Biodiversity: Increasing the Political Clout of Nature Conservation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yrjö Haila
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Global Environmental Problems ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Political Clout ◽  
Human Modification ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
Living Nature

The term biodiversity was introduced in the 1980s as a novel framing for the human dependence on the Earth's biosphere. 'Biodiversity loss' became the way to capture a major dimension of global environmental problems. The chapter describes stages of this process. The first phase of the spread of the term was its enthusiastic reception among environmentalists. Second, concern was integrated into international environmental policy at the Rio Conference in 1992 through the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Efforts to implement the convention have created an environmental regime both internationally and within different countries. However, due to its broad coverage of processes of living nature and its huge ambition to regulate human modification of nature and exploitation of natural resources, there have been major difficulties with implementation. In particular, how to integrate specific issues manifested in local contexts, and the global concern, has proved problematic.

The Convention on Biological Diversity: From Realism to Cosmopolitanism

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 335-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Maris
Keyword(s):  
Deleterious Effect ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
International Agreement ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Global Environmental

The decline of biodiversity is without a doubt one of the most important symptoms of what could be called a “global environmental crisis.” Our ability to stop this decline depends on the capacity to implement an effective, collective system of preservation on a global scale. In this paper, I will analyze the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the international agreement that aims at creating this type of global cooperation.While I consider that cosmopolitan governance is desirable, given the legitimacy of the preservation of global biological diversity, I will not attempt to directly argue for it here. Still, it is worth mentioning some of the reasons that might lead us to adopt this position. First, certain past conservation measures have been harshly criticized as imperialistic. For example, Project Tiger in India, which Western environmentalists often cited as a success, have had a deleterious effect on local populations.

Trends in the abundance of marine fishes

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1205-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Cóilín Minto ◽  
Daniel Ricard ◽  
Julia K. Baum ◽  
Olaf P. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Marine Fishes ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Demersal Species

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established a target in 2002 to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Using a newly constructed global database for 207 populations (108 species), we examine whether the 2010 target has been met for marine fishes, while accounting for population biomass relative to maximum sustainable yield, BMSY. Although rate of decline has eased for 59% of populations declining before 1992 (a pattern consistent with a literal interpretation of the target), the percentage of populations below BMSY has remained unchanged and the rate of decline has increased among several top predators, many of which are below 0.5BMSY. Combining population trends, a global multispecies index indicates that marine fishes declined 38% between 1970 and 2007. The index has been below BMSY since the mid-1980s and stable since the early 1990s. With the exception of High Seas pelagic fishes and demersal species in the Northeast Pacific and Australia – New Zealand, the multispecies indices are currently below BMSY in many regions. We conclude that the 2010 CBD target represents a weak standard for recovering marine fish biodiversity and that meaningful progress will require population-specific recovery targets and associated time lines for achieving those targets.

scholarly journals Reforming the approach of the Global Environmental Facility to biodiversity conservation

Oryx ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-106
Author(s):  
Russell A. Mittermeier ◽  
Ian A. Bowles
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Global Environmental Facility ◽  
Earth Summit ◽  
Funding Mechanism ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Global Environmental

Biodiversity – a measure of the wealth of species, ecosystems and ecological processes that make up our living planet –received public prominence as a result of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The loss of biodiversity, say the authors, is the greatest environmental problem the world faces but the issue has not been given the attention it deserves. With the emergence of the Global Environmental Facility in 1990 came the chance to fund biodiversity conservation on a unprecedented scale and in 1992 the GEF was adopted as the interim funding mechanism for the Convention on Biological Diversity signed at the Earth Summit. Three years after its foundation, the authors of this paper suggest that the GEF has to be reformed radically if it is to become an effective force in conservation. Their conclusions are based on Conservation International's experience with the GEF over the last 3 years in more than 10 countries.

The Main Results of the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 249-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Buck
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Access And Benefit Sharing ◽  
Global Target ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Science Policy Interface ◽  
Global Biodiversity

AbstractThe Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP9) in May 2008 in Bonn was one of the major international environmental meetings in 2008. Its decisions significantly advance global biodiversity politics on a range of critical issues and thereby help achieving the global target of substantially reducing current rates of biodiversity loss by 2010. This article describes the main decision adopted by COP9 on biofuels, marine biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, access and benefit-sharing and the science-policy interface of international biodiversity politics.

scholarly journals Environmental Protection Acts in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 480-483
Author(s):  
Nishant Shyam Chavan
Keyword(s):  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Sustainable Urbanization ◽  
Ecosystem Diversity

The environment of our planet is degrading at an alarming rate because of non-sustainable urbanization, industrialization and agriculture. There is need of management of natural resources, biodiversity loss, land use, convention on biological diversity and ecosystem diversity. The rapid increase in industrialization and human needs, environment has been badly suffered. That why there was need of creating law for conversion of environment in India. So environmental laws made for huge to maintain an ecological balance of environment by safeguarding the forests and wildlife, biodiversity, forest conservation of the country. The ministry of environment forest & the nodal agency is the administrative structure of the central government for the planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of environment& forestry programmes. The principle activity taken by ministry of environment& forest and wildlife prevention control of pollution, afforestation regeneration of degraded areas and protection of environment in the framework of legislation. This research paper will be focus on what has action & laws are made by Indian government for protection of environment.

scholarly journals Bending the Curve of Global Freshwater Biodiversity Loss: An Emergency Recovery Plan

BioScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 330-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Tickner ◽  
Jeffrey J Opperman ◽  
Robin Abell ◽  
Mike Acreman ◽  
Angela H Arthington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Recovery Plan ◽  
Species Invasions

Abstract Despite their limited spatial extent, freshwater ecosystems host remarkable biodiversity, including one-third of all vertebrate species. This biodiversity is declining dramatically: Globally, wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests, and freshwater vertebrate populations have fallen more than twice as steeply as terrestrial or marine populations. Threats to freshwater biodiversity are well documented but coordinated action to reverse the decline is lacking. We present an Emergency Recovery Plan to bend the curve of freshwater biodiversity loss. Priority actions include accelerating implementation of environmental flows; improving water quality; protecting and restoring critical habitats; managing the exploitation of freshwater ecosystem resources, especially species and riverine aggregates; preventing and controlling nonnative species invasions; and safeguarding and restoring river connectivity. We recommend adjustments to targets and indicators for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals and roles for national and international state and nonstate actors.

scholarly journals The 2010 challenge: data availability, information needs and extraterrestrial insights

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1454) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Balmford ◽  
Peter Crane ◽  
Andy Dobson ◽  
Rhys E Green ◽  
Georgina M Mace
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Status

At the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, 190 countries endorsed a commitment to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels. A wide range of approaches is available to the monitoring of progress towards this objective. The strengths and weaknesses of many of these approaches are considered, with special attention being given to the proposed and existing indicators described in the other papers in this issue. Recommendations are made about the development of indicators. Most existing and proposed indicators use data collected for other purposes, which may be unrepresentative. In the short term, much remains to be done in expanding the databases and improving the statistical techniques that underpin these indicators to minimize potential biases. In the longer term, indicators based on unrepresentative data should be replaced with equivalents based on carefully designed sampling programmes. Many proposed and existing indicators do not connect clearly with human welfare and they are unlikely to engage the interest of governments, businesses and the public until they do so. The extent to which the indicators already proposed by parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are sufficient is explored by reference to the advice an imaginary scientific consultant from another planet might give. This exercise reveals that the range of taxa and biomes covered by existing indicators is incomplete compared with the knowledge we need to protect our interests. More fundamentally, our understanding of the mechanisms linking together the status of biodiversity, Earth system processes, human decisions and actions, and ecosystem services impacting human welfare is still too crude to allow us to infer reliably that actions taken to conserve biodiversity and protect ecosystem services are well chosen and effectively implemented. The involvement of social and Earth system scientists, as well as biologists, in collaborative research programmes to build and parameterize models of the Earth system to elucidate these mechanisms is a high priority.

scholarly journals Indigenous Participation and the Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives in Global Environmental Governance Forums: a Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Zurba ◽  
Anastasia Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Global Environmental Governance ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Indigenous Participation

AbstractGlobal environmental governance (GEG) forums, such as those convened through the United Nations, result in the development of monumental guiding frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of Parties (COPs) Aichi and post-2020 targets. The ratification of policy frameworks by member and/or signatory states can result in major shifts in environmental policy and decision-making and has major implications for Indigenous communities. In this article, we present systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on Indigenous participation in GEG forums, and focus on the specific questions: (1) what GEG forums include Indigenous participation and (2) how do Indigenous peoples participate in GEG forums, including how their perspectives and knowledges are framed and/or included/excluded within governance discussions, decisions, and negotiations. We provide a bibliometric analysis of the articles and derive seven inductively determined themes from our review: (1) Critical governance forums and decisions; (2) inclusion and exclusion of Indigenous voices and knowledge in GEG forums; (3) capacity barriers; (4) knowledge hierarchies: inclusion, integration, and bridging; (5) representation and grouping of Indigenous peoples in GEG; (6) need for networks among and between Indigenous peoples and other governance actors; and (7) Indigenous peoples influence on GEG decisions and processes. Our findings can be used to improve GEG forums by contributing to the development strategies that address the barriers and inequities to meaningful and beneficial Indigenous participation and can contribute to future research that is focused on understanding the experiences of Indigenous peoples within GEG forums.

scholarly journals Neutral theory exposes the challenge of bending the curve of biodiversity loss for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Falko Buschke
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Neutral Theory ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
Geographical Patterns ◽  
20Th Anniversary ◽  
Global Biodiversity ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Ecological Drift

In May, nations of the world will meet to negotiate the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity. An influential ambition is “bending the curve of biodiversity loss”, which aims to reverse the decline of global biodiversity indicators. A second relevant, yet less prominent, milestone is the 20th anniversary of the publication of The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography. Here, I apply neutral theory to show how global biodiversity indicators for population size (Living Planet Index) and extinction threat (Red List Index) decline under neutral ecological drift. This demonstrates that declining indicators alone do not necessarily reflect deterministic species-specific or geographical patterns of biodiversity loss. Thus, “bending the curve” could be assessed relative to a counterfactual based on neutral theory, rather than static baselines. If used correctly, the 20-year legacy of neutral theory can be extended to make a valuable contribution to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

scholarly journals Modeling Population Interactions in the Natural Habitat of the Elk and Wolf

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 78-83
Author(s):  
Yu. Elufereva ◽  
N. Limanova
Keyword(s):  
Discrete Time ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Deterministic Model ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Global Environmental Problems ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Population Interactions

One of the global environmental problems of our time is the reduction of biological diversity — the extinction of species or individual subspecies of animals. The aim of this work is to develop a generalized deterministic model with discrete time, designed to analyze the nature and mechanisms of the dynamics of the number of biological populations characterized by the presence of a complex age structure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document