There is broad agreement that current conservation efforts are not enough to mitigate the ever increasing ecological footprint of humanity. Reliance on legally protected areas is necessary, but insufficient. With the growing human population and its increasing levels of prosperity, the pressures on biodiversity are great. We need to expand our conservation efforts across the planet.
The area-based Verified Conservation Area (VCA) Approach aims to scale up conservation efforts by recognising the efforts of new stakeholders, encouraging collective action, channelling financing towards area-based conservation, and providing the assurance that money invested is well spent.
The Approach includes a public VCA Registry with verified conservation management plans and annual performance reports, a VCA Standard best of internationally-adopted Performance Standards 1 and 6 of the International Finance Corporation, and a VCA Toolkit of recommended best practices for conservation, particularly in productive landscapes.
Key Messages:
- The VCA Approach recognises and encourages the efforts by committed individuals, communities, local governments, NGOs, and companies to conserve and restore our natural capital.
- It provides a mechanism for innovative conservation initiatives beyond legally protected areas to be recognised, celebrated and supported.
- VCAs enable companies, public agencies, NGOs, foundations, and individuals to invest directly in verified conservation by providing standardised, transparent, monitored, and effective conservation management.
Supplied by: Earth Mind
Download the report (Pdf): Verified Conservation Areas
