1
|
Thorn JPR, Bignoli DJ, Mwangi B, Marchant RA. The African Development Corridors Database: a new tool to assess the impacts of infrastructure investments. Sci Data 2022; 9:679. [DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01771-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe large-scale expansion of built infrastructure is profoundly reshaping the geographies of Africa, generating lock-in patterns of development for future generations. Understanding the impact of these massive investments can allow development opportunities to be maximised and therefore be critical for attaining the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and African Union’s Agenda 2063 aims. However, until now information on the types, scope, and timing of investments, their evolution and spatial-temporal impact was dispersed amongst various agencies. We developed a database of 79 development corridors across Africa, synthesizing data from multiple sources covering 184 projects on railways, wet and dry ports, pipelines, airports, techno-cities, and industrial parks. The georeferenced interlinked tabular and spatial database includes 22 attributes. We expect this database will improve coordination, efficiency, monitoring, oversight, strategic planning, transparency, and risk assessments, among other uses for investment banks, governments, impact assessment practitioners, communities, conservationists, economists, and regional economic bodies.
Collapse
|
2
|
Williams BA, Grantham HS, Watson JEM, Shapiro AC, Plumptre AJ, Ayebare S, Goldman E, Tulloch AIT. Reconsidering priorities for forest conservation when considering the threats of mining and armed conflict. AMBIO 2022; 51:2007-2024. [PMID: 35397773 PMCID: PMC9287519 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01724-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many threats to biodiversity can be predicted and are well mapped but others are uncertain in their extent, impact on biodiversity, and ability for conservation efforts to address, making them more difficult to account for in spatial conservation planning efforts, and as a result, they are often ignored. Here, we use a spatial prioritisation analysis to evaluate the consequences of considering only relatively well-mapped threats to biodiversity and compare this with planning scenarios that also account for more uncertain threats (in this case mining and armed conflict) under different management strategies. We evaluate three management strategies to address these more uncertain threats: 1. to ignore them; 2. avoid them; or 3. specifically target actions towards them, first individually and then simultaneously to assess the impact of their inclusion in spatial prioritisations. We apply our approach to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and identify priority areas for conserving biodiversity and carbon sequestration services. We found that a strategy that avoids addressing threats of mining and armed conflict more often misses important opportunities for biodiversity conservation, compared to a strategy that targets action towards areas under threat (assuming a biodiversity benefit is possible). We found that considering mining and armed conflict threats to biodiversity independently rather than simultaneously results in 13 800-14 800 km2 and 15 700-25 100 km2 of potential missed conservation opportunities when undertaking threat-avoiding and threat-targeting management strategies, respectively. Our analysis emphasises the importance of considering all threats that can be mapped in spatial conservation prioritisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Williams
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA.
| | - Hedley S Grantham
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
| | - Aurélie C Shapiro
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität-zu-Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Key Biodiversity Areas Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, UK
- Conservation Science Group, Zoology Department, Cambridge University, Pembroke St, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel Ayebare
- Albertine Rift Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Ayesha I T Tulloch
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Barros AAMD, Kurtz BC, Machado DNDS, Oliveira RRD, Ribas LDA, Pessoa SDVA. Tree species composition in Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract In the present study a specific and comprehensive analysis of the arboreal flora of Ilha Grande, located in the municipality of Angra dos Reis, on the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is presented. Unpublished data and contributions from studies already carried out at the site that investigated issues related to the composition and richness of tree species, the degree of threat, endemism and the history of occupation and/or changes in land use were gathered and analyzed. This study is part of the PPBio Mata Atlântica – Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (Biodiversity Research Program) which, through phytosociological inventories of the tree component, has been contributing, since 2010, to the increase in the floristic knowledge of Ilha Grande. The inventory identified 509 tree species, belonging to 220 genera and 74 families. Of these, 34 species were categorized as threatened, two of which are critically endangered, 18 are endangered and 14 are vulnerable. 53 exotic tree species were indicated. The results presented here reinforce the importance of these inventories as indispensable tools for the construction of strategies and actions for conservation, restoration and management of diversity in the context of the Atlantic Forest.
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Africa has experienced unprecedented growth across a range of development indices for decades. However, this growth is often at the expense of Africa’s biodiversity and ecosystems, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of people depending on the goods and services provided by nature, with broader consequences for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Encouragingly, Africa can still take a more sustainable path. Here, we synthesize the key learnings from the African Ecological Futures project. We report results from a participatory scenario planning process around four collectively-owned scenarios and narratives for the evolution of Africa’s ecological resource base over the next 50 years. These scenarios provided a lens to review pressures on the natural environment, through the drivers, pressures, state, impacts, and responses (DPSIR) framework. Based on the outcomes from each of these steps, we discuss opportunities to reorient Africa’s development trajectories towards a sustainable path. These opportunities fall under the broad categories of “effective natural resource governance”, “strategic planning capabilities”, “investment safeguards and frameworks”, and “new partnership models”. Underpinning all these opportunities are “data, management information, and decision support frameworks”. This work can help inform collaborative action by a broad set of actors with an interest in ensuring a sustainable ecological future for Africa.
Collapse
|