As of: January 2010

The global LifeWeb Initiative for protected areas and the International Climate Initiative's contribution

Mangroves play an important role with regard to adaptation to climate change

The establishment of a worldwide network of protected areas is a vital precondition for the conservation of biological diversity and thus for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). To support this network of protected areas the global LifeWeb Initiative was established based on an initiative launched by Germany.

LifeWeb is a web-based cooperation platform which promotes and supports partnerships between countries eager to improve their national protected area systems and potential donors.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety supports LifeWeb by promoting individual protected area projects with up to 40 million euro per year through the International Climate Initiative.

On the path towards a global conservation area network: the LifeWeb Initiative

The establishment of a worldwide network of protected areas is a vital precondition for the conservation of biological diversity and thus for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (CBD). To support this network the global LifeWeb Initiative was established at the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in May 2008, based on an initiative launched by Germany. LifeWeb is a cooperation platform. It is a catalyst for partnerships between countries eager to improve their national protected area systems and potential donors. Only recently coordination has become the responsibility of the CBD Secretariat. At the beginning of September in 2009 a website was launched
(www.cbd.int/lifeweb). Countries interested - and their indigenous populations and local communities - have been invited to declare their need for international assistance for the establishment of protected area systems. This instrument has been widely used.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports LifeWeb by promoting individual protected area projects with up to 40 million euro per year through the International Climate Initiative. The International Climate Initiative is financed by auctioning emissions certificates within the framework of European emissions trading and thus constitutes an innovative financing mechanism. In 2008 and 2009 respectively, 120 million euro were made available for international projects. In addition to LifeWeb projects and other endeavours to protect climate-relevant biological diversity, innovative projects geared towards establishing a climate-friendly economy and developing adaptation to climate change are supported under the initiative. In this context capacity building in partner counties plays an important role.

The international Climate Initiative's LifeWeb projects not only combine biodiversity and climate protection in a globally exemplary manner, they also link to an innovative financing mechanism which generates new and additional funds.

In 2008 and 2009 more than 30 LifeWeb projects with an overall volume of approx. 77 million euro was authorized under the International Climate Initiative. The goal of these projects is to establish new or more efficient management in protected areas already established. Habitats with a high degree of biodiversity which constitute important carbon storages or sinks and mitigate the greenhouse effect are thus protected. At the same time these projects often play an important role with regard to the adaptation of the population to climate change. Active participation of the local communities is envisaged in all projects.