An ongoing World Bank study is examining the actual and potentially expanded use of biodiversity offsets for addressing the significant pressures upon natural habitats in many African and other developing countries. Under the right circumstances, biodiversity offsets can be a valuable tool for mitigating certain adverse impacts of large-scale development projects, while mobilizing additional resources for biodiversity conservation. Funded mainly by the World Bank’s Program for Forests (PROFOR), this study is expected to produce (i) a concise Biodiversity Offsets Toolkit, (ii) a more detailed Biodiversity Offsets Sourcebook, and (iii) a Roadmap for the potential future development of aggregate biodiversity offset systems in two selected African countries, Liberia and Mozambique. These outputs are intended to provide userfriendly technical guidance that will facilitate the improved and (where appropriate) expanded use of biodiversity offsets in certain development projects, including (but not limited to) those supported by the World Bank Group. This study began in July 2013 is expected to conclude around June 2015.
