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| Yellowstone National Park Photo: IUCN David Sheppard |
Conserving and connecting natural habitats is critical to combat climate change – and save species, according to IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas.
Connecting protected areas is one of the most effective ways to helps plants and animals survive the threats posed by climate change. That was the message from IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) at the World Congress on Biosphere Reserves held in Madrid, Spain, from February 4-9.
The 2007 climate change forecasts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show the continental scale of the changes and the importance of large-scale responses.
IUCN´s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) introduced the concept of connecting and conserving natural habitats to reduce species loss and ensure ecosystems continue providing human benefits, such as healthy catchments which provide communities with clean water.
“We are talking about very large areas – continental scale ´corridors´ which cover hundreds of kilometers,” explained Graeme Worboys, Vice Chair of WCPA´s Mountain Biome, at a side event organized by IUCN. “This approach involves maximizing ´naturalness’, protecting the last natural habitats that are left and saving species from extinction,” he added.
The impacts of climate change make it all the more imperative to address fragmentation. Global warming is forcing natural habitats to shift, while protected area boundaries remain static. Conserving large-scale natural lands that interconnect protected areas can help species to migrate and survive the effects of climate change.
“Protected areas are part of connectivity conservation, and Biosphere Reserves are an integral part of this,” said David Sheppard, Head of IUCN´s Programme on Protected Areas. “Protected areas are an important tool, but they are not enough on their own. We need to think beyond protected areas and consider large-scale connectivity,” he added.
Two successful examples of large-scale connectivity conservation can be found in the Yellowstone National Park to Yukon initiative between the USA and Canada, and the Alps to Atherton corridor in Australia. Both protect thousands of kilometers of adjoining natural habitats, ensuring the survival of key species such as the grizzly bear and greater glider.
For more information, contact Graeme Worboys at g.worboys@bigpond.com
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