A key step toward updating KBA networks across Europe

In the face of a global extinction crisis, nature protection must be strategic, focusing conservation efforts on the places that matter most. For decades, BirdLife has worked to pinpoint such sites through the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs): the most vital homes for the world’s birds. Today, those IBAs have become the foundation for a global standard in conservation: Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).

KBAs are the most significant places on Earth for the survival of unique species and ecosystems. In Europe, the KBA network has a proud heritage rooted in bird conservation. In fact, the majority of Europe’s current KBAs were originally identified by BirdLife and its national partners as IBAs. Currently, bird species make up over 56% of all species that qualify sites as KBAs in Europe. Out of the 186 species currently recognised as meeting the KBA criteria, 142 are birds.

While Europe has many KBAs, most are considered legacy sites based on the data that originally qualified them as IBAs. In this scenario, a recent scoping exercise led by the KBA Secretariat, and funded by the NaturaConnect project, revealed a major opportunity to update information on these sites and, consequently, enhance conservation actions for birds and other species that depend on them.

The report shows that while only 21.9% of Europe’s existing KBAs currently meet the criteria delineated in the KBA Standard, a staggering 74.5% could qualify if comprehensive assessments were conducted. Furthermore, there are over 12,000 protected areas in Europe that could likely qualify as global KBAs but haven’t been officially recognised yet. Assessing these sites would also raise the number of species recognised as qualifying in Europe from 186 to over 4,000, many of them birds.

The potential behind identifying these sites is great. Mapping them means having access to up-to-date information about species and ecosystems that is crucial for decision-making at the governmental, private sector, financial and conservation levels. For Europe, this translates, for instance, into having a scientific map that tells governments where to focus their conservation efforts and where to create or expand protected areas—a key step for achieving the ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.

Efforts to update the KBA networks in Europe have already started, and BirdLife has played a key role. As part of the KBA Partnership, BirdLife has been working with local organisations to form KBA National Coordination Groups (NCGs), a collective of experts and policy practitioners who support the identification and conservation of KBAs. So far, countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece have already established KBA NCGs, and countries such as Denmark, Germany, and France have expressed interest in doing so. Interest in identifying these key sites has grown, and the report demonstrates what could be achieved if countries across Europe started updating their KBA networks. The path has been paved, but more action is needed to ensure our most vital natural treasures—and the birds that call them home—are not left behind.

To learn more about the report, click here.