14 November 2014: The Spain-UN Environment Programme (UNEP) LifeWeb Initiative is being used to show how biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and improved livelihoods are linked, with some 11 projects conducted across 15 protected areas (PAs). UNEP says that community empowerment, monitoring and enforcement, and better financing are key to habitat conservation and species protection across the PAs.

The Initiative’s achievements include: developing a maritime surveillance system in three marine PAs in Guinea Bissau, which resulted in the capture of 159 illegal fishing boats; improving monitoring methodologies, posting rangers in remote areas and developing a conflict resolution strategy between local communities and park rangers to support improved conservation of gorillas in the Khuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); training over 1,000 farmers and other stakeholders in fire prevention and PA management in the Volcan Baru National Park in Panama and La Montañona Conservation Area in El Salvador; and conserving orangutan habitat, strengthening monitoring and law enforcement and building farmer capacity on sustainable and organic agriculture in Indonesia. Additional LifeWeb activities include: updating marine and terrestrial zoning in PAs; promoting the adoption of sustainable agricultural and fishing practices; and increasing awareness on sustainable resources management.

“Well-planned and well-managed PAs enhance livelihood opportunities; conserve biological resources whilst providing developmental benefits to poor and often marginalized communities,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. He recognized the role of the Spain-UNEP partnership in implementing effective conservation strategies across PAs worldwide, protecting threatened species, conserving ecosystem services, improving governance and supporting livelihoods. Steiner also emphasized that such projects contribute to the objectives reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Spain and UNEP initiated the LifeWeb Initiative at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2008 to improve the management of existing PAs and increase PA networks. Under the project, the Government of Spain has provided US$8.1 million to establish marine and terrestrial PAs in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean. [UNEP Press Release] [LifeWeb Initiative Website]