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January 2011
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About Us
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint program of l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank.
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Ethiopia
Conservation strategy planning under way in vast Eastern African hotspot
BirdLife International and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) have recently launched a new initiative to prepare a conservation and investment strategy for mountain ranges across eastern Africa, from Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the north to Zimbabwe in the south.
Collectively termed the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, the region covers a total area of more than 1 million square kilometers across 16 countries and is made up of three ancient massifs: the Eastern Arc Mountains and Southern Rift, the Albertine Rift and the Ethiopian Highlands.
"The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot is incredibly important for wildlife and people," said Julius Arinaitwe, BirdLife’s director for Africa. "It’s very species-rich, with around 7,600 plants, 1,300 birds, 500 mammals, 350 reptiles, 230 amphibians and 890 fishes recorded so far. Many of these can be found nowhere else on earth. The hotspot also provides vital ecosystem services for millions of people."
Despite the huge biological and socioeconomic value of the hotspot, about 15 percent is currently under any level of protection, and only 10 percent of the original vegetation remains in pristine condition.
"The primary threat is habitat loss, due to conversion of land for agriculture, plantations and commercial estates, as well as logging," said Arinaitwe. Other threats include fires, mining, development of infrastructure, gathering of firewood, and collection of plants for medicinal use, while hunting and disease have led to major declines in the populations of many species.
The Albertine Rift has some of the highest human population densities on the African continent, with up to 750 people per square kilometer in parts of Rwanda and Uganda. Consequently, much of the land was long ago converted to agriculture and pressures on the remaining lands are enormous.
The profile will define conservation outcomes, the conservation targets in a hotspot that need to be achieved in order to prevent species extinctions and biodiversity loss.
"The biodiversity profile will be a rapid assessment of biological priorities and the underlying causes of biodiversity loss in the hotspot," added Pierre Carret, technical advisor for CEPF. "It will focus in particular on the socioeconomic, policy and climate change dimensions to the hotspot and will set out clearly the priorities for future CEPF investment."
Preparation of the Ecosystem Profile will be undertaken on behalf of CEPF by BirdLife International and Conservation International. BirdLife International is the lead organization responsible for overall coordination and preparation of the profile, as well as delivery of the final product and expects to work alongside all interested stakeholders including 11 national BirdLife Partners during the project.
National-level consultations with stakeholders—including researchers, conservation organizations and community and government leaders—are under way. Stakeholders in Ethiopia met with the profiling team in December, the meeting for Kenya was held in January, and meetings for Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Uganda are set for February. The information gathered from these meetings will inform multinational meetings planned for later in the year. |
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Caribbean
Call for proposals: Meetings set in the Caribbean
The launch of CEPF’s investment program in Jamaica and Haiti is under way, with events and training for those countries set for early February.
These two nations in the Greater Antilles, as well as the Dominican Republic, have been identified as priorities for CEPF investment in the Caribbean Islands Hotspot. CEPF’s regional implementation team (RIT), the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), is leading the events.
A wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organizations, government representatives, donors and other partners working on biodiversity conservation, will participate in a CEPF Caribbean launch event in Kingston, Jamaica on Feb. 1. The first call for proposals will be opened and focused on projects in Jamaica and Haiti, to be followed shortly by a call for proposals for the Dominican Republic. In addition, a training session will be held for representatives of civil society organizations working on conservation issues within selected key biodiversity areas (KBAs) and conservation corridors in Jamaica. This interactive session will be an opportunity for participants to learn more about CEPF’s specific investment niche for Jamaica and the grant application process. It will also be an opportunity for organizations to share their ideas and needs in view of proposal development and to gain technical and strategic advice from CANARI.
The Jamaica event will be followed by a similar launch on Feb. 8 in Pétionville, Haiti.
In the three priority countries of the Greater Antilles, the RIT is supported by a locally based country coordinator who provides technical advice on the national biodiversity context and helps to provide strategic guidance to organizations throughout the grant application process.
A call for proposals is planned for later in the year for projects based in the Bahamas and the countries of the Lesser Antilles that are eligible for CEPF investment— Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent/Grenadines. |
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supplement
Mission: Haiti
Récemment, une mission en Haïti a eu lieu pour évaluer les besoins pour la sauvegarde de deux sites clés pour la biodiversité.
Lire l'article |
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New Resources Final Project Completion Reports
- Conservation of Key Plant Species and their Habitats in Kangchenjunga Singalila Complex for Livelihood Improvement, Shree Deep Jyoti Youth Club, English (PDF – 64 KB)
- Development of Ecotourism Infrastructure in Shirwan and Hyrcan National Parks of Azerbaijan, World Wide Fund for Nature Caucasus, English (PDF – 84 KB)
- Integrated Approach to Enhance Protection of Manas Tiger Reserve, a Priority Site Outcome in the Indian part of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, Dolphin Foundation, English (PDF – 161 KB)
- Promoting Coordinated Community-Based Landscape Conservation in the Trans-Boundary Region of the Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, The Mountain Institute, English (PDF – 46 KB)
Grantee Newsletters, Publications, and Web sites
Newsletter
- The Babbler, 36th Edition, December 2010, BirdLife International, English (PDF – 3 MB)
Web site
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Photo Credits: Children and Horse, photo courtesy of Pierre Carret; Haiti photos © Robin Moore/iLCP, www.robindmoore.com
Header Photo: Tim Fitzharris / Minden Pictures | |
© 2011 Conservation International | As one of the founding partners, Conservation International (CI) administers the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.
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