A Pathway for Inland Waters in the 30 x 30 Target: Discussion document: Building knowledge and capacity for a radical increase in representation and effective management of inland waters in protected and conserved areas

Inland waters – such as lakes, rivers and streams, marshes, and peatlands – are amongst the most biodiverse but also the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Yet, despite their importance, they have often been undervalued in conservation discourse and investment, in terms of restoration, protection and sustainable management. This discussion document aims to bring inland waters into the heart of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It describes a range of area-based inland waters approaches that can contribute to 30x30; lays out a process for how this can be measured over time; and gives practical advice to managers of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation
measures. This publication is a draft, released in time for the 15th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with the goal of fostering constructive dialogue and ambition for the representation of inland waters in the GBF and monitoring framework. A substantially revised version will be published in 2023, as technical guidance for implementation.