IRREPLACEABLE
10 IBAS
SAVED
THROUGH
C O N S E R VAT I O N
ACTION
The magnificant Rila Mountains,
Bulgaria – where ski tourism
has threatened to slice through
irreplaceable habitats (see page 12)
Photo Leondeleeuw
ince the late 1970s, the
BirdLife Partnership
has worked collectively
to identify, document
and protect the places of greatest
significance for the conservation
of the world’s birds. We call these
vital places Important Bird and
Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). BirdLife
Partners and other experts have, to
date, identified and documented
more than 13,000 of these sites in
over 200 countries and territories
worldwide, and in the oceans, too.
These sites provide the BirdLife
S
10
Partnership, and other actors, with
focus to their conservation action,
planning, and advocacy.
This is because birds and other
wildlife are not evenly distributed
across the world. IBAs cover about
7% of the terrestrial and 2% of the
global sea area. Thus, concentrating
our efforts on these areas is a
cost-effective and efficient way
of ensuring the survival of a large
number of species.
However, currently around 33%
of IBAs lack formal protection, and
a further 45% are only partially
protected. While these stats are
cause for worry, they only serve to
highlight the value of documenting
these vital habitats so we can
mobilise action to protect them.
Our IBA Programme brings focus
to our efforts both at local and global
levels, and means that while it is
impossible for us to protect every last
bit of nature in existence, we can at
least throw our energy and collective
influence behind saving those that
will have the greatest impact to the
persistence of biodiversity on the
planet. Here are just a few examples…
BIRDLIFE • OCT-DEC 2019