POLICY BRIEF

FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY IN THE LAKEMALAWI / NYASA / NIASSA CATCHMENT -PRIORITIES FOR CONSERVATION ACTION

THE ISSUE

The Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa Catchment (hereafter LMNNC) isinternationally recognised for its high levels of freshwater species diversityand endemism, with Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa (hereafter LMNN) itselfconsidered to be the most species-rich lake on Earth, home to over 800cichlid fishes of which 99% are endemic. Local livelihoods and nationaleconomies are supported by freshwater ecosystems, particularly in theLMNNC where agricultural and fisheries production are the mainstay of theeconomy. However, freshwater ecosystems within the region are alsounder threat. Given the unique and diverse nature of freshwater specieswithin the LMNNC, the dependence of rural communities and regionaleconomies on these species, and the high levels of threat, there is a clearneed for a stronger focus on conservation and sustainable use offreshwater biodiversity. The information summarised here and presented inthe report provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information onthe status and distribution of freshwater species within the LMNNC, and onthe distribution of important sites for freshwater biodiversity within theregion. © Ad Konings

KEY MESSAGES

Freshwater biodiversity in the LMNNC is suffering ongoing decline and the risk of species extinctions is increasing. The greatest

declines are seen in the freshwater fishes of LMNNC, primarily due to unsustainable harvesting, including in commercially important species

upon which livelihoods and economies depend. Information provided here can guide planning on species conservation priorities and sustainable

use.

The ongoing decline in freshwater biodiversity is impacting livelihoods of the rural poor in the LMNNC. Freshwater fishes are

particularly important for provision of food, with the fisheries supporting local livelihoods and national economies within the LMNNC. Freshwater

plants have diverse uses, including for medicine and food, and constitute an important resource, since many communities either lack access to,

or cannot afford, market goods.

At present freshwater species in the LMNNC are primarily under threat from biological resource use (primarily over-fishing), pollution

(mainly from agricultural and urban sources), land use change for agriculture, and poor water management. These threats have

resulted in 6% of native species and 11% of endemic species being classified as threatened with extinction. LMNN is also vulnerable to threats,

such as unsustainable use of natural resources and invasive alien species, which could have significant and rapid negative effects on its

biodiversity and the consequences of which could be irreversible.

We lack sufficient information on freshwater species to effectively inform their management, as well as environmental and

development decision making within the LMNNC. Baseline surveys and long-term monitoring programmes for freshwater species are

urgently required to support management of this important but neglected biodiversity.

Management of natural resources in the LMNNC needs to take freshwater biodiversity into full consideration. Effective use of Integrated

River Basin Management and Environment Flows methodologies can ensure that freshwater ecosystems can sustainably provide water and

other ecosystem goods and services in the long term, while at the same time supporting biodiversity. This in turn will maintain social and

economic benefits.

Site-scale conservation, focussed on Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), can help to guide conservation of freshwater species in the

region. Twenty-two important river, lake and wetland sites have been delineated as KBAs for freshwater biodiversity, including six Alliance for

Zero Extinction (AZE) sites. It is now important to raise awareness of their importance and to develop plans for conservation action at these

sites.

The data collated through this study should be used by decision makers, from scientists and conservation practitioners to

businesses and governments, to ensure sustainable development in accordance with country obligations under the UN Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs), whilst safeguarding the freshwater biodiversity upon which it depends, in accordance with obligations

under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Read and download the full report "Sayer, C.A., Palmer-Newton, A.F. and Darwall, W.R.T. (2019). Conservation priorities for freshwater biodiversity inthe Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa Catchment. Cambridge, UK and Gland, Switzerland: IUCN" from the IUCN Library or: www.iucn.org/theme/species/our-work/freshwater-biodiversity/freshwater-publicationsContact the IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at freshwater.biodiversity@iucn.org

FIND OUT MORE

SPECIES

FIND OUT MORE by visiting The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species at www.iucnredlist.orgor through the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) at www.ibat-alliance.org

The extinction risk of 909 species of freshwater decapods (crabs and

shrimps), fishes, molluscs, odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) and

aquatic plants native to (i.e. naturally occurring in) the LMNNC was

assessed.

Of these species, 47% are endemic to the LMNNC, meaning they are

found nowhere else in the world. Levels of endemism are particularly

high amongst the fishes (89%) due to the large cichlid fish community of

LMNN. Several hundred undescribed species of cichlid were not

assessed and the levels of endemism and likely also of threat will,

therefore, be considerably higher than reported here.

One species is already Extinct (EX), and 6% of native species and11% of endemic species are threatened with extinction (assessed as

Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU),

excluding Data Deficient (DD) and EX species from the total).

Due to a lack of basic information, it was not possible to assess the

extinction risk of 6% of native species (assessed as DD) and 10% of

endemic species. Additionally, four species are considered Possibly

Extinct. Systematic biodiversity surveys and monitoring areurgently required.

Red List Indices (RLIs) indicate that freshwater biodiversity in the

LMNNC is in decline and the risk of species extinctions is increasing.

Extinction risk of all freshwater species assessed, shown as thepercentage of species in each IUCN Red List Category

MAJOR THREATS

Biological resource use,primarily over-harvesting offreshwater fishes

Pollution, mainly fromagricultural and urban sources

Land use change foragriculture, leading to drainageof wetlands or deforestation

Dam construction, leading toimpeded fish migration, andpoor water management,leading to over-abstraction ofwater

44%

25%

16%

10%

% of native freshw

ater species impacted by this threat

Lake systems with endemic species flocks, such as LMNN, arehighly vulnerable to invasive alien species, which ifintroduced could have significant and rapid negative effects onbiodiversity and the consequences of which could beirreversible.

© Hans-Joachim Clausnitzer

11% of endemic species threatened with extinction

Icons from The Noun Project (www.thenounproject.com): 'fishing net' by 'Made by Made'; 'waste

water pollution' by 'VINZENCE STUDIO'; 'Farm' by 'karina'; 'Hydroelectric Energy' by 'Becris'; and

'alien' by 'Symbolon'

FIND OUT MORE by visiting The World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas at www.keybiodiversityareas.org/homeor through the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) at www.ibat-alliance.org

SITES

Potential expansion and management of protected areas networks;

Identification of sites under international conventions, for example Ramsar sites;

Development of other effective area-based conservation measures;

Environmental policies and safeguards standards;

Donor funding priorities; and

Conservation planning and priority-setting at national and regional levels.

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites contributing to the global persistence of biodiversity. KBAs inform:

22 river, lake and wetland sites in the LMNNC have beenidentified as KBAs for freshwater species.

4 of these sites follow the boundaries of existingprotected areas or KBAs. However, in most cases

freshwater species, with the exception of water birds, are not

the focus of conservation and management actions within

these sites. Given this new information on the freshwater

species present, efforts are now required to develop new

focus on their conservation within site management plans.

18 new sites have been delineated as KBAs. These sites

represent important gaps in the protection of freshwater

species within the current protected areas network.

6 sites are Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites, home

to the last remaining populations of Endangered (EN) or

Critically Endangered (CR) species.

49 potential Site Champions have been identified. These

individuals and organisations are best placed to raise

awareness and to help implement actions to safeguard these

globally important sites.

These KBAs represent the first step in developing aregional network of sites to better represent freshwaterbiodiversity. A KBA national coordination group (NCG) has

recently been established in Mozambique. Further NCGs

should be established in Malawi and Tanzania to support and

build upon this work.

© Catherine Sayer

KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS (KBAS)

22 sites of global importance forbiodiversity identified

© Catherine Sayer

This work was funded by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, and implemented in collaboration with the Malawi Department of Fisheries.The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or other participatory organisations.

MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

National policies – The information presented here can be integrated within policies in each of the countries within the LMNNC, such as Malawi's NationalAgriculture Investment Plan (NAIP), which is designed to facilitate coordination and prioritise investments in the agricultural sector. A relevant interventionarea is Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Climate Resilience, and implementation of this plan might consider: i) regulation of waterabstraction for agricultural purposes in areas supporting threatened freshwater species; and ii) incorporation of freshwater KBAs within the network ofconservation areas in Agriculture Land Use Plans and Zones, and in the Fisheries Master Plan. Capacity building – Capacity within governments of the riparian countries of the LMNNC must be increased to ensure effective update of this newinformation on freshwater biodiversity through training in the application of biodiversity datasets to management and enforcement activities. Environmental safeguards – The list of threatened species and KBAs provided in the report will inform performance standards and environmentalsafeguard policies of financial institutions and the private sector to help avoid or minimise impacts of their operations in and around these critical sites forfreshwater biodiversity. Efforts should be taken to ensure that this new information is fully utilised within these processes. Harmonisation of environmental policies – Environmental policy needs to be better integrated and coordinated across sectorial policies, such as energyand agriculture, to avoid contradictory regulatory objectives and inconsistent financial initiatives. Without such coordination freshwater species andecosystems will continue to decline. Establishment of a regional institution to coordinate a management plan for the LMNNC – It is a priority to etablish a regional institution to coordinatea management plan for the three riparian countries. This would allow an ecosystem approach to management and help to improve management of theresources of the basin by coordinating policies and regulations, increasing institutional capacity, sharing information and best practices, influencingstakeholders, finding sustained funding and promoting the importance of the lake and associated resources.

Standardised, repeated surveys of freshwater biodiversity within the LMNNC are needed to provide better information on the distribution and status offreshwater species over time. Improved management of harvested and traded species, to avoid fisheries depletion or collapse of stocks. Protection or management, as appropriate, of key sites in the LMNNC based on the newly delineated KBA network, ensuring that freshwaterbiodiversity is considered in conservation and development planning. Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is recommended to better coordinate conservation, management and development planning of water, landand related resources across sectors, and to maximise the economic and social benefits derived from water resources in an equitable manner whilepreserving and, where necessary, restoring freshwater ecosystems. This includes developing programmes for conservation and management of trans-boundary ecosystems, and governance and management of shared water resources in the region. Environmental Flows methodologies to maintain the quality, quantity and timing of water flows, in order to sustain freshwater ecosystems and the humanlivelihoods that depend upon them, need to be adopted in all river catchments, and in particular by dam management authorities, along with the constructionof mechanisms to facilitate passage of fish species. Habitat reforestation programmes are needed for many wetland systems, in particular in the upper catchments to reduce downstream sedimentation. Increased efforts are required to trace pathways of introduction of invasive alien species in freshwater systems, to prevent future introductions, and tomanage or, where feasible, eradicate these species. Relevant information can be found in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD):www.iucngisd.org/gisd. Local stakeholder involvement and participatory approaches are key to ensure the legitimacy and the long-term sustainability of conservation actions.Education and awareness raising of the importance of clean and healthy wetland systems to humans, and of the value of the unique freshwater biodiversityof the LMNNC, is vital.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands through identification of potential new Ramsar sites from KBAs identified for freshwater species.The Aichi Biodiversity Targets (in particular Targets 11 and 12) as established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through: i)expansion of the protected areas network to better represent freshwater ecosystems; and ii) focussing conservation efforts and management forsustainable use on currently unprotected threatened freshwater species.The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through provision of improved metrics, such as RLIs and KBAs, for measurement ofSustainable Development Targets.

Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) – The information presented here can help the governments of the countries within the LMNNC meetnational commitments to the following MEAs:

SDGs that specifically rely on sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems

Government of Malawi