SDG 15.1.2 - Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type (Mean percentage (%))
Definition: The indicator Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type shows temporal trends in the mean percentage of each important site for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity (i.e., those that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity) that is covered by designated protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Concepts: Protected areas, as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; Dudley 2008), are clearly defined geographical spaces, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.
Further reading: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/files/Metadata-15-01-02.pdf
Ecosystems: Forests; Freshwater; Grasslands, Shrublands and Savannahs; Mountains; Peatlands
Importance for ecosystem restoration: Key Biodiversity Areas and their conservation make significant contributions to the global persistence of outstanding biodiversity elements while also providing important ecosystem services. Another unique feature of KBAs is their very high irreplaceability, meaning that that site is required to achieve a set of targets, and if not conserved properly, the options for achieving these targets are greatly reduced (IUCN, 2016).
Protected areas are essential for biodiversity conservation. They are the cornerstones of virtually all national and international conservation strategies, set aside to maintain functioning natural ecosystems, to act as refuges for species and to maintain ecological processes that cannot survive in most intensely managed landscapes and seascapes (Dudley, 2008).
The increase in area of KBAs protected in defined geographic areas, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means guarantees the persistence of these biodiversity elements.
References:
Dudley, N., Gonzales, E., Hallett, J. G., Keenleyside, K., & Mumba, M. (2020). The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030): What can protected areas contribute?. Parks, 26(26), 111-117.
IUCN (2016). A Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas, Version 1.0. First edition. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
