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APAP member countries renew commitment to Global Biodiversity Framework at technical meeting in India 

Asia Protected Area Partnership (APAP) was established in 2014 to facilitate improved conservation outcomes for protected and conserved areas (PCAs) in Asia, in accordance with the Sendai Charter for Asia’s protected areas and in support of national and regional efforts to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. It has since then served as a model for regional collaboration, showcasing the power of partnerships in driving progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). 

In this context, a technical meeting, followed by a steering committee meeting, was held between 27 and 29 April 2023 in Dehradun, India, under the theme ‘Moving Towards Implementation of Target 3: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’. GBF Target 3 calls to ‘ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.’



© Wildlife Institute of India

The meetings were organised by the IUCN Asia Regional Office, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, and the Wildlife Institute of India. The Government of India has served as the third Chair of APAP, following the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea. 

The technical meeting, which welcomed 35 participants from 13 countries in the region, focused on urgent actions needed to realign the member countries’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAPs) in line with GBF, which was adopted in December 2022. Participants also discussed issues including the role of PCAs in promoting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and climate change mitigation, ecological connectivity, restoration and spatial planning. 

© Wildlife Institute of India


A major outcome of this workshop included recommendations for building the APAP’s Vision for 2030. All APAP member countries recognised the importance of conservation efforts to conserve and contribute towards this global target. The participants renewed commitments at both regional and global levels to promote the conservation of terrestrial, inland waters (freshwater) and marine areas, recalling in particular the Kota Kinabalu Declaration agreed at the 2nd Asia Parks Congress in Sabah, Malaysia, in 2022 as well as GBF.

Key takeaways included effective management and conservation of:

  • Transboundary landscape and seascapes
  • Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) 
  • Effectiveness management and governance of the protected and conserved areas 
  • Inland water and marine protected and conserved areas
  • NBSAPs alignment to Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and integrating spatial planning for PCA management

Based on each country’s overview of their terrestrial, marine and inland water areas, as well their plans for contributing to GBF Target 3, a comparative analysis will be undertaken by APAP based on country inputs, to explore the regional priorities and potential national opportunities for capacity building and knowledge exchange for effective PCA management. These measures are recognised as key to attaining Target 3. 

The inclusion of Ramsar sites, freshwater key biodiversity areas, other wetlands and watershed areas as OECMs was also suggested as a pathway to secure this highly threatened ecosystem and biodiversity within. There was also an emphasis on free prior and informed consent for the establishment and reporting of OECMs on community lands and waters, with recognition of their governance and customary management systems. It was also agreed that the uptake and implementation of IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas will be further mobilised across Asia to scale up effective management and governance of PCAs and contributions towards GBF.


© Wildlife Institute of India

With regard to the meeting, Dr Dindo Campilan, IUCN Asia Regional Director and Co-Chair of APAP: Working collaboratively through APAP the countries in Asia can help accelerate the momentum for the contributions towards the delivery Target 3 under Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Speaking during the workshop, Rohit Tiwari, Inspector General of Forest, MOEFCC and Co-Chair of APAP, noted that “APAP provides a platform for capacity building and sharing of good practices and in years to come build a stronger foundation to contribute to the global biodiversity targets.”

© Vivek Sarkar

Bivash Ranjan IFS, appointed Additional Director General of Forests, MOEFCC, stressed that “India is committed to APAP and through its active leadership would continue to promote active partnership and knowledge sharing among APAP collaborating countries to help in strengthening effective management of PCAs across the region.”  Virendra R Tewari, Director Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, shared that “the Wildlife Institute of India a premiere institution in the region can aid as the Centre of excellence for APAP by nurturing the development of wildlife science and promote its application in conservation and management of PCAs.” Nguyen Manh Hiep, Department of Nature Conservation, Vietnam Administration of Forestry – VN Forest, highlighted that “APAP is a useful platform to exchange experience and lessons learnt among members through relevant materials, studies and online and offline meetings and workshops.”

© Vivek Sarkar

Recently, at a workshop held in Bangladesh between 9 – 10 May 2023, to mainstream GBF Target 3, conservation experts agreed on the need for resources and finances to meet the 30 percent biodiversity target by 2030, not just for Bangladesh but for other developing countries in Asia as well. The APAP’s 7th Technical Meeting in India has effectively laid down the roadmap and highlighted the key thematic areas to focus and pathways to mainstream the Kunming-Montreal GBF. The integrated approach taken at the Bangladesh workshop to address the Target 3 by including OECMs, is the first step towards assisting the Asian PCA agencies mandated under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Moving ahead with this integrated approach by involving key stakeholders in a more meaningful role through the forthcoming regional and national engagements and dialogues, planned in other countries in the region, will help in mobilizing and mainstreaming the GBF Target 3 and 30x30 approach. 

© Vivek Sarkar


For more information, please contact:

Khalid Pasha, Regional Coordinator Asia, Protected and Conserved Areas and Asia Protected Areas Partnership. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.