M1 - Environmental And Social Performance Standard 6

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

Synthesis of the Standard

Requirements

Scope of application

Objectives

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ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

Ecosystem services are not mentioned in Directive B.9

ESPS 6 defines Ecosystem Services as the benefits that people, including businesses, communities, and society at large, derive from ecosystems. They can be provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. Depending on whether they directly affect the project, they can be considered priority. Borrowers must apply the mitigation hierarchy for impacts on priority ecosystems services.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

NATURAL HABITAT

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

Natural habitats are biophysical environments where:

• Biological communities are formed largely by native species
• Ecological functions are not essentially modified by human activity

Natural habitats may:

• Provide priority ecosystem services
• Be vital to the functional integrity of ecosystems

Operations with conversion or degradation of natural habitats will not be supported unless:

• There are no feasible alternatives
• Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that benefits substantially outweigh environmental costs
• There is adequate mitigation and compensation

Natural habitat:

• Composed of viable assemblages of mostly native species, or
• No essential modification by human activity

Borrowers will not significantly convert or degrade natural habitats, unless:

• There are no viable alternatives on modified habitats
• Stakeholders have been properly consulted
• Conversion or degradation managed using mitigation hierarchy

Mitigation measures must be designed to achieve no net loss, and where feasible a net gain for biodiversity.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

CRITICAL HABITAT

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

Directive B.9 defines Critical natural habitat as areas of high conservation value, including all protected areas and Ramsar sites The IDB will not support operations and activities that in its opinion significantlyconvert or degrade critical natural habitats.

ESPS 6 defines critical habitat as areas with high biodiversity value. The IDB will only carry out projects that demonstrate that:

• there are no other viable alternatives to develop the projects on habitats that are not critical
• the project will not lead to measurable adverse impacts on biodiversity values, and
• will not lead to a net reduction in the population of any endangered or critically endangered species.

The project’s mitigation strategy will be described in a Biodiversity Action Plan designed to achieve net gains of those biodiversity values for which the critical habitat was designated.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

PROTECTED AREAS

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

Protected categories include:

• IUCN Categories I to VI
• World Heritage Sites
• Ramsar Sites
• Core areas of World Biosphere Reserves
• Areas on the UN List of National Parks and Protected Areas

All the above are considered critical natural habitats.

Legally protected areas or internationally recognized areas of high biodiversity value:

• IUCN Categories I to VI
• World Heritage Sites
• Ramsar Sites
• Core areas of World Biosphere Reserves
• Areas on the UN List of National Parks and Protected Areas
• World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas Sites
• Sites meeting the criteria of the IUCN 2016 Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas

All the above are considered critical habitat. For projects in these areas, see requirements (paragraph 19 of ESPS 6).

IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

AREAS OF HIGH BIODIVERSITY VALUE

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

They are considered "critical natural habitats"

Critical habitats are considered

Areas of high biodiversity value include: AZE: Alliance for Zero Extinction sites KBA: Key Biodiversity Areas IBA: Important Bird Area

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

THREATENED AND PROTECTED SPECIES

ESPS 6

Directriz B.9 de la OP-703

All areas of known high conservation value crucial for species on the IUCN red list with category CR, EN, VU, NT are considered “critical natural habitats”

Critical habitats are considered:

• For CR and EN species, if they meet the thresholds of the criteria of the IUCN Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (2016)
• For VU and NT species, if they meet the thresholds outlined in the ESPS 6 Guidelines
• If the species categorization does not correspond with those of IUCN, there will be an assessment to determine if there is a critical habitat

IUCN Red List categories for species extant in the wild: CR: Critically Endangered - EN: Endangered VU: Vulnerable - NT: Near Threatened LC: Least Concern

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

MIGRATORY OR CONGREGATORY SPECIES

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

All areas considered critical to the viability of migratory routes for migratory species are considered 'critical natural habitats'.

Habitats supporting globally significant concentrations of migratory species and/or congregatory species as per the thresholds of the IUCN 2016 Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas and the Bank's ESPS 6 Guidelines are considered Critical Habitats.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

ENDEMIC OR RESTRICTED-RANGE SPECIES

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

Not explicitly mentioned, their presence may qualify an area as of high conservation value.

Areas of substantial importance for endemic or restricted-range species are considered critical habitats when they meet the applicable thresholds of the UCN 2016 Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE STANDARD 6

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

B.9 and ESPS 6: similar but different

ALIEN AND INVASIVE SPECIES

ESPS 6

Directive B.9 of OP-703

• No intentional introduction of new alien species unless done in accordance with the existing regulatory framework for such introduction.

The Bank will not support operations through which invasive species are introduced.

• No deliberate introduction of exotic species with a high risk of invasive behavior regardless of regulatory framework. Measures to avoid their introduction including the transportation of substrates and vectors that may harbor alien species.

• Prevent the spread of alien species already introduced and, where possible, take measures to eradicate them from natural habitats.

Tilapia, (Oreochromis niloticus).

Alien species: species introduced outside their normal range. Invasive species: that is not native to (or is alien) to the ecosystem in question and whose introduction causes or may cause harm to the economy, to the environmental, or to human health.

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