Birds and Biodiversity Targets Report Knowledge to Tackle the Biodiversity Crisis
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BIRDS AND BIODIVERSITY TARGETS What do birds tell us about progress to the Aichi Targets and requirements for the post-2020 biodiversity framework? A STATE OF THE WORLD’S BIRDS REPORT CONTENTS Executive summary 3 Forewords 4 The wider context for a focus on birds and biodiversity targets 6 Introduction 7 WHAT BIRDS TELL US For key to progress scores, see p.7 Strategic Goal A 8 Target 1 – Raising awareness of the value of biodiversity 10 Target 2 – Mainstreaming biodiversity values 12 Target 3 – Reforming incentives 14 Target 4 – Achieving sustainable production and consumption 16 Strategic Goal B 18 Target 5 – Reducing habitat loss and degradation 20 Target 6 – Sustainable fisheries 22 Target 7 – Ensuring sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and forestry 24 Target 8 – Reducing pollution 26 Target 9 – Tackling invasive species 28 Target 10 – Minimizing pressures on coral reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change 30 Strategic Goal C 32 Target 11 – Protecting and conserving biodiversity 34 Target 12 – Preventing extinctions 36 Target 13 – Maintaining genetic diversity in crops, livestock and wild relatives 38 Strategic Goal D 40 Target 14 – Safeguarding and restoring ecosystems that provide essential services 42 Target 15 - Enhancing ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks 44 Strategic Goal E 46 Target 18 – Traditional knowledge 48 Target 19 – Improving and sharing knowledge of biodiversity 50 Target 20 – Mobilising resources for implementing the CBD 52 Key implications for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 54 Indicators for measuring progress 58 Targets are important, but implementation is key 60 References 62 2 I BIRDS AND BIODIVERSITY TARGETS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The tenth meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in October 2010. Photo: © Franz Dejon/IISD In 2010, Parties to the Convention on Nevertheless, birds provide hope. Conservation of Important Bird and Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the For most targets assessed, there are Biodiversity Areas typically benefits Strategic Plan, containing 20 ‘Aichi successes and positive trends for some people as well as biodiversity. Biodiversity Targets’ to tackle the loss aspects, species or locations: of nature. Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Birds help people to develop worldwide contain 300 Gigatonnes Birds are excellent environmental an awareness of nature and the of carbon, almost 9% of the world’s indicators. In this report, we synthesise biodiversity crisis. carbon stocks, so their conservation data from birds to examine to what also contributes to climate change degree each Aichi Target was met, and Data on birds are being used to mitigation. to identify examples of positive trends mainstream biodiversity across sectors, and successes. such as for financial institutions and Citizen scientists are increasingly businesses to screen for biodiversity mobilising and sharing data on the Data from birds suggest that we have risks when planning projects and occurrence and abundance of birds, failed to meet in full any of the 18/20 developments. enabling innovative approaches to Aichi Targets assessed: their conservation. Reformed incentive systems such as The underlying drivers of loss of nature agri-environment schemes have helped These results also provide valuable remain, with biodiversity still not yet to slow or reverse bird population insights for the development and adequately mainstreamed across all declines. implementation of goals and targets sectors. of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Unsustainable hunting practices are Framework that is currently under Agriculture, forestry and fisheries being eliminated through community negotiation through the CBD. continue to be managed unsustainably, conservation efforts in some locations. driving habitat loss and degradation. Birds point the way to a more effective Mitigation measures are reducing and ‘smarter’ set of goals and targets, Pollution, invasive alien species and bycatch of seabirds in fisheries, while and provide a suite of metrics and climate change are growing threats to action to reduce pollution is benefiting indicators for measuring progress. birds and other biodiversity. many species. Birds also inform more effective Protected area networks are yet Over 160 native bird species have implementation measures addressing to provide adequate coverage of benefited from successful eradications enabling conditions such as reporting, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of invasive species on islands, while verification, resourcing and international (IBAs, Key Biodiversity Areas identified biosecurity has saved at least one bird cooperation. for birds), with 36% of IBAs being species from extinction. entirely unprotected. Conservation efforts have prevented Species continue to be driven towards up to 18 bird species from going extinction, with declines of common extinct since 2010, and have slowed species undermining delivery of the effective extinction rate of birds by ecosystem services such as pollination. at least 40%. BIRDS AND BIODIVERSITY TARGETS I 3 FOREWORD BRAULIO FERREIRA DE SOUZA DIAS CHAIR OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL COUNCIL The Strategic Plan on Biodiversity But this should not be cause for giving up. As 2011-2020, and the 20 Aichi shown in this report, birds also provide reasons Biodiversity Targets it contained, for hope: inspiring examples of success, positive was adopted by Parties to trends, and insights into how biodiversity targets the Convention on Biological can be met. In the last decade, conservation efforts Diversity in 2010. It represented have prevented up to 18 bird extinctions, reduced an unprecedented attempt by the accumulation of bird ‘extinction debt’ by 40%, world governments to slow the loss of nature and reduced seabird bycatch in fisheries by up to 99% in promote its recovery. At the end of the period for some cases, removed the threat of invasive species implementing actions to meet these targets, the from numerous islands, significantly increased the recently launched Fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook coverage of marine protected areas and increased summarised what was achieved. public awareness and engagement. These examples illustrate that we have the necessary tools and BirdLife’s Birds and Biodiversity Targets report knowledge to tackle the biodiversity crisis. dives deeper into some of the findings, focusing on the unique insights and unparalleled datasets that Moving forward, these results provide key birds provide to underpin such an assessment. It insights into what is needed for the design shows that the world has failed to fully meet the and implementation of the post-2020 Global ambitious goals it set a decade ago. This failure Biodiversity Framework currently being negotiated stems from insufficient implementation of national between governments. The findings summarised targets in most countries, a mismatch between in this report should inspire governments to adopt the ambition level of most national targets and ambitious, well-crafted goals and targets to put that of the global targets, a lack of mainstreaming nature on a path to recovery over the coming of biodiversity across the social and economic decade. We must fully succeed this time – our sectors, and insufficient engagement of heads- future depends on a healthy planet. of-state in the CBD Framework negotiation and implementation. We must recognise, however, the increased efforts by most countries to improve their biodiversity agenda, with almost half of all countries adopting their updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans as a “whole-of- government” policy, thereby effectively promoting the mainstreaming of biodiversity in all sectors. 4 I BIRDS AND BIODIVERSITY TARGETS PHOTO: Common Cranes FOREWORD PATRICIA ZURITA Grus grus CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL © Arndt Sven-Erik/ Alamy Stock Photo Birds are more popular and in animals. If we continue to expand our cities, better studied than any other crops and livestock into previously untouched comparable group of organisms, landscapes, force wildlife to seek refuge near and are consequently excellent human populations by destroying their natural barometers for change in the habitat, and exploit species for illegal wildlife trade wider environment. This report and consumption, we are exposing ourselves to is the latest in the State of the deadly risks. World’s Birds series, which has been produced with the generous support of the Aage V. Jensen The contents of this report tell us that it is Charity Foundation. The evidence compiled in it time to wake up. We humans need to stop seeing shows unequivocally that the state of the natural ourselves as the owners of nature. We are part world continues to deteriorate. Pressures such as of nature, and the planet is a system on whose habitat loss, over-exploitation, and invasive species delicate balance our own survival depends. It is time continue to drive species towards extinction, to think beyond human health, and more in terms disrupting delicately balanced ecosystems and of the wider planetary health. Birds show us what reducing the capacity of our planet to sustain us action is needed: by conserving birds, we address into the future. the threats affecting biodiversity more widely, helping to restore and sustain the health of our A healthy planet is essential for our own health planet. If we want to prevent further health crises,