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Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside of protected areas that deliver the effective, long-term conservation of biodiversity. Both protected areas and OECMs contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 3, which calls for the conservation of 30% of marine, terrestrial and inland water areas by 2030. This paper provides the first global assessment of the contribution of OECMs to GBF Target 3. Between 2019 and 2023, 820 sites in nine countries and territories were reported to the World Database on OECMs, covering 1.9 million km2 of the Earth's surface and, in the terrestrial realm, contributing over 1% to the 30% coverage target. Notably, over 50% of reported OECMs are under governance by governments and less than 2% are governed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. In countries and territories that have reported OECMs, a far greater proportion of OECMs than protected areas are under shared governance (40.9% compared to 2.5%), and collaborative governance is the most common governance sub-type among reported OECMs. This paper finds that almost 30% of the 820 reported OECMs overlap with identified Key Biodiversity Areas, which are one global classification of areas of particular importance for biodiversity. With Target 3's pressing deadline of 2030, there is an urgent need to scale up understanding and local to national engagement with the OECM framework, ensuring that it fulfills its potential to recognize diverse forms of equitable governance and effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside of protected areas that deliver the effective, long-term conservation of biodiversity. Both protected areas and OECMs contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 3, which calls for the conservation of 30% of marine, terrestrial and inland water areas by 2030. This paper provides the first global assessment of the contribution of OECMs to GBF Target 3. Between 2019 and 2023, 820 sites in nine countries and territories were reported to the World Database on OECMs, covering 1.9 million km2 of the Earth’s surface and, in the terrestrial realm, contributing over 1% to the 30% coverage target. Notably, over 50% of reported OECMs are under governance by governments and less than 2% are governed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. In countries and territories that have reported OECMs, a far greater proportion of OECMs than protected areas are under shared governance (40.9% compared to 2.5%), and collaborative governance is the most common governance sub-type among reported OECMs. This paper finds that almost 30% of the 820 reported OECMs overlap with identified Key Biodiversity Areas, which are one global classification of areas of particular importance for biodiversity. With Target 3’s pressing deadline of 2030, there is an urgent need to scale up understanding and local to national engagement with the OECM framework, ensuring that it fulfills its potential to recognize diverse forms of equitable governance and effective conservation.

In line with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Union (EU) aims to protect 30% of its land and sea by 2030 (known as 30x30). Germany has been a vocal supporter of this goal in the international arena but has yet to achieve sufficient protected area coverage domestically. We estimate that Germany needs to report an additional 4.65 million hectares of protected land to achieve 30x30. This article examines the potential of privately protected areas (PPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) to contribute to this goal. We explore the German Federal Nature Conservation Act and identify the legal hurdles for the designation and recognition of PPAs. Furthermore, we argue that OECMs have the potential to contribute significantly to 30x30 in Germany. We estimate that close to one million hectares of land could be classified as OECMs and outline potentially qualifying sites. In conclusion, we discuss the prerequisites for upscaling private land conservation in Germany, focusing on required conditions for establishing OECMs and incentivising conservation easements and long-term conservation leases through national funding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Union (EU) aims to protect 30% of its land and sea by 2030 (known as 30x30). Germany has been a vocal supporter of this goal in the international arena but has yet to achieve sufficient protected area coverage domestically. We estimate that Germany needs to report an additional 4.65 million hectares of protected land to achieve 30x30. This article examines the potential of privately protected areas (PPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) to contribute to this goal. We explore the German Federal Nature Conservation Act and identify the legal hurdles for the designation and recognition of PPAs. Furthermore, we argue that OECMs have the potential to contribute significantly to 30x30 in Germany. We estimate that close to one million hectares of land could be classified as OECMs and outline potentially qualifying sites. In conclusion, we discuss the prerequisites for upscaling private land conservation in Germany, focusing on required conditions for establishing OECMs and incentivising conservation easements and long-term conservation leases through national funding programmes.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) promotes the sustainable human activities development and uses in the marine space, playing a role in their effective management. The enhancement of connectivity is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and landscape planning. Ecological Corridors (ECs) are an important type of connectivity for biodiversity conservation in fragmented habitats. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 includes ECs into the network of protected areas and allows for the creation of additional protected areas. MSP studies considering ECs remain still lacking, especially for the design of networks between Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). In this paper, knowledge, and tools for investigating marine ECs were reviewed, with a systematic bibliometric analysis to summarize the current scientific research. Previous studies integrating ecological connectivity into planning for marine conservation have focused on models of larval dispersal, adult movements, and dispersal of single species by using benthic habitat proxies. Few studies were found on ECs in marine environments: in the coral Caribbean reef systems in the Gulf of Mexico; within benthic habitats along the Pacific coast of Canada; between MPAs in British Columbia (Canada); and by analyzing migratory species in the Yangtze estuary (China). Commonly used approaches to project and map ECs in marine environments are least-cost and circuit theories allowing to incorporate movement with cost or resistance to movement, depending on species and preferred habitats. The systematic bibliometric analysis returned 25 studies, most of which were from North America (40%) and European countries (36%) and the largest share of papers (68%) from 2018 to 2022. This review pinpointed the need of integrating different disciplines to investigate connectivity and the need by policymakers and practitioners to recognize the importance of ecological connectivity, even there are significant challenges for integrating connectivity into policies, planning, and conservation.