BirdLife Works for Sites...

Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are places of critical importance for the conservation of birds and other biodiversity. They are identified according to internationally agreed and standardised criteria, providing practical targets for conservation action applied locally.

IBAs are recognised by international bodies such as the European Union and the United Nations' Global Environment Facility, and are used to identify conservation priorities and to promote the implementation of global agreements and national environmental legislation.

A Site Support Group meeting in Cameroon. Zoom In

Africa's IBAs – from research to action

Ten of the BirdLife Partner organisations in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda) have joined forces to implement site-based conservation action at key IBAs. BirdLife Partners are ideally placed to implement this through their unique strength as a network of grass- roots organisations.

They have established community-based 'Site Support Groups' comprising local stakeholders who promote the conservation of their IBA. Site Support Group members monitor their site, engage in advocacy work, carry out conservation activities, and develop ways of generating income with the local community.

"BirdLife International is helping my local community to take control of their natural resources, and more importantly has helped us to be recognised as being key stakeholders in forest management and conservation." —David Kuria, KENVO Site Support Group, Kenya

This project is supported by Global Environment Facility.