Australia has identified over 334 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) that provide critical habitat to our most threatened species, and are home to large breeding colonies or important staging sites for migratory species.
Key points
- Australia has 334 key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
- Over two-thirds of threatened birds and other species inhabit these areas
- 80% of Australians live within an hour’s drive of a KBA
Key Biodiversity Areas are Australia’s natural treasures
Some of the most important places for nature on our planet are in trouble and need our protection. To turn the tide, BirdLife International and twelve other global conservation organisations have joined forces and created the KBA partnership.
BirdLife Australia has taken the initiative to fill the partnership with life in Australia. Our focus is to identify these hotspots for nature according to the global standard (IUCN, 2016) and ensure they are well managed and protected for the wildlife that depends on them.
This means for the first time we have a common language to talk about the most important places left for life on Earth – the Key Biodiversity Areas.
Existing KBA Guardians can access the KBA health-check portal here submit their yearly online assessments.
Practical conservation solutions restore and drive the recovery of KBAs
BirdLife Australia has been able to help protect these important places with the support of hundreds of volunteers. Across the organisation we have created programs where staff and volunteers work together to improve the conservation status of birds in KBAs. This includes:
- Introduction of KBA Guardians to oversee our Key Biodiversity Areas
- Annual Easter Health Checks for over 100 KBAs
With over 100 years of conservation management, it is now more important than ever to help protect these key areas. This springs from the understanding that birds cannot survive in isolation from the rest of the environment.
By understanding nature’s hotspots, we can help safeguard our birds before it’s too late.
KBA conservation successes
The KBA process ensures that conservation effort is directed to where it has its greatest impact. This has helped many Australian birds by:
- identifying the areas that matter most for wildlife
- monitoring conservation work and its effects on birds and their habitats
- implementing effective conservation actions and management with the local community.
As a result, we have achieved:
- over 17,000 bird surveys, covering 214 of the 334 KBAs
- more than 37,000 hours of volunteering in KBAs
- KBA guardians for 96 of Australia’s 334 KBAs.
The KBAs program works locally and nationally
The strength of the KBA program is that it works at the local and national level.
Locally, we have created a network of over 100 KBA Guardians and Guardian groups nationwide that take local action through monitoring, advocacy and on-ground conservation work.
Nationally, we are changing the conversation. We have ensured that environmental strategies and recovery plans of NGOs industry and government refer to improving KBA habitats.
- There are over 18,000 KBAs declared around the globe.
- BirdLife Australia works with BirdLife International and other global partners to create better conservation management in nature’s hotspots.
- We offer a consistent approach for conservation that governments understand.
- We remind the Commonwealth Government to meet its obligations for KBAs under international treaties.
The community can get involved by volunteering as a KBA Guardian. Existing KBA Guardians can access the KBA health-check portal here submit their yearly online assessments.