Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs)

This spatial dataset contains the geographic boundaries and ecological evaluations of 45 Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs) across Sub-Saharan Africa. Building on the Key Landscapes for Conservation (KLCs) identified in the EU report “Larger than elephants”, the NaturAfrica initiative is rolled out across these key biodiversity and development landscapes.

NaturAfrica's efforts are concentrated on ‘mega-landscapes’—biogeographical regions identified as crucial for both conservation and development. These regions encompass:

• The forest ecosystems of the Congo Basin;
• Landscapes of transhumance pastoralists in North Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Chad;
• Guinean forests of West Africa;
• Savannahs in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa;
• Savannahs and watersheds of the East Africa rift;
• Transfrontier conservation areas of Southern Africa.

The layer was developed to support the prioritization of intervention areas for the second phase of this initiative, which combines conservation with sustainable job creation. It provides a spatially explicit characterization of ecological value across these landscapes, evaluated and attributed based on five core ecological and environmental dimensions:

• Threatened Species Richness: Concentration and diversity of threatened species.
• Species Endemicity: Presence of endemic species unique to the specific geographic region.
• Ecosystem Integrity: The integrity of protected and conserved areas, accounting for degrees of human modification and habitat fragmentation.
• Ecological Connectivity: The degree of connectivity and spatial linkages between protected and conserved areas.
• Ecosystem Services: Provisioning and regulating services, with a specific focus on carbon storage and water services.

The layer was created to inform the EC Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and policymakers in selecting and prioritizing funding intervention areas based on specific targets (e.g., species conservation, connectivity, or water security) within different biogeographical regions. It serves as a spatial decision-support tool to align with the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

• Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
• Coverage: 45 distinct Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs)

• Thematic: Biodiversity Conservation, NaturAfrica, Ecosystem Services, Protected Areas, Habitat Connectivity, Species Endemicity, European Green Deal, Ecosystem Integrity, Transfrontier Conservation, Mega-landscapes.
• Spatial: Sub-Saharan Africa, Congo Basin, West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Sudano-Sahelian zone.

This dataset is derived from the technical assessment conducted for the European Commission Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) .