Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs(:

KBAs is a wider integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable use of the natural environment.

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are defined as nationally identified sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity, in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. They represent the most important sites for biodiversity conservation worldwide, and are identified nationally using globally standardised criteria and thresholds that were adopted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Prior to 2016, KBAs were identified using criteria and thresholds developed from BirdLife International’s work on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, and then expanded to cover a wider range of taxa and conservation initiatives. However, in September 2016, eleven of the world’s leading nature conservation organisations launched an ambitious partnership to map, monitor and conserve the most important places for life on earth. The Key Biodiversity Area Partnership was aimed to mobilise the expertise, experience and resources of the partner organisations in order to: 1- Identify, map and document thousands of Key Biodiversity Areas worldwide; 2- Promote targeted conservation action in Key Biodiversity Areas; and 3- Inform and influence public policy and private sector decision-making.