Biodiversity is fundamental to human well-being, planetary health, and economic prosperity around the world. Yet, it is facing an unprecedented crisis: nearly one million species are at risk of extinction. The current extinction rate is already tens to hundreds of times greater than the average over the past ten million years—and this rate is accelerating.
In response to this urgent situation, the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted on December 19, 2022, during the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This landmark agreement aims to halt the alarming loss of biodiversity and drive global efforts to restore nature.
The Framework includes four long-term goals to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, alongside twenty-three specific global targets set for achievement by 2030. These ambitious targets are grouped under three key themes: (1) reducing threats to biodiversity (Targets 1-8); (2) meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing (Targets 9-13); and (3) tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming (Targets 14-23).
Here is the TARGET 1:
“Ensure that all areas are under participatory, integrated and biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and/or effective management processes addressing land- and sea-use change, to bring the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance, including ecosystems of high ecological integrity, close to zero by 2030, while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.”
Understanding Target 1: A Blueprint for Protection
Target 1 stands as the foundational pillar in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, crystallizing the urgent need for holistic approaches to land and sea management. It recognizes that the drivers of biodiversity loss—such as unchecked urban expansion, unsustainable agriculture, and poorly planned infrastructure—are rooted in how humans allocate and use space. By mandating participatory, integrated, and biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning, Target 1 prioritizes both ecological integrity and social justice.
Participatory Planning: Empowering Voices
At the heart of Target 1 is the principle of inclusion. Effective spatial planning must engage a diversity of stakeholders, especially indigenous peoples and local communities, whose knowledge and stewardship are vital to maintaining ecological balance. These groups are often frontline defenders of biodiversity, managing areas of high conservation value that may otherwise be vulnerable to external pressures.
Participatory processes offer more than consultation—they require shared decision-making power. This ensures that conservation strategies reflect local realities and can be sustained over generations. By respecting and integrating indigenous rights and perspectives, the Framework seeks to avoid the historic pitfalls of exclusion and imposed management.
Integrated Spatial Management: Bridging Land and Sea
Target 1 goes beyond isolated conservation measures. Instead, it calls for integrated management that links terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. Land- and sea-use change, if uncoordinated, can fragment habitats and disrupt migration routes, threatening species survival. Integrated planning weaves together ecological needs with social and economic imperatives, allowing for balanced development without sacrificing nature’s resilience.
Spatial management tools—such as ecological corridors, buffer zones, and protected areas—must be tailored to local contexts, ensuring that critical ecosystems such as wetlands, rainforests, coral reefs, and grasslands retain their functions. The goal is to bring the loss of high biodiversity areas close to zero, safeguarding not only threatened species but also the interconnected systems on which all life depends.
Respecting Rights: A Just Transition
A key feature of Target 1 is its explicit emphasis on human rights, particularly those of indigenous peoples and local communities. Conservation efforts should not come at the expense of livelihoods or cultural heritage. The Framework urges governments and organizations to develop mechanisms that recognize customary land tenure, provide equitable benefit-sharing, and protect traditional knowledge.
This rights-based approach fosters trust and collaboration—essential ingredients for effective management. When communities have agency, they become champions of biodiversity, implementing solutions that are locally appropriate and globally significant.
Challenges and Opportunities
Achieving Target 1 will require unprecedented cooperation across sectors, regions, and cultures. It demands strong governance frameworks, robust data collection, and adaptive management. Financing for spatial planning must be scaled up, and capacity-building needs addressed—particularly in countries where resources are limited.
Yet, the opportunities are vast. Well-managed landscapes and seascapes can bolster food security, mitigate climate change, and support economic development, all while enhancing biodiversity. By mainstreaming nature into decision-making at every level, societies can transform the way space is valued and used.
Looking Ahead: Measuring Progress
Implementation of Target 1 will be measured through indicators tracking the extent and effectiveness of biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning. Transparent monitoring and reporting will be essential to ensure accountability and learn from successes and setbacks.
As nations move toward the 2030 deadline, the spirit of collaboration and innovation embodied in Target 1 offers hope. By prioritizing ecological integrity and human rights, the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework charts a path toward a future where people and nature thrive together.
