Objectives and Activities Freshwater Biodiversity Unit

Objectives

• to build expertise and capacity on freshwater biodiversity through the establishment of regional networks

• to establish a freshwater biodiversity information system within the SSC Species Information Service (SIS)

• to carry out status assessments (IUCN Red List) for key groups of freshwater species and identify critical sites for the conservation of these species groups

• to determine key threatening processes and priority conservation actions in each region and assess the priority requirements for freshwater biodiversity conservation

• Communicate the results of the project to governments, donors and NGOs to raise awareness and include freshwater biodiversity conservation in their priorities for action

• demonstrate the link between biodiversity and livelihoods through interdisciplinary approaches.

Activities

• Conducting a Pan-African Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment

In January 2005 a five-year project was initiated to assess the status of freshwater biodiversity throughout Africa: The Pan-Africa Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment.

The project objectives are the conservation and sustainable use of freshwater biodiversity in the face of widespread plans for large-scale water resource developments; and the safeguarding of livelihoods for those millions of people in Africa dependant upon the goods and services provided by biodiversity in inland waters.

• Carrying out Freshwater Biodiversity Assessments in specific regions of the world

The Programme has also conducted three regional assessments of the status and distribution of a number of priority groups of freshwater taxa:

The Eastern Africa Assessment : The project consisted in assessing biodiversity and collating existing information on the distribution and threatened status number of freshwater species in the inland waters of five eastern Africa countries.

Madagascar Assessment: The project consisted in assessing and mapping 100 species of freshwater fish endemic to Madagascar. An alarming report was published in 2004.

Mediterranean Assessment : The project consisted in assessing the status and distribution of all freshwater fishes endemic to the Mediterranean Basin. A report will soon be available.

• Supporting pro-poor approaches in conservation management

In order to strengthen pro-poor approaches to wetland conservation in the Lower Mekong ( Cambodia) and Eastern Africa a Wetland conservation project using integrated biodiversity and livelihood assessments was launched in September 2005

• Identifying important sites of Freshwater Biodiversity

In order to provide a methodology to identify areas supporting important freshwater biodiversity, an “Important Sites of Freshwater Biodiversity” project was conducted using species-based criteria.