Registration of Japan’s first OECMs on the World Database on OECMs (WD-OECM)

Japan has revised its “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2030” in 2023 based on the global targets and adopted “2030 Nature Positive” as a target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The 30by30 target is regarded as one of the national targets to achieve “2030 Nature Positive”.

The 30by30 target includes OECMs (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures) in addition to protected areas. The Ministry of the Environment of Japan has institutionalized a certification scheme of “Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites,” which contribute to biodiversity conservation by private entities’ initiatives, to register the sites as OECMs since FY2023. Among the Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites, the area which do not overlap with protected areas are registered on the global databases.

The areas of 48,000 hectares which do not overlap with protected areas out of 84,000 hectares certified as the “Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites” in FY2023 have been registered on the global databases as the first OECMs in Japan

Please refer to the following website for further information:
〇 Japan’s 30by30 roadmap
https://policies.env.go.jp/nature/biodiversity/30by30alliance/documents/3030emap.pdf