Criteria

Understanding the Criteria for identifying KBAs

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are identified using a scientifically rigorous and globally agreed set of criteria developed through extensive consultation within the conservation community. These criteria provide a clear, transparent, and consistent standard to pinpoint sites that are crucial for the long-term survival of biodiversity worldwide.

What makes a site a KBA?

A site qualifies as a global KBA if it meets one or more of 11 specific criteria, grouped into five higher-level categories:

A. Threatened biodiversity

Sites that support significant populations of species or ecosystems at risk of extinction.

B. Geographically restricted biodiversity

Sites that hold species or ecosystems with limited global ranges or extent.

C. Ecological integrity

Sites with intact ecological communities that maintain natural processes and have low human impact.

D. Biological processes

Locations critical for key life-cycle events such as breeding aggregations, refuges, or recruitment sources.

E. Irreplaceability

Sites essential for achieving conservation goals, where loss would significantly reduce options for biodiversity protection.

These criteria apply across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments and cover all taxonomic groups except micro-organisms and ecosystems.

For more information about the KBA Criteria, visit our training resources or explore:

The Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (IUCN 2016) sets out these criteria and thresholds, ensuring a unified approach worldwide.

The Guidelines for using A Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas help users understand key terms, apply the criteria using various assessment parameters, and accurately delineate KBA boundaries

Building on decades of conservation science

The KBA framework builds upon over 40 years of efforts to identify important biodiversity sites, including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites, and KBAs identified through ecosystem hotspot profiles supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).

The current dataset includes:

Global KBAs: Sites meeting one or more of the 11 global criteria.
Regional KBAs: Sites that were identified prior to the publication of the KBA Standard in 2016 and that are proven to meet other pre-existing criteria.
Global/ Regional to be determined: Sites that were identified prior to the publication of the KBA Standard using other pre-existing criteria, but for which there is insufficient data to demonstrate that they continue to meet criteria. Many Regional KBAs may qualify as Global KBAs into the future as more data become available for different species and ecosystems or when regional KBA criteria are developed.

However, most countries have yet to conduct comprehensive assessment of their KBAs using available biodiversity. In countries where comprehensive assessments have been made, on average there was more than a doubling of KBA area. This highlights the importance that all countries should make comprehensive KBAs assessments to guide their national planning and contribution to the Global Biodiversity Framework.