The International

In an effort to reduce biodiversity loss, the United Nations has named 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is hosted by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), advances that heightened efforts this year can greatly contribute to sustaining biodiversity: “Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them.”

Under the slogan “Biodiversity is life, biodiversity is our life,” the CBD, with support from the UNEP, plans to use 2010 to celebrate life on Earth and emphasize the value of biodiversity to human life. During this year, taking action to safeguard the variety of life on Earth is highlighted by the seventh UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which calls for ensuring environmental sustainability. More specifically, the second target of the MDG calls for reducing biodiversity loss through a significant reduction in the rate of loss by 2010, making achievements in reducing biodiversity loss this year crucial to MDG 7. On January 22, 2010, CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf announced that the world had failed to meet this target. The CBD and other organizations, however, view this announcement as reason enough to intensify efforts towards sustaining biodiversity.

Biodiversity and the CBD

Biodiversity is essentially defined by the variation of life forms within ecosystems, biomes, or on Earth in general. However, biodiversity is more multi-faceted than this; it not only refers to the wide variety of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but also to the genetic differences within each species. Another aspect of biodiversity includes the variety of ecosystems, such as those existing in deserts, forests, lakes, mountains, and other various parts of the Earth. The loss of biodiversity threatens the existence of human life, as it supports monumental industries such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, construction, and waste treatments. For example, greenfacts.org reports that many rural communities use biodiversity directly a coping mechanism to increase agricultural flexibility; the “Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis” report shows that residents of dry land sites in Kenya and Tanzania use wild indigenous plants as alternative sources of food when harvests fail, or when sudden emergency expenses, such as medical bills, have to be met. On a more general level, the Land Institute says that genetic diversity within crops is important for plant breeding, because much of the increased yield in modern crops has resulted from genetic diversity in the past. Yet, the genetic diversity of crops has declined with industrial agriculture, and today only rice, wheat, and corn provide 60 percent of humans’ plant-based diet worldwide. Thus, biodiversity loss threatens food supplies, along with medicines, energy, and numerous other elements of human life.

Reducing biodiversity loss has been a priority in environmental sustainability efforts since 1992, when the CBD was first formed. The CBD was the UNEP’s response to the increasing threats humans pose to species and ecosystems. Human activities such as over-hunting, habitat destruction, and species introduction were burgeoning and are still amongst the main causes of biodiversity loss. For example, deforestation is directly destroying ecosystems and habitats for countless species, and is related to human habitat destruction. Species introduction, which humans do for agricultural, recreational, or nutritional purposes amongst others, can result in disastrous consequences for native species: the Asian chestnut blight fungus, when brought into Florida, eliminated the American chestnut from over 180 million acres of eastern US forests; the Nile perch, a predator fish introduced to Lake Victoria in Kenya as a food fish, has eliminated over one hundred species of native cichlid fish there. Thus, in 1988,the UNEP convened the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Biological Diversity to explore the need for an international convention on biodiversity. Four years later, at the Rio Earth Summit, over 150 government leaders had signed the CBD, representing a drastic step forwards in the “conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.”

Though the world has officially failed to achieve the MDG target concerned with reducing biodiversity losses, some successes can be counted. The 2009 MDG Report says that “far more effort is needed to protect species and ecosystems under threat,” but also that some developing countries have managed to protect stretches of land and water. For example, in 2007 the Democratic Republic of Congo established one of the largest protected tropical rainforests in the world. Also, Indonesia has created seven new marine protected areas that cover 45 percent of its shallow water ecosystems. These successes are good examples, but the report follows them up by pointing out the growing number of extinctions documented in 2008. The report argues, “Sustained investments are needed to effectively conserve biodiversity, both inside and outside of protected areas.”

Reducing biodiversity loss: key players

The CBD named 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity because it strongly believes a crucial moment has arrived for the world to take action to reduce biodiversity loss. UN experts estimate that the Earth is facing the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. Reuters reports that some experts estimate that three species vanish every hour, largely because of human activity that produces pollution or habitat losses. Mr. Djoghlaf told Reuters in 2008 of plans for 2010: “We hope to give a wake-up call to humanity. We need an unprecedented effort to meet the challenge of biodiversity loss.” He also said that human consumption had reached unsustainable levels, leading to human destruction of the foundation of life.

Though the CBD has strong convictions, some believe that the organization may not have the ability to truly reduce biodiversity loss. According to “Negotiating Diversity: A Field Guide to the Convention on Biological Diversity,” which was developed under the direction of Dr. Paul Oldham, a research associate with the Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics (Cesagen) at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), raises key criticism against the CBD that its work is dominated by a tendency to generate text rather than action. The guide supports this criticism by pointing out that the CBD, while established in 1992, has taken eighteen years to finally shift away from debates on the policy level towards the practice of implementation. Dr. Stas Burgiel, the Policy Director at Global Invasive Species Program (GSIP), also shares this perspective, but explains why he does so in detail. In his report titled “Convention on Biological Diversity: a progress report”, he says: “One of the limitations of the Convention is undoubtedly the fact that it is a framework treaty with no dispute settlement process or enforcement mechanism. This means in practice, the member states are bound only weakly by their obligations.”

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study – an international initiative that aims to show how economics can be a powerful instrument in biodiversity policy – examines the economic size and welfare impact of ecosystem and biodiversity losses, as well as how biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health are linked to poverty elimination and the MDGs. Through its examinations, the study estimates that deforestation and degradation causes between $2 trillion and $4.5 trillion in losses of natural capital. Thus, the study encourages countries all over the world to begin practicing sound ecosystem and biodiversity management, and not depend solely on the framework of the CBD. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also believes that independent action should be taken to reduce biodiversity loss: “We must increase understanding of the implications of losing biodiversity. In 2010, I call on every country and each citizen of our planet to engage in a global alliance to protect life on Earth.”

Secretary-General Ban says that “every country and each citizen” should be engaging in efforts to reduce biodiversity loss. Thus, by inference, the responsibility of sustaining biodiversity does not only rest with the CBD, or with country governments, but with other able entities as well. To demonstrate this, on January 6, 2010, the UNEP announced a partnership with PUMA, a self-described “sportslifestyle” company, to support the International Year of Biodiversity. Through the “Play for Life” campaign, PUMA will help raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and encourage worldwide action to conserve plants and animals, and the environment in which they live. The campaign will focus on Africa and has immense potential reach with the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup, the world’s largest football tournament, which will take place in South Africa during June and July this year. PUMA sponsors four African teams that will compete in the tournament.

Looking ahead: major recent and upcoming events

2010 already boasts countless events organized by UN organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private institutions such as universities dedicated to raise awareness and increase efforts in reducing biodiversity loss. A recent major event, called “Preserving Biodiversity: A Vital Challenge,” was held at the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, on January 21 and 22. At the event, Mr. Djoghlaf announced that the world had “failed to fulfill the target adopted by 110 Heads of State and Government to substantially reduce the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010.” He also pointed out that more than 100 national reports submitted to the CBD confirmed that biodiversity losses are continuing at an “unprecedented rate.”

While efforts leading up to 2010 have failed to meet the established MDG target, there have been some successes in sustaining biodiversity. In the press release for “Preserving Biodiversity: A Vital Challenge,” Mr. Dojoghlaf says: “This is not to say there have not been some partial or regional successes. We need to identify these important successes and build upon them as we prepare the next strategic plan of the CBD.” Thus, the failure of previous sustainability efforts increases the importance of how the world must continue in reducing biodiversity losses.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova also emphasizes the importance on continuing sustainability efforts. However, Ms. Bokova believes that a change in sustainability efforts is much needed: “We must not be discouraged by the outcomes. We must change current trends. The future we choose for our planet is in our hands.” Mr. Davidson Hepburn, Chairperson of the UNESCO General Conference, echoed her sentiment: “We are witnessing the loss of the very services on which livelihood systems depend. Societies should strive for a more sustainable use of natural resources and for a reduction in habitat loss and climate change, including the social and cultural dimensions. This will allow us to preserve the services on which we depend – the services of biodiversity.”

In October 2010, UN experts will follow-up on this event in Japan at the Nagoya biodiversity summit. This meeting will review the progress made in reducing biodiversity loss, and national governments will seek to reach agreement on a new biodiversity target based on this progress.

Ecotourism

The CBD and UNESCO demonstrate the efforts UN organizations are making, and PUMA’s partnership with the CBD demonstrates efforts private organizations can make. Then, what sorts of efforts, and particularly what tangible efforts, can governments make towards sustaining biodiversity?

Many organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, the Environmental Society, and the United Nations are hailing ecological tourism, more commonly known as ecotourism, to be economic motivation for governments to participate in sustaining biodiversity. In fact, the United Nations had named 2002 the International Year of Ecotourism.

Ecotourism involves responsible traveling to natural destinations to minimize human impact and raise environmental awareness. It also provides direct financial benefits for conservation as well as monetary gain and empowerment to local people by providing them with employment, thus ensuring their participation is sustaining biodiversity.

According to the Nature Conservancy, ecotourism has become an important economic activity in the world. It “provides opportunities for visitors to experience powerful manifestations of nature and culture, and to learn about the importance of biodiversity conservation and local cultures. At the same time, ecotourism generates income for conservation and economic benefits for communities living in remote and rural areas.”

However, ecotourism has the potential to create problems as well. According to the International Ecotourism Society, if ecotourism lacks in proper planning and development, it can result in environment problems such as pollution and congestion. Mr. Douglas B. Trent, an American ecologist and ecotourism consultant, has heavier criticism: “Most ‘ecotour’ companies use the label, but do little or nothing to preserve biodiversity or significantly help local people. While some tour companies use a portion of their profits to support conservation, even this is frequently used ineffectively. Often a developed-world company will send a donation to a non-profit in their own country. While this enables the company to receive a deserved tax-deductible receipt, it rarely has as much impact in preserving biodiversity as supporting an effective conservation project directly.”

Though problems exist within the system, both sources emphasize that if ecotourism is practiced correctly, it can have immense positive results. In his article called “Putting the ‘Eco’ in Ecotourism,” Mr. Trent says: “We are at a crossroads in "ecotourism". Currently, most of what is called ecotourism is simply nature-based tourism, and concentrates the profits in cities. If efforts are made to increase the number of professional community-based ecotourism businesses, the future of ecotourism will lead not only to biodiversity preservation, but also to cultural preservation.” Thus, Mr. Trent believes that instead of being administered by national governments or expansive corporations, some ecotourism initiatives should be community-based enterprises that benefit local communities.

An alternate scientific organization

Ecotourism is a way to sustain biodiversity at a grassroots level, and CBD efforts signify that sustainability methods at the international level are also being developed While the CBD and partnering UN organizations are working to generate awareness and devise new methods, they have yet to implement them with internationally recognizable success. Dr. Mark Collins, Director of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, believes that the world needs an organization incorporates science with political leadership and sound knowledge of the status and trends in biodiversity to combat biodiversity loss.

The CBD does not have a scientific panel like the UNEP, the World Meteorological Organization, or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change do. In his article called “Globalizing Solutions,” Dr. Collins writes that this problem can be countered with an alternate and more science-based organization: “We need an International Panel on Biological Diversity, composed of eminent scientists from around the world, and supported by the best sources of information available. Such an idea was discussed at a CBD brainstorming in Oslo last November, and it is catching on. But it needs to have a remit across all biodiversity-related conventions, not just the CBD.”