A new report, published in early March, highlights the ecological value of 45 Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs) across Sub-Saharan Africa. This study provides critical insights to guide the second phase of EU’s NaturAfrica initiative, supporting biodiversity conservation while promoting sustainable development. The assessment was carried out in response to a policy request submitted to the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) by European Commission`s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) through the KCBD’s Ticketing System for policy requests.

The NaturAfrica initiative is a flagship EU program designed to tackle biodiversity loss in Africa through a people-centered approach that combines conservation with sustainable job creation. Aligned with the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the initiative focuses on supporting critical ecosystems to benefit both the environment and local communities.

The report provides a spatially explicit characterization of the KLCDs’ ecological value, evaluating them across five dimensions:

• Threatened species richness

• Species endemicity

• Integrity of protected and conserved areas, considering human modification and fragmentation

• Connectivity between protected and conserved areas

• Ecosystem services, particularly carbon storage and water regulation.

The analysis shows high variability across landscapes, with no single KLCD consistently ranking highest across all metrics. While the Congo Basin forests displayed internal similarities, other regions showed diverse ecological profiles. Consequently, the report recommends avoiding a single aggregate ranking for funding prioritization. Instead, policymakers are encouraged to select intervention areas based on specific objectives - such as species conservation, landscape connectivity, or water security - within each biogeographical region.

The findings highlight the importance of combining spatial data with local stakeholder knowledge to ensure effective implementation during the expansion of the NaturAfrica initiative.

The complete report can be found here.