Biodiversity
Biological diversity is invaluable to humanity, as it not only sustains life, but also contributes to the health and functioning of ecosystems. The Carpathian Mountains are of great importance for the preservation of biological diversity due to their abundance of habitat types and plant species with of approximately 133 habitat types and 3,988 plant species, including endemic varieties. The region exhibits the largest pristine forests in Europe, with the broadest primeval forests. In addition, the Carpathians are home to the richest population of large carnivores in Europe.
Human actions are fundamentally, and to a significant extent irreversibly, changing the diversity of life on Earth. For that reason, Article 4 of the Carpathian Convention requires the Parties to take specific measures regarding the conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity.
Related Working Groups and Initiatives
Protocols and related Strategic Documents
- Protocol on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological and Landscape Diversity (Biodiversity Protocol)
- Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for the Implementation of the Biodiversity Protocol (2011-2023)
- Action Plan on conservation of large carnivores and ensuring ecological connectivity in the Carpathians
Carpathian Biodiversity Framework
The Carpathian Convention, as a regional mechanism for cooperation, will support implementation of the CBD and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the Carpathian level, and it will increase synergies between other relevant conventions and processes. Further to the Carpathian Commitments adopted the Ministerial Conference on 22 November 2022, a Carpathian Biodiversity Framework was developed and adopted at the 7th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) on 12 October 2023.
The Carpathian Biodiversity Framework translates the GBF into policy actions for the Carpathian region to ensure common efforts for living in harmony with nature by 2050. To streamline the Carpathian Biodiversity Framework into existing reporting mechanisms, the Secretariat is working to reflect the Carpathian biodiversity policy actions into the Carpathian countries’ national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), which must be revised in light of the new GBF and submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This process will avoid isolated approaches for the implementation of the GBF and make the best use of limited financial and human resources.
To further strengthen these efforts, the CBD, the Alpine Convention, and the Carpathian Convention renewed the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation in the light of the GBF that shall facilitate the implementation of the new framework and guide the way for effective mountain biodiversity protection in the Alpine and Carpathian regions and beyond, and importantly support experience and knowledge sharing with other mountain regions of the world.
- Carpathian Biodiversity Framework, including a Carpathian Vision 2050
- Ministerial Declaration of the Carpathian Convention on Carpathian Commitments for the implementation of the new post 2020 global biodiversity framework
- Role and contribution of the Carpathian Convention to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Selected Documents
- Joint Declaration «Achieving functional biodiversity in the Danube-Carpathian Region by mainstreaming ecological connectivity
- The Methodology for Identifying Ecological Corridors in the Carpathian Countries by using Large Carnivores as Umbrella Species
- Carpathian strategy for enhancing biodiversity and landscape conservation outside and inside protected areas: Full document | Factsheet
- Strategy for local sustainable tourism development based on natural and cultural heritage of the Carpathians: Full document | Factsheet
- Guidelines on communication between protected areas and local communities in the Carpathian – full document
- Centralparks: Carpathian Ecosystem Services Tool
- Report on Large Carnivore Monitoring in the Carpathian Mountains
- Combating wildlife and forest crime in the Danube Carpathian Region - Booklet by UN Environment, WWF and Eurac Research
- Carpathian Red List of Forest Habitats and Species, Carpathian List of Invasive Alien Species – DRAFT
- Carpathian Red List of Forest Habitats – draft
- Red List of Vascular Plants of the Carpathians – draft
Related projects
- LECA – Supporting the coexistence and conservation of Carpathian Large Carnivores (Interreg Central Europe)
- NaturaConnect – Building a resilient ecological network of conserved areas across Europe for nature and people (HorizonEurope)
- Centralparks – Building management capacities of Carpathian protected areas for the integration and harmonization of biodiversity protection and local socio-economic development
- ConnectGREEN – Restoring and managing ecological corridors in mountains as the green infrastructure in the Danube basin
- SaveGREEN – Safeguarding the functionality of transnationally important ecological corridors in the Danube basin
- Other projects
Mountain Biodiversity Platfrom
Why does mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity matter for well-being?
This Mountain Biodiversity Platform aims to present good practices from the Carpathian region in key economic areas. It hopes to raise the awareness of policy makers and the media to help them recognize the value and benefits of integrated ecosystem management; thus encouraging governments and other stakeholders to use the approach in development planning.
Vienna Programme Office
Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention
UN Environmnent
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 500
A – 1400 Vienna
Tel: +43 1 260 60 83038
Mail: info.carpathianconvention@un.org
TOPICS:
Large Carnivores
Education for Sustainable Development
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