A World Leader In Key Biodiversity Areas

South Africa’s large number of sites qualifying as global Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) highlights the country’s incredible biodiversity wealth. BirdLife South Africa, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust have partnered in the KBA process.

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In 2016 the international conservation community developed a globally recognised standard to identify KBAs – the most important sites for biodiversity on the planet.

‘The global standard sets out criteria for the identification of sites contributing significantly to the persistence of biodiversity around the world, in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. It provides clear guidance on where conservation efforts should be focused, including for international financial investment, establishing protected areas and avoiding further loss of important biodiversity,’ says Daniel Marnewick, the KBA Community Chair and Africa representative, and manager of the Regional Conservation Programme at BirdLife South Africa.

South Africa is the first country in the world to complete a comprehensive national KBA assessment for all its ecosystems and across multiple groups of species (mammals, birds, plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates).

The process started in 2018, when BirdLife South Africa and SANBI partnered to initiate a KBA assessment in South Africa. The partnership’s first task was to establish a KBA National Coordination Group, which BirdLife South Africa and SANBI co-chair.

The WWF Nedbank Green Trust and SANBI funded the national process and support Marnewick’s national role in leading this process and his regional support role in Africa.