Review of the KBA processin Indo-Burma

First iteration of KBAs identified by BirdLife International in collaboration with the Bird Society of Thailand, Kadoorie Farm and

Botanical Gardens, and the WWF Cambodia Programme, with technical support from CABS and funding from CEPF.

KBAs were identified for the CEPF Ecosystem Profile, then prioritised for CEPF funding. This preliminary KBA identification

process was undertaken in 2003.

CEPF will not fund in Myanmar, so a stand-alone KBA document was produced by BirdLife in 2003 which identified and prioritized KBAs

for Myanmar.

The KBA process

• Built on the BirdLife map of IBAs

• Supplemented this map through the definition of additional KBAs for other taxonomic groups

• First step: consultations and desk studies

• Second step: expert round-tables with stakeholders and regional specialists

Species Outcomes – Globally Threatened Species

Indochina• 492 globally threatened species (248 plants, 73 birds, 60 mammals, 46

amphibians, 33 reptiles, 32 fish, 0 invertebrates)

Myanmar• 145 globally threatened species (46 birds, 39 mammals, 38 plants, 20

reptiles, 2 fish, 0 invertebrates, 0 amphibians)

Total for Hotspot• 518 globally threatened species (251 plants, 83 birds, 66

mammals, 46 amphibians, 39 reptiles, 32 fish, 0 invertebrates)

• 90 CR, 137 EN, 291 VU

Site Outcomes – Vulnerability

All KBAs that were identified for mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and plants used only vulnerability criteria.

KBAs were identified for all of the region’s known GT birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and plants. However, many taxa in IndoBurma are still poorly known, with many species not yet assessed for the IUCN

Red List (especially reptiles, amphibians, plants, and invertebrates).

434 KBAs defined for IndoBurma hotspot• 362 in Indochina, 72 in Myanmar

Taxonomic bias towards birds. Example: 39 from a total of 40 KBAs in Cambodia are IBAs.

Site Outcomes - Irreplaceability

Irreplaceability criteria had limited application in IndoBurma KBA definition, except for restricted range or congregatory birds (IBA criteria), i.e. the KBAs defined for birds used both vulnerability and irreplaceability criteria.

66% of all KBAs for IndoBurma were defined for birds, but it is not clear which KBAs are for irreplaceability of birds and which are for vulnerability.

RR status only applied for birds, because ‘this is the only group for which the concept of RR species has been quantitatively defined’ (standard IBA criterion: species with a global breeding range of <50,000km²).

Congregatory criterion also only used for birds, as ‘it is the only group for which comprehensive population estimates of congregatory species are available’ (a standard threshold of 1% of the Asian biogeographic population was used).

Refinement

There is an urgent need for KBA refinement in IndoBurma. The current KBA

maps, though excellent, were based on limited biological data. A great deal of

research has taken place in the region since 2003, especially in Cambodia and

Myanmar. There is improved biological knowledge on a wide range of taxa.

Unfortunately, with this increased knowledge came an expansion of the IUCN

Redlist for IndoBurma; many more GT species have been added since 2003.

These also need including into the KBA process.

Key issues for guidance

• Delineation along management boundaries or biological boundaries

• Delineation of KBA boundaries in large, biologically rich areas of contiguous habitat

• Prioritization of KBAs

• Identifying survey priorities using a systematic approach