Site-based management efforts are among the most effective means to reduce global biodiversity loss. Therefore, it is crucial to identify those sites where globally significant biodiversity exists, so that we can prioritise where and how to best act. Key Biodiversity Areas are the most important places in the world for species and their habitats. Through the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) programme in South Africa we identify, map, monitor, and conserve these high-priority areas to help safeguard the most critical sites for nature.
SANBI and BirdLife South Africa lead this important initiative in South Africa in collaboration with several other partners.
What are Key Biodiversity Areas, and why are they important?
Key Biodiversity Areas are ‘sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity’, which means they are the most important places in the world for species and their habitats – whether these be in terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine or marine ecosystems.
Thirteen of the world’s leading nature conservation organisations launched an ambitious new Key Biodiversity Areas partnership in 2016. This partnership is helping prevent the rapid loss of biodiversity by supporting nationally led efforts to identify these places on the planet that are critical for the survival of unique plants and animals, and the ecological communities they comprise.
KBAs provide a global currency for identifying the most biologically significant sites, which helps focus our collective efforts on conserving the places that matter most.
The Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas, published in 2016, sets out internationally agreed scientific criteria for the identification of KBAs worldwide. Sites qualify as global KBAs if they meet the specific standardised criteria and quantitative thresholds focused on one or more of five trigger aspects:
- Threatened biodiversity
- Geographically restricted biodiversity
- Ecological integrity
- Biological processes
- Irreplaceability through quantitative analysis
KBAs in the South African context
The KBA identification and delineation process aims to be an inclusive, consultative, and bottom-up exercise. The KBA National Coordination Group (NCG) was established in 2017 to facilitate this process and is led by SANBI and BirdLife South Africa with membership comprising various taxon experts, non-profit and government representatives. The primary role of the South African NCG is to oversee the application of the KBA Standard, curate a national database of KBAs, and ensure national and international engagement for South Africa.
South Africa’s NCG embarked on an ambitious process to systematically reassess the KBAs in the country in 2017. The objective was to methodically update the sites identified in South Africa in the past, consider a broader range of biodiversity data, and apply all KBA criteria. Through this process, South Africa became the first country to apply all 11 KBA criteria.
The NGC’s rigorous and comprehensive reassessment led to the 2024 approval by the KBA Secretariat of 263 terrestrial sites underpinned by 3598 species triggers and 309 ecosystem triggers. The large number of terrestrial sites that qualify as global KBAs demonstrates the megadiverse and rich heritage of South Africa. Details of specific KBA sites in South Africa are available on the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. This is only the first step towards the recognition of the importance of South Africa’s biodiversity in a global context. South Africa’s NCG will continue to work towards the identification of more sites in the marine realm, as well as ensure continuous updates of the terrestrial network.
South Africa’s 263 KBA sites showcase the megadiverse wealth of the country
South Africa continues to build on its established biodiversity planning processes (Critical Biodiversity Areas, Bioregional Plans and Biodiversity Sector Plans). KBAs play an important role in standardising global analysis and monitoring and will inform existing planning activities in South Africa. Establishing KBAs in South Africa under the KBA Standard was crucial to ensure the country’s ability to report on global conservation goals. It will now form part of a suite of tools for monitoring and reporting on the state of biodiversity that inform policy and decision making in various sectors.
For more information
Download the What is a KBA map? Factsheet here
Learn more about KBAs in South Africa through this Frequently Asked Questions document.
For an in-depth, technical summary of the KBA Criteria, visit here or read the KBA Global Standard.
Technical information for those who want to understand how we did the delineation and identification of SA’s KBA network will be released soon.
KBA Shapefiles for South Africa are downloadable here, and more guidance about how to use the dataset in spatial planning will be provided via the relevant communities of practice in South Africa.
If anyone would like the print-ready resolution of the infosheets to turn into posters, please use this link. Key Biodiversity Areas of South Africa – Infosheets per KBA
If you would like to engage with the South African NCG, please contact Jarryd Streicher.