Mainstreaming biodiversity into priority economic sectors: Lessons from the assessment of main threats in 16 BIODEV2030 pilot countrie

Abstract

In this publication, we take stock of the knowledge and know-how induced by the BIODEV2030 project’s first step, which is to assess the main threats to biodiversity and provide elements to address the following specific questions: how were main threats to biodiversity identified and ranked and associated sectors selected in each country? Were the different methods converging in identifying top threats? What are their respective strengths, limitations and complementarities? What recommendations can we make to other actors (governments, NGOs, donors such as multilateral or bilateral development banks) wanting to follow similar approaches with the private sectors at national level? In each BIODEV2030 country, three main methods were typically combined to identify and rank main threats to biodiversity and then select (sub-)sectors: literature and data sources review, Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric and national experts’ elicitation. The results of the assessment and its processes led to a list of 12 key recommendations.

Optimizing application of the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric in meeting national biodiversity conservation targets

“…However, those surprising gures, very different from other countries's pro les, were due to six species (Arvicanthis blicki, Ptychadena nana, Crocidura Lucina, Tachyoryctes macrocephalus, Leptopelis yaldeni and Crithagra ankoberensis) with a very high STAR-R score (higher than 3000). These high restoration values seemingly show that all species had very large ranges but are now very restricted and highly threatened (Vergez 2022). However, we found that the reason for the extremely large values was an error in calculation of the original and current area of habitat of each species.…”

“…Furthermore, the STAR scores can be summed across all species in a de ned area, and can be broken down by the relative contributions of different threats to the overall score (Mair et al 2021). As such, it allows countries and other non-state actors (such as NGOs and businesses), who are taking action to reduce pressures and restore habitats in speci c areas, to measure their potential contribution to achieving species conservation outcomes and global policy goals (Vergez 2022).…”

“…Furthermore, many conservation and development projects in Ethiopia have recognized the role of private sector in biodiversity conservation and encouraging their engagement(Tessema et al 2022b). For example, the BIODEV2030 project in Ethiopia has been piloting a mainstreaming method based on science and multi-stakeholder dialogue to incentivize private sector stakeholders to change their practices through voluntary commitments to biodiversity (seeVergez 2022; Tessema et al 2022a, b). Thus, the private and nancial sectors in the country can use the STAR scores to screen opportunities, set baseline data and measure the contributions they made in reducing threats and/or restoring habitats.…”