UK Biodiversity action plan (UK BAP)
UK Biodiversity Action Plan was published in 1994 in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed in 1992.
The UK BAP includes a number of specific plans for species and habitats afforded priority conservation action. Details of these plans and information on Local Biodiversity Action Plans can be found at:
What are UK Biodiversity Action Plans?
These plans set out the threats faced by species and habitats afforded conservation priority in the UK as well as the actions being taken or to be taken to help tackle the threats. The list of priority species and habitats was updated in August 2007 leading to over 1,000 species and 65 habitats now warranting priority action. Many of the actions for species will now be taken forward through initiatives targeted at improving habitats under the stewardship of the Government conservation agencies in the four UK countries
It was also recognised early on that successful implementation of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan required some means of ensuring that the national strategy was translated into effective action at the local level and Local Biodiversity Action Plans are seen as the means by which this can be achieved. There are now over 160 local biodiversity action plans at some stage of development in the UK.
Who is responsible for the Action Plans?
Delivery of the plans is now the responsibility of the Government conservation agencies in the four UK countries.
The UK Biodiversity Partnership is the current group to co-ordinate the implementation of UK BAP at a UK level. The partnership is made up of a range of people, from private individuals and businesses interested in biodiversity issues to government and non-government representatives.
This partnership is further supported by the UK Biodiversity Partnership Standing Committee, the UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group (BRAG) and the UK Biodiversity Reporting and Information Group (BRIG)
For further information on how these groups were set up and what they do, visit
Further information
- Monarch (Modelling Natural Resources Responses to Climate Change): a synthesis for biodiversity conservation was published in 2007. The final phase of this programme studied, in detail, thirty-two species currently being conserved by UK BAP to determine if they would be affected by climate change.
Page last modified: 23 October 2008
Page published: 23 October 2008