REDD-plus and Biodiversity - Convention on Biological Diversity

<strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Biodiversity</strong>
(c)
Areas of high importance for ecological connectivity.
114. Several international <strong>and</strong> national databases with information on areas of high biodiversity are available,
for example the Integrated <strong>Biodiversity</strong> Assessment Tool (IBAT), which provides information on key
biodiversity areas by combining several global <strong>and</strong> national datasets. 4 However, the availability of data
<strong>and</strong> the capacity to process it in geographic information systems (GIS) varies widely between <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong>
pilot <strong>and</strong> demonstration countries. The protected areas gap analysis (see below), carried out in over 20
developing countries, can serve to improve <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> planning.
5.2.2. Carbon <strong>and</strong> biodiversity calculator
115. Initial attempts have been undertaken to combine online tools for calculation of terrestrial carbon
with an indication of biodiversity values in any given possible <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> area, for example at
www.carbon-biodiversity.net. While these tools are useful for a rapid <strong>and</strong> indicative assessment of carbon
stocks in key biodiversity areas, they are not yet specific enough to provide detailed (e.g. l<strong>and</strong>scape or site
level) information on project planning. However, as data <strong>and</strong> information technology improve, the approach
might merit further attention.
5.2.3. Protected areas gap analyses
116. Perhaps the most useful <strong>and</strong> readily available tool to enhance biodiversity benefits of national <strong>and</strong>
regional level <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> planning are the ecological gap analyses’, or ‘protected areas gap analyses’ carried
out in many developing countries under the auspices of the CBD.
117. The CBD programme of work on protected areas (PoWPA), adopted by the Conference of the Parties
to CBD in decision VII/28, contains multiple objectives with time-bound targets. The overall goal is to
complete ecologically representative networks of protected areas, <strong>and</strong> Parties were guided to begin by
completing a gap analysis of their protected area systems with the full <strong>and</strong> effective participation of indigenous
<strong>and</strong> local communities <strong>and</strong> relevant stakeholders by the end of 2006. Details of the protected area
gap analysis process, including information on tools <strong>and</strong> case studies, are available in a guide developed
by Parrish <strong>and</strong> Dudley. 5
118. At present, several Parties have completed or have nearly completed gap analyses of their protected
area systems (Table 4). Currently, UNDP GEF is supporting an ongoing gap analysis in 22 countries.
Portions of these biomes, many high in carbon stocks <strong>and</strong> currently without protection, could be protected
under <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong>.
119. This information is relevant in the context of <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> because the ecological gap analysis can
provide solid mapping data <strong>and</strong> tools for l<strong>and</strong>scape-level planning efforts of <strong>REDD</strong>-<strong>plus</strong> actions in more
than 20 countries, <strong>plus</strong> 20 more in preparation. Many of these countries are pilot countries within the
Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) <strong>and</strong>/or the UN <strong>REDD</strong> Programme. 6 Through their national
gap analyses, countries have identified high priority sites (HiPs) to exp<strong>and</strong> or improve protected area
4
From the IBAT website (http://www.ibatforbusiness.org): “Sites are considered globally important if they are known to hold one
or more globally threatened species, endemic species, globally significant concentrations or populations, significant examples of
biological communities, or any combination of these features. These sites, known as Key <strong>Biodiversity</strong> Areas Areas, build upon the
work of other initiatives -- such as BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas, PlantLife International’s Important Plant Areas,
IUCN’s Important Sites for Freshwater <strong>Biodiversity</strong> <strong>and</strong> sites identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction -- to map important
sites for a wide range of critical biodiversity in marine, freshwater <strong>and</strong> terrestrial biomes. These datasets are drawn from the World
<strong>Biodiversity</strong> Database (WBDB), managed by BirdLife International <strong>and</strong> Conservation International, which is informed by the IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species.”
5
Closing the Gap: http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-ts-24.pdf.
6
E.g., Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Peru.
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