Connectivity Conservation & Mountains Graeme Worboys & Olivier Chassot

Isle of Vilm, Germany; 13-18 april 2015

Report on 2015 activities and 2016 outlook 2015 WCPA Steering Committee

Membership & Mandate

• Mission, vision and overall objectives:

– Advancing connectivity conservation (reinforced by the Promise of Sydney) – Facilitating mountain protected area conservation

• CC&M Executive Team: – Dr. Graeme Worboys & Dr. Olivier Chassot: Co-Vice Chairs – Dr. Larry Hamilton: Senior Advisor WCPA / Update Editor – Dr. Patrizia Rossi: Mountains DVC – Linda McMillan: Communication DVC – Dr. Fausto Sarmiento: Capacity Building DVC – Mike Tollefson: Partnership DVC – Rod Atkins provided leadership for the International Connectivity Conservation

Network

• 487 registered members

Main achievements for 2014

• Preparation of the Protected Area Governance and Management E-

Book (participation of all members of the CC&M EC) • Helping advancing connectivity conservation in the Guyana Shield

(CBD Secretariat), Colombia (Tolima), Mesoamerica, Himalayas (ICIMOD)

• Contributions to the WPC (2 blocks in 2 Streams, 2 side-events) • Co-organizing the Mesoamerican Protected Areas Congress (Costa

Rica), and the Mesoamerican Conservation Biology Meeting – including the VIII Mesoamerican Biological Corridor Symposium (Honduras)

• E-Update Newsletter (4 issues) reaching 400+ readers

Main proposals for 2015-16

• Establish global criteria for spatially delineating large-scale connectivity

conservation areas and delineate these areas as a new UNEP-WCMC data base/data layer.

• Establish guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of CCA management UNEP-WCMC / CATIE.

• Facilitate the establishment and effective management of globally important mountain protected areas including World Heritage Properties (WHSSG / CC&M Executive Team)

– Work with the IUCN Key Biodiversity Area team to achieve a protected area gap analysis for mountain areas of high biodiversity conservation status and to prepare a brief report of recommended priority areas for conservation.

• Promote and consolidate the International Connectivity Conservation Network (ICCN).

The Promise of Sydney has reinforced the need to continued connectivity conservation initiative

Main resources for 2015-16

• Team up with UNEP-WCMC on global connectivity conservation

issues, contributing to shape a relevant and flagship global project that may get many relevant connectivity conservation initiatives on the way.

Working together

• Connectivity Conservation:

– Emerging everywhere and under way in some regions: a pressing need to deliver guidelines, orientation, advice

– Reinforced by the Promise of Sydney: connectivity conservation is cross-cutting – Natural Solution to climate change (governance, community and private nature stewardship,

resilience, ecological restoration) – A great mean to engaging more broadly and beyond the conservation community – A need to rebrand / better market “connectivity conservation” within IUCN’s Commissions

• Look for a way to integrate the work of Transboundary Conservation SG, Protected Landscape SG, Privately Protected Areas and Nature Stewardship SG, and the CC&M, all sharing many similar scopes, objectives and resources.

• Interact with Natural Solutions SG and Marine. • Interact with IUCN-GPAP (to identify funding sources and implement projects) • Interact with IUCN-CEM’s thematic groups (Resilience, Ecosystem Restoration,

Mountain Ecosystems). • Interact with CBD’s Secretariat (on achieving Aichi Targets)