overview of the kba process : a report card for melanesia insert representative image or map here...

Overview of the KBA Process : A report card for Melanesia

Insert representative image or map here

Outcome definition for CI Melanesia through Moore-funded CBC

Supported by CSIRO through CI-CSIRO partnership for scientific support to Melanesia CBC

Prepared by Roger James, Kristen Williams, Naamal de Silva

Key Biodiversity Areas: review and lessons learned workshopConservation International, 25-28th July 2006, The Churchill Hotel Washington DC

Melanesia Centre for Biodiversity Conservation

Melanesian Region: the Hot & Wild bits

Previous site prioritization initiatives in Melanesia

Country Process Outcome

Vanuatu NBSAP No site outcomes defined

Solomon Is Protected Forest Network for Solomon Is, 1990

Country-wide sites for forest protection, threat-based

PNG Conservation Needs Assessment, 1995? BioRAP, 1998

Country-wide regions, knowledge & representation-based

Papua (Indonesia)

Priority Setting Workshop, 2000?

Province-wide regions, knowledge & representation-basedOranges in an apple basket?

KBA definition: progress

CR EN VU TOTAL

Mammals 8 13 38 59

Birds 3 21 24

Reptiles 2 4 6

Amphibians 1 6 7

Fish 3 1 13 17

Invertebrates 5 4 9

Plants 14 13 137 164

TOTAL 26 37 223 286

Species Outcomes: New Guinea Wilderness

KBA definition: progress

CR EN VU TOTAL

Mammals 4 2 16 22

Birds 2 4 24 30

Reptiles 1 1 2

Invertebrates 2 5 7

Plants 2 8 31 41

TOTAL 8 17 77 102

Species Outcomes: East Melanesian Islands Hotspot

KBA definition: progress

CR EN VU TOTAL

Mammals 2 2 4

Birds 3 4 7

Invertebrates 3 4 3 10

Plants 27 64 125 216

TOTAL 33 74 130 237

Species Outcomes: New Caledonia Hotspot

KBA definition: progress

• Major accomplishment: simple habitat delineation method & tools developed:– Point data & contextual data driven– Ecological logic and GIS processing

KBA definition: progress

• 16 KBA’s identified for New Guinea so far on vulnerability criteria (5 more identified on irreplaceability criteria alone)

• 2 in Indonesian Papua, 14 in PNG (ratio influenced by Milne Bay pilot project)

• 7 of the 16 delineated

• Major objective for FY07 is completion of New Guinea Wilderness KBA’s, and first cut for East Melanesian Islands Hotspot

KBA definition: progress

Site Outcomes: New Guinea Wilderness

Use of irreplaceability criteria

• Current work priority = vulnerability criteria

• Have tested irreplaceability and found it complements vulnerability and is valuable in Wilderness

• But vulnerability still maps the frontline of biodiversity loss, so our habitat delineation and therefore KBA definition, priority is CR>EN>Single Site Species>VU>RR

Issues & challenges

• Acknowledge this is a KBA workshop – not a corridor planning or species planning or implementation planning workshop

• Ratify as an organisational strategy the science-based, data-driven process for identifying KBAs – give regions confidence effort is well spent

• Identify best practice and minimum practice for identifying KBAs – to get credible KBA’s

• Common problems and solutions to data accessibility issues

• Transparency & accuracy come at a cost – time and effort intensive – when to stop?

Issues & challenges

• Internal and external partner coordination – different levels (data collation, habitat delineation, KBA identification, KBA delineation)

• Defining sites along continua of species range and habitat overlaps in Wilderness

• Formal delineation of KBAs in consultation with field implementation programs/partners – lot of work and perhaps not necessary where no implementation capacity in place? Best stage for participatory process to build ownership/engagement?

• Integrating results into strategies, workplans, grants when still at preliminary stages - acknowledging KBAs as compelling evidence for site based conservation action