International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving biodiversity Pioneering nature’s solutions to global challenges
WHO WE ARE Founded in 1948, IUCN is the world’s largest global environmental organization. • A unique democratic Union with more than 1,200 State and NGO Member organizations in 160 countries. • Collaborating with commissions of volunteer professionals as a leading provider of the latest knowledge about Biodiversity - more than 11,000 experts and scientists. • The only environmental organisation with official Observer Status at the United Nations General Assembly.
WHY CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY? Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. Biodiversity provides us with: • Food • Shelter • Clean air • Medicine • Water • Recreation • Energy • Inspiration
THE FACTS • An estimated 40% of the world's economy is based on the use of biological resources. • 780 million people lack access to clean water and 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation. More than 70,000 plant species are used in traditional and modern • medicine. • Coral reefs provide coastal protection and other valuable services worth an estimated US$ 170 billion a year.
WHY IS BIODIVERSITY AT RISK? Species extinctions are continuing at about 1,000 times the natural rate, calculated from fossil records. Threats to biodiversity include: • Habitat destruction • Land conversion for agriculture and development • Climate change • Pollution • Spread of invasive species Protected Areas are the Key tool for biodiversity conservation
The BAD news SCBD (2010) GBO3
The Challenge of Climate Change is Additive and Formidable Predicted percentage of ecological landscape being driven toward changes in plant species as a result of projected human-induced climate change by 2100. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The good news Growth in nationally designated protected areas (1911 - 2011) 25,000,000 Cumulative Terrestrial Area 22,500,000 20,000,000 Cumulative Marine Area 17,500,000 Total area protected (km 2 ) Cumulative Total Area 15,000,000 12,500,000 10,000,000 7,500,000 5,000,000 2,500,000 0 1911 1916 1921 1926 1931 1936 1941 1946 1951 1956 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 Year Source: IUCN and UNEP-WCMC (2012) The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA): February 2012. Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC .
Parks, People, Planet Inspiring solutions
• Position protected areas firmly within goals of economic and community wellbeing • Increase understanding of their vital role in conserving biodiversity and delivering ecosystem services • Demonstrate how this can be achieved.
Parks Strengthen policy and action commitments for the expansion, connectivity and better management of parks and protected areas to cover all areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem services
People Foster the equitable governance of parks and protected areas to empower communities (including indigenous peoples) to become involved and to benefit
Planet Explore and promote parks and protected areas as natural solutions to global challenges such as climate change, food and water security, health and a green economy
World Parks Congress Streams 1. Reaching Conservation Goals 2. Responding to Climate Change 3. Improving Health & Wellbeing 4. Supporting Human Life 5. Reconciling Development Challenges 6. Broadening Governance 7. Respecting Indigenous and traditional knowledge and culture 8. Inspiring a New Generation
And Cross Cutting Themes: 1. Marine 2. World Heritage 3. Capacity Development 4. Governance and a social compact for protected areas
Origins of Stream One CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020 “Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity” The Aichi Targets
Aichi Biodiversity Targets - examples • Target 1 - By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity Target 2 - By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development Target 3 - By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated , phased out or reformed Target 5 By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced. Target 7 By 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity Target 12 By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained. Target 15 By 2020…including restoration of at least 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems , thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification.
CBD - Target 11 By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.
Global protected areas network: The largest and fastest change of land management in history Protected areas* 1962 1,000 >200,000 2012
Terrestrial ecoregion protection
Protection of ecoregions We need to get here! We are here!
Costa Rica: National Biological Corridor Programme 22 Photo: Roland Seitre
Change in Forest Cover in Costa Rica
Environmental Services Payment Environmental services are paid to private landowners that protect their forests: 1. CO2 effects mitigation 2. Protection of water and watershed for urban, rural or hydroelectric power 3. Biodiversity protection for conservation 4. Landscape beauty for tourism and scientific use Type of PES Am ount to pay Length of contract Reforestation $ 8 1 6 / ha 1 0 years Protection $ 3 2 0 / ha 5 years Restoration $ 4 1 0 / ha 1 0 years Agroforestry $ 1 .3 0 / tree 3 years
Sumatran Lowland Rain Forest
Sumatra, Indonesia – Saving the Lowland Dry Forest • 53.35 million hectares of natural forest is allocated for production forest - frequently unsuccessfully managed, leading to severe degradation and deforestation of the concession. • Many IUCN Red Listed Species – predicted end of the forest (WWF) in 2014
Indonesia – Forest Restoration • June 2004, the Indonesian Government issued the Minister of Forestry decree on ‘Ecosystem Restoration in Production Forests’. • Joint effort of Burung Indonesia, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and BirdLife International • New model of forest concession that meet economic goals • 60 (+35) year forestry concession – no logging
Indonesia – Forest Restoration • More than 170 'green jobs' have been created in forest conservation – e.g. tree nurseries in villages • 100,000 ha conserved • Planting more than five million trees • Illegal logging significantly decreased and forest fires gone • Asiatic Wild Dog, Malayan Tapir, Great Argus and Sumatran Tigers (20) using the concession • Funding from REDD+ carbon credits • Eight more concessions applied for – in progress
Growth in the number of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), 2000-2009 Govan et al. 2009
Congress Legacy • Need to rebrand protected areas as solutions to global problems • Protecting other values: carbon, watersheds, flood control, wild food relatives • Full range of PA governance - private, indigenous, community • Restoration soluation - degraded habitats within & around PAs. • Mainstream PAs in development and climate change adaptation strategies • More and larger protected areas: better representivity and more focus on key biodiversity areas • Connectivity conservation - landscapes/seascapes
Protected Areas: Natural Solutions
Ecosystems Play a Significant Role in the Global Carbon Cycle Forests 35% of land area, 50% terrestrial C – Remove 2.4 b tons of C per year from the atmosphere (=1/3 fossil fuel emissions) Oceans remove another 1.7 b tons C/yr Wetlands, seagrass beds, mangroves, kelp forests some of the most efficient C sinks. Land conversion accounts for 20% global emissions Deforestation contributes 1.6 b ton C per year. Peatlands cover 3% land area; but with degradation accounts for 6% of all fossil fuel CO2 emissions. (Indonesia 3 rd Carbon emissions)
Protected Forests and Water Security • 33/105 major cities depend on PAs for domestic water – Jakarta, Quito, New York • Forests reduce sedimentation – extend life of irrigation canals and dams e.g. Bogani Nani Wartabone NP, Nakai Nam Theun2 • Value to downstream agriculture – Madagascar, Western North America
Measures of success • Targets reached • Solutions implemented • Capacity developed • Policy changed • Legacy established
See you in Sydney – November , 2014 http://worldparkscongress.org/
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