwide are providing support to local communities seeking to sustainably manage and use their local natural resources. However, there is little understanding of how different types of support provided by partner organizations influence local community governance of these resources.
Nature-Related Finance and Indigenous Peoples
This briefing provides an overview of the interlinkages between the financial sector, nature and Indigenous Peoples. It summarizes UNEP FI’s views of the outcomes and recommendations of sessions on these themes within the Finance & Biodiversity Pavilion at CBD COP16 in Cali, and is prepared for use by UNEP FI members and others in the financial system engaged in nature-related activities willing to reorient their approach and learn more on engaging with Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendent Peoples and local communities.
The Database of Island Invasive Species Eradications (DIISE)
Islands are at the forefront of the global extinction crisis, with invasive vertebrates posing a significant threat to native flora and fauna. The removal of these invasive species is crucial for the restoration and protection of island ecosystems, helping to prevent extinctions and promote biodiversity!
Island Conservation hosts an invaluable dataset to help show the impact of this key environmental intervention: the Database of Island Invasive Species Eradications (DIISE).
Learning from Positive Deviance in Gender and Fisheries: A Case Study in Solomon Islands
We present an initial exploration of why and how participation in a case of community-based resource management (CBRM) in a Pacific context could be considered a deviation from gender norms.
Common misconceptions of ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs) and implications for global conservation targets
The commitment to protect 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has seen growing attention paid to ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs) to help achieve this target. However, there are a number of misconceptions of OECMs that commonly arise. We explore these misconceptions to aid in ensuring that OECMs are employed to meet their full potential.
Birds and bats reduce herbivory damage in Papua New Guinean highland forests
Insectivorous predators, including birds and bats, play crucial roles in trophic cascades. However, previous research on these cascades has often relied on permanent predator exclosures, which prevent the isolation of specific effects of birds and bats, given their different activity patterns throughout the day. Moreover, limited knowledge exists regarding the variations in individual effects of these predators under different biotic and abiotic conditions, such as changes in elevation.
Expanding protected area coverage for migratory birds could improve long-term population trends
Populations of many migratory taxa have been declining over recent decades. Although protected areas are a cornerstone for conservation, their role in protecting migratory species can be incomplete due to the dynamic distributions of these species. Here, we use a pan-European citizen science bird occurrence dataset (EurobirdPortal) with Spatiotemporal Exploratory Modelling to assess how the weekly distributions of 30 passerine and near passerine species overlap with protected areas in Europe and compare this to range adjusted policy protection targets.
Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures: A Path Towards Equitable Biodiversity Conservation
Many people are familiar with the idea of a protected area—land or water areas set aside and kept as natural as possible, such as national parks and nature reserves. Protected areas are one of the most well-established conservation tools, playing a crucial role in protecting biodiversity. However, they often require significant political will, funding, and enforcement and do not always account for lands and waters that are effectively conserved outside of formal protection.