BirdLife: The Magazine Oct - Dec 2019 | Page 16

FEATURE T H E G R E AT E S T T H R E AT S F A C I N G I B A S T O D A Y The threats facing the world’s IBAs are complex and varied. But thanks to improvements and innovations in monitoring over the past 40 years, we have a clearer picture than ever of the main issues – and the IBAs most at risk Olivia Crowe dentifying key sites for birds and biodiversity has been the key objective of Birdlife’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) programme since it began in the late 1970s. Unfortunately, IBAs, regardless of whether they are protected or not, increasingly come under pressure from badly planned development and land use activities. Recognising the need to measure the impacts of these activities, and the effectiveness of any conservation measures implemented, I BirdLife launched a comprehensive monitoring protocol in 2006. As part of this monitoring protocol, we ask BirdLife Partners globally to report regularly on the condition of their IBAs, including on threats. IBA monitoring has exposed many sites which are subject to very high levels of threat, and which are at the greatest risk of losing their biodiversity assets. There are currently 241 sites in 48 countries on BirdLife’s IBAs in Danger list, an initiative that highlights and promotes sites in dire need of urgent conservation action. Here, we take a closer look at some of the threats taking place in IBAs based on threat information gathered at almost 4,800 IBAs and stored in the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. The top-20 threats (out of a total of 43 reported) are illustrated in the accompanying graph (see right), which highlights the predominant threats identified across most global regions. Further details on the top four threats are also provided. Pied Oystercatchers Haematopus longirostri at the Coorong, South Australia Photo Shutterstock 16 BIRDLIFE • XXXXX 2018