Transformational changes for achieving the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework ecological connectivity goals

Abstract

The first draft of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) includes an unprecedented call for states that have ratified the treaty (Parties) to implement measures to maintain and enhance ecological connectivity as urgent actions to abate further biodiversity loss and ecosystem decline. Considering the challenges that lie ahead for Parties to the CBD, we highlight the ways in which effective and equitable connectivity conservation can be achieved through four transformative changes, including: (1) mainstreaming connectivity retention and restoration within biodiversity conservation sector and influencing sectors (e.g., transportation, energy, agriculture, forestry); (2) mainstreaming financial resources and incentives to support effective implementation; (3) fostering collaboration with a focus on cross-sector collective action; and (4) investing in diverse forms of knowledge (co-)production and management in support of adaptive governance. We detail 15 key actions that can be used to support the implementation of these transformative changes. While ambitious, the transformative changes and associated key actions recommended in this perspective will need to be put in place with unprecedented urgency, coherency, and coordination if Parties to the CBD truly aspire to achieve the goals and targets of the forthcoming Post-2020 GBF in this new decade of biodiversity.

Changement climatique, perte d'écosystèmes et risques d'inondation: Faire le point à l'aide du cas de Burlington

“…The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that approximately 18% of species are at risk of extinction if warming reaches 2°C by 2100, and if warming reaches 4°C, it is estimated that 50% of species will be threatened (2023). In high northern latitude countries such as Canada, where warming is expected to outpace the global average, biodiversity is at increased risk (Lemieux et al, 2021). As indicated by World Wildlife Fund Canada, at-risk species have already declined on average by 59% from 1970-2016, as reported by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and those considered threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species have declined on average by 42% over the same time period (World Wildlife Fund Canada, 2020).…”

“…Conservation scientists state that optimum outcomes for biodiversity arise somewhere between 30-70% of protection, with 50% considered an agreeable mid-point (Woodley et al, 2019). While protecting ecosystems is critical to halting biodiversity loss, it also must be done in a way that prioritizes connectivity (Lemieux et al, 2021;UNEP, 2021a), an essential feature for ecological and evolutionary processes such as species migration and adaptation (Lemieux et al, 2021). Only 4% of Canadian lands are considered adequately protected and connected (Saura et al, 2018), but by reconnecting fragmented landscapes with forests, wetlands and grasslands, species can disperse throughout the landscape (Lemieux et al, 2021) while sequestering carbon, mitigating floods and increasing community resilience (UNEP, 2021b).…”

“…While protecting ecosystems is critical to halting biodiversity loss, it also must be done in a way that prioritizes connectivity (Lemieux et al, 2021;UNEP, 2021a), an essential feature for ecological and evolutionary processes such as species migration and adaptation (Lemieux et al, 2021). Only 4% of Canadian lands are considered adequately protected and connected (Saura et al, 2018), but by reconnecting fragmented landscapes with forests, wetlands and grasslands, species can disperse throughout the landscape (Lemieux et al, 2021) while sequestering carbon, mitigating floods and increasing community resilience (UNEP, 2021b). Halting biodiversity and ecosystem loss, therefore, provides a pathway for a more sustainable future and must be considered in parallel with climate change and disaster risk reduction priorities to ensure ecosystems continue to provide essential goods and services critical for human life (IPBES, 2019; UNEP, 2021b).…”

Evaluating ecosystem protection and fragmentation of the world's major mountain regions

“…Recent work by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Mountain Ecosystem Specialist Group has provided initial guidance to inform the placement of new mountain PAs (Jacobs et al, 2021). Yet, efforts to conserve mountains are complicated by their transboundary nature and the diverse political, social, and cultural systems they typically span (Baldwin et al, 2018;Lemieux et al, 2022). As a result, large-landscape conservation managers need detailed, management-relevant information to track progress toward protecting biodiversity and nature's contributions to people (Hebblewhite et al, 2022).…”