IBAs and KBAs are an important initiative by BirdLife international to highlight key sites of international biodiversity conservation importance. There are currently 15,524 KBAs acknowledged worldwide, and more are continue to be identified. IBAs and KBAs are identified using simple standardized criteria and thresholds based on biodiversity requiring protecting at the site. All IBAs are KBAs, but not all KBAs are IBAs. This distinction is important as IBAs were the initial flagship program to identify important biodiversity hotspots for threatened, migratory and breeding colonies of birds in both protected and non-protected areas. The KBA framework which began in September 2016, extends this program and create a global network of areas for targeted conservation action and aid policy and private sector decision making.
Zimbabwe has 20 IBAs and at least 5 KBAs. As MYCS we were keen to learn more about the IBA and KBA framework and criteria and how best we can participate in elevating the protection of these sites. Through our partnership with BirdLife Zimbabwe, a number of our youth members were able to attend a workshop facilitated by BLZ’s IBA Officer, Mr Togarasei Fakarayi (Toga).
Amongst the MYCS youth members attending was also attendees from the Natural History Museum, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Hillside Dams Conservancy and individuals such as learner professional hunters and guides and wildlife photographers.
The first part of our two-day workshop was focused on the theoretical aspects of IBAs and KBAs. We were taught about the criteria used in the framework and we had a group practice exercise to fill out an IBA assessment form. For this exercise, we were split into three groups which focused on nearby IBAs, namely, Hwange and Matobo Hills National Parks. From this exercise, Mr Toga was able to highlight some common mistakes and details for teams to pay attention to, particularly in scoring threats and their severity.
The second day’s program was at the Hillside Dams Conservancy where the practical aspects of the workshop could be done. Attendees could then have in-depth understanding of the assessment process from practical learning. We also got to learn about how regular these assessments should be done. The youth and stakeholders attending showed great interest in the workshop and the work. Furthermore, we had discussions on how we can source funding to build capacity in our team members who wish to soon be taking on the challenge of reassessing IBAs and KBAs in Zimbabwe. We hope to use this initiative as a way to build research capacity in young people and help them contribute to biodiversity in our beautiful country.