Project Summary:

Humanity depends on nature in fundamental ways -- for its livelihoods, its economies, its well-being, and its capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Consequently, it is essential to put nature at the heart of all activities to ensure sustainable societies. The importance of nature has been recognized by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with the adoption, in December 2022, of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) - also known as the Biodiversity Plan. 

To achieve several targets of the Biodiversity Plan, spatial data will be an essential tool for the work of the countries. One target specifically – Target 3 – has caught the attention of many actors. This target, also referred to as ‘30x30’, aims to conserve 30 percent of land, waters, and seas by 2030. In addition to this high-level quantitative goal, the target includes qualitative elements, such as “ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed” systems. The target also mentions diverse approaches to conservation, including protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM) as well as recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. For this target, the use of geospatial data is extremely relevant for identifying areas for conservation as well as monitoring and reporting on the impacts of various types of conservation schemes.

In this context, UNDP, using funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, is working with UNEP-WCMC to support countries in advancing national progress towards GBF Target 3. A crucial step in this work is supporting governments in their development and implementation of national roadmaps toward the achievement of Target 3, through approaches that ensure the full and effective participation of rights-holders and stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The project will support countries in using national spatial planning processes to identify and map protected areas and OECMs, report on the effectiveness of their networks of protected areas and OECMs, and assess the condition of existing and new protected and conserved areas. 

Following the leadership of governments from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, UNDP will build on the successes of the project “Maps of Hope”, in which countries identified their Essential Life Support Areas -- or ELSAs -- areas that, if either protected, sustainably managed or restored, can support a country achieve its national goals on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. UNDP will support countries by leveraging existing national and global spatial data layers and using the science of Systematic Conservation Planning to assist governments in identifying spatial priorities for areas important for biodiversity and sustainable development.