Japan Biodiversity Fund

Japan Biodiversity Fund // Protected Areas
Friday // 4.19.2024

Protected Areas

Protected areas are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation containing important natural, cultural, and social capital. Protected areas provide goods and services that benefit society, secure livelihoods, and are key to buffering the unpredictable impacts of climate change.

JBF support focused on facilitating the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 by supporting Parties to identify the status of protected areas as well as gaps and opportunities, and to determine their national priority actions and roadmaps through the development of country dossiers. This led to enhanced implementation of the Strategic Plan and to an increase in reporting to the global databases on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.

The Lifeweb initiative convened financing roundtables to strengthen and coordinate funding among donor partners, based on beneficiary governments’ visions and priorities for protected areas. Investments through the LifeWeb Initiative contributed to sustaining biodiversity, securing livelihoods and addressing climate change through implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas. The JBF supported the organization of four roundtables to support developing country Parties to find donors for their protected areas plans:

  • The Liberia Protected Area Roundtable resulted in increased potential from US-based agencies to include the Liberian Protected Areas under their bilateral programmes. 
  • The Micronesia Roundtable supported coordination with U.S. private donors in support of the Micronesia Challenge, a commitment by five governments in Micronesia to effectively conserve 30% of near-shore marine resources and 20% of terrestrial resources by 2020.
  • The Mexico Roundtable supported Mexico to develop and launch their sustainable financing assessment and profile needs, and to engage international donors. 
  • The West Africa Roundtable resulted in increased political support for biodiversity, protected areas and for achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 11. Countries committed to using their entire Global Environment Facility (GEF) 5 biodiversity allocations to support protected area projects.