| The International Alliances Program (IAP) works to bring together people throughout the Western Hemisphere who care about birds and biodiversity. Currently, 763 species of Western Hemisphere birds are of Conservation Concern according to BirdLife International who manage the bird list of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List, and many more are in decline. In our lifetime, even those songbirds that once seemed common, could disappear.
The causes are many, however the leading culprit is habitat destruction as lands are converted for agriculture, tree farms, urban sprawl and resorts. Native vegetation and all the creatures that depend on it occupies a rapidly shrinking fraction of the Americas. We believe that the only way to counteract these human impacts is to convince people that natural landscapes are of great value.
Based on the best available science and observation, we believe that human impacts on habitat are the greatest threat to birds, and all species, including humans. Accordingly, only the people who share the birds' home landscapes can provide them with a secure future. This means that we must do more than buy or set aside land for reserves and parks.
IAP focuses on building the effectiveness of local conservation partners in Latin American and Caribbean communities that are in and around Important Bird Areas (IBAs) the most critical habitats and landscapes for birds and biodiversity as a whole.
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