KBAs in Ecuador: Ecosystem Services amid Climate Change

In a significant step towards safeguarding global biodiversity, the First Workshop on Ecosystem Services in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) under Climate Change Scenarios occurred from 19 to 20 November 2024. This event was held within the framework of the ‘Ecosystem Services under Climate Change’ Project, funded by the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC). Organized by BirdLife International, Fundación Jocotoco, UNEP-WCMC, and Durham University, the workshop brought together a diverse group of local stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, community leaders, and academics from the regions of El Oro, Loja, and Zamora.

Participants delved deeper into the Toolkit for  Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA), specifically designed to identify and assess the ecosystem services provided by important sites for biodiversity, such as KBAs. The focus was on understanding how these services benefit local communities and the threats posed by climate and land use change.

This project is presented as a fundamental step towards better environmental and conservation practices, facilitated by Stefano Barchiesi, representative of BirdLife International’s Global Science Division, and Bhopal Pandeya, Senior Programme Officer at UNEP-WCMC. “ Through the information gathered at this event, we aim to integrate the opinions and knowledge of stakeholders in these KBAs with the modeling components of the project. In addition, the workshop has been the first opportunity to hear first-hand from key experts and local stakeholders about their vision for alternative management of the different ecosystem services found within each KBA,” says Barchiesi.

Over the next three years, this project will seek to address the knowledge gap on how climate change, in particular, affects essential ecosystem services such as water supply and climate regulation while also improving the management capacities of KBAs, sites vital for life, through the participation of various local actors. Pandeya underlined the collaborative impact of the workshop: “This space not only aims to close knowledge gaps but also to generate practical strategies that benefit all stakeholders involved. It is an opportunity to build science-based solutions by exchanging experiences and collective action.”

In his intervention, Andrés Factos, KBA Focal Point at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE) and member of the KBA National Coordination Group in Ecuador, highlighted the importance of this type of meetings to link local realities with national and international objectives. “For MAATE, this exercise is crucial as we update our National Biodiversity Strategy; this workshop propels us forward in implementing Goal 11 of the Global Biodiversity Framework,” he noted.

Finally, David Parra, Director of Conservation at the Jocotoco Foundation, shared his vision on the importance of understanding how Ecuador’s mountains, forests, and water sources contribute to human well-being amid the challenges of climate change. He stated, “We seek to understand how we can defend these services while ensuring they continue supporting our communities.” This workshop marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward protecting Ecuador’s Key Biodiversity Areas and their invaluable ecosystem services. By uniting local efforts with global commitments, participants are forging a firm commitment to nature conservation that resonates across borders.