the impacts of climate change and human activities, where unilateral actions may have unintended transboundary effects.

<mark>In this context, we believe that GBIF data can play a critcal role in expanding the informaton base for species that are critcal for biodiversity conservaton. As noted above, a major result of our species-mapping project has been a greatly expanded view of occurrence regions for invertebrates and plants that are endemic, inhabit small regions, or confront elevated extncton threats. The efectveness of biodiversity protecton can only be enhanced by introducing this informaton into the design and implementaton of transboundary treates, river basin initatves, and stabilizaton measures for fragile/confict states.</mark> Biodiversity and natural resources also offer a unique, neutral platform for dialogue and confidence-building between divided groups, as evidenced by several cases worldwide. The Nile Basin Initiative encourages dialogue among Nile River countries, promoting integrated water resource management and sustainable development. The "Peace Parks" in Southern Africa, transboundary conservation areas like the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, have been created to promote peace and cooperation among Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Wolmer 2003). By focusing on shared environmental objectives, such initiatives help to build trust, reduce historical tensions, and foster a sense of shared responsibility among nations that may have previously experienced conflict. Similarly, in the Middle East, environmental issues have provided common ground for dialogue among Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians. Through initiatives like the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project and joint efforts to rehabilitate the Jordan River, environmental peacebuilding has emerged as a valuable tool for fostering cooperation and understanding (Aggestam and Sundell 2016; <mark>Markel, Alster and Beyth 2013).</mark> Recently, a report by the World Bank (2022)<sup>11</sup> has highlighted biodiversity as a valuable entry point for intergroup dialogue and cooperation. Again, however, reliable and comparable biodiversity data are critical for the success of such initiatives. Accurate data can provide common ground for all stakeholders by promoting a clear understanding of biodiversity status, trends, and threats. Such information helps depoliticize discussions by focusing on objective information that can serve collaborative activities. Consistent and comparable data can also support effective monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity initiatives, ensuring that progress can be measured and adjusted as needed.

# **Conclusion**

Given the unprecedented loss of biodiversity, it is essential for every country and territory to engage in conservation efforts to minimize further degradation and its impact on human wellbeing. Consistent, dependable, location-specific biodiversity data are crucial for identifying species at risk, monitoring environmental changes and informing policy decisions. These factors

> 11 <u>htps://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/publicaton/defueling-confict-environment-andnatural-resource-management-as-a-pathway-to-peace</u>

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