A Key Step for Biodiversity: Panama Begins the Process of Updating its KBAs

On May 18, Panama’s Ministry of Environment signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the KBA Secretariat and the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA), formalising the government’s commitment to evaluating and updating the country’s network of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).

This initiative represents a crucial step in advancing Panama’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), including goals related to biodiversity conservation, spatial planning, ecosystem restoration, and the effective protection of areas of high biodiversity importance.

The national KBA assessment will identify, map, and document sites essential for the persistence of biodiversity throughout Panama. These results will directly inform the implementation of the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and contribute to achieving national conservation priorities, including the 30×30 target of effectively protecting and conserving at least 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

History of KBAs in Panama

The assessment and updating of Panama’s most important biodiversity sites is based on the work of the Audubon Society of Panama, a partner of BirdLife International. In 1995, the Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program began in Panama when the Audubon Society of Panama secured funding from the Natura Foundation to launch the program in collaboration with BirdLife International. The IBAs of the Americas, a crucial document that brings visibility to these important bird sites, were published in 2009. This publication included 53 global IBAs in Panama, covering a total area of ​​2,501,046 hectares, almost 29% of the country’s land area.

In 2016, following the publication of the Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas and the official adoption of the KBA criteria—an umbrella framework encompassing sites important for various species, such as IBAs—all of Panama’s IBAs were recognised as KBAs. These are now the starting point for the new assessment process. However, the existing KBAs were mostly identified for birds, and there is a need to make a more comprehensive assessment of KBAs across other species groups and ecosystems. The Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, is leading a process to do this in Panama, working with the Amphibian Survival Alliance to bring together all the relevant biodiversity experts in the country to update their KBA network.

Formation of the National Coordination Group

On Tuesday, May 19, as a crucial step in advancing the assessment of KBAs in Panama, a meeting was held to discuss and formalise the creation of the National Coordination Group (NCG) for KBAs. The NCG is a collective of experts in different species groups and other elements of biodiversity who, together with public policy professionals, will work to enable the identification and assessment of key biodiversity sites and, in a second phase, their effective conservation.

Among the member organizations is the Audubon Society of Panama, a leading bird conservation organization in the country. Regarding this, Rosabel Miró, executive director of the Audubon Society of Panama, highlighted that “in 2009, we published a map with Conservation International, a current member of the KBA Partnership, showing the 57 KBAs identified at that time in Panama. This helped influence national authorities to recognize them in official documents such as the Environmental Atlas (2010) and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2018-2050, among others. In this new, highly participatory process, we will collaborate so that many people throughout the country can contribute updated scientific information. A new chapter in the conservation of local and migratory biodiversity is beginning, and we will continue to disseminate its importance to all Panamanians.”

Gabriela Toscano, Biodiversity Conservation Manager for BirdLife Americas, participated in the meeting and shared key information with attendees about the technical aspects and functions of the KBA NCG. Regarding the start of the process in Panama, she commented: “We are witnessing a historic milestone for nature in Panama! The beginning of this process fills us with joy and optimism, as it represents a great opportunity to unite science and action in favour of the country’s incredible biodiversity.”

“I look forward to supporting the Ministry of Environment, Amphibian Survival Alliance and all of the Institutions in the KBA National Coordination Group to make this update of their KBA network and then work to conserve it”, said Andy Plumptre, Head of the KBA Secretariat.