Author: DriusL

5 February 2010. The Caucasus is one of the regions, where diverse and healthy ecosystems have persisted until recently. With approximately 1,200 endemic plant species and more than 50 endemic animal species, it is one of the most biologically rich regions on Earth and has been listed as one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots. However, this region is facing multiple threats from unsustainable exploitation and its natural wealth is being lost.

In order to stop this process, the governments of the region joined Countdown 2010. To facilitate the necessary actions in this key ecoregion, IUCN convened a meeting of more than sixty experts and stakeholders from four Caucasian countries, international NGOs and other organizations in Gudauri (Georgia) in May 2006. Sustainable management of natural resources, improvement of the region’s network of protected areas and efficient monitoring of biodiversity were identified as the priorities for the region.

IUCN POSC’s action programme “Halting Loss of Biodiversity” followed the recommendations made at the Gudauri meeting. Its activities aimed at developing biodiversity monitoring in the region, improving the regional protected areas system through building capacity of national government agencies, developing sustainable ways of natural resource use and increasing public awareness. Under the action programme a number of projects were carried out:

• Improving National Biodiversity Monitoring Systems in the Southern Caucasus
• Developing National Systems of Protected Areas and Capacity Development for Management Authorities
• Improved and Coherent Implementation of Biodiversity-related Conventions Based on Issue-Based Modules
• Ecotourism promotion in the Southern Caucasus

The Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research invites your articles for its next newsletter. The Platform’s Newsletter will contain:

• Information on the Platform’s activities as well as issues focusing on agrobiodiversity;
• Announcements of future events and review of past workshops/conferences;
• Introductions of new publications, websites of interest, funding opportunities.

Your articles on the above topics should:

• be 150 – 250 words in length;
• be accompanied by a corresponding photograph (map, illustration, ect.) indicating the author and caption;
• contain relevant contact details and link to website if applicable.

We are also considering one or two feature articles longer in length (800-1,500 words) and welcome your suggestions.

Please send us your contribution by 5 February 2010 to the Platform Coordinator at [email protected]. We look forward to receiving your news!

More here

12 February 2010. The time is now…it is the International Year of Biodiversity! It is the moment to make a difference.

1500 days have passed since I took the reins of the Countdown 2010 initiative. We can be proud of what we have achieved so far together and the journey towards and beyond 2010 will certainly continue.

With this in mind, I decided at a symbolic place and time – Paris, at the eve of the launch of the International Year of Biodiversity – to move on to new challenges. Instead of jetting the globe with 2010 biodiversity speeches, I want to mark the biodiversity year with a personal contribution. On biodiversity day (22 May), I will start my biodiversity pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela with my two year old son and a donkey. With each mile I walk, I hope to raise awareness for biodiversity.

I am confident that under the leadership of Hans Friederich, IUCN Regional Director for Pan-Europe, the initiative will continue to grow in Europe and beyond. On 8 March 2010, the Countdown 2010 Advisory Board will meet to discuss and start building the future of the global “post” Countdown 2010 Initiative. As always your input and ideas to the post 2010 Countdown are more than welcome.

As a final message I would like to encourage all of you once again to increase your efforts for biodiversity. 2010 is a unique opportunity, I for one will certainly not miss the chance to spread the word and take action – I hope you won’t either.

Sebastian Winkler

28 January 2010 (Madrid, Spain). The ten “Cibeles” are the outcome of the Spanish Presidency’s conference on the “Post-2010 Biodiversity Vision and Target – The role of Protected Areas and Ecological Networks in Europe” held on 26-27 January. Spain calls for a “target for Europe to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services, and restore them significantly, by 2020″ and announces “a new beginning for biodiversity conservation in Europe”.

In particular, the 10 priorities (cibeles) identified in the document are:

• To incorporate the objectives and targets for biodiversity as part of the European Union Strategy for 2020, which will replace the Gotenburg and Lisbon Strategies
• To ensure payment for ecosystem services
• To deepen the integration of biodiversity into agriculture, fishing, energy, transport and development policies
• To fully apply the Birds and Habitats Directives of the European Union and to complete the establishment of the Natura 2000 and Emerald Networks
• To preserve the marine environment
• To urgently adopt concrete measures to efficiently tackle the problems related to deforestation, to forest, soil and water resources degradation and to the introduction of invasive alien species
• To support the establishment and management of protected areas and ecological networks in third countries
• To boost the integration of scientific knowledge into decision making processes
• Reform the global environmental governance system
• Establishment of European Action Plans to achieve the 2020 target

Read the final document

27 January 2010. Eiffage, Europe’s eight largest construction group, has produced a calendar for the International Year of Biodiversity.

Each month the calendar presents one offset action which Eiffage has carried out on its sites. The pictures are accompanied by explanations of how offset measures are implemented and habitats are recreated. The calendar is an invitation to discover the species which can be found on the sites, but also a tool to raise awareness of the importance to protect biodiversity in public works companies. It was sent to the whole Eiffage’s network for the New Year’s greetings.

This product is one of the contributions of Eiffage to biodiversity conservation and awareness raising. A few months ago, the company published Biodiversity Guidelines which were distributed to all its branches in a strong effort to increase awareness of biodiversity among employees. Also, the company is the author of the unique A65 highway which complies with the French “Grenelle de l’environnement” and cooperates with the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne for a post-masters course on the environment, biodiversity and infrastructure.

• Click here to see the calendar
• Read more about Eiffage

21 January 2010. Biodiversity is being lost through human activities with negative effects on ecosystems. Services, including nutrient recycling, climate regulation, water storage and regulation, the provision of food, medicines and materials, as well as aesthetic and cultural benefits, all vital to human well-being are being degraded or lost through human expansion and actions. Commissioned by the European Union, this report has examined the major causes of biodiversity loss as well as the issues underlying these causes, by focusing on case studies of marine, coastal, wetlands and forest ecosystems.

The study identified the major direct drivers for the loss of biodiversity as: the conversion of natural habitats through land use changes, such as agricultural expansion and intensification, deforestation and infrastructure development; pollution from agricultural, urban and industrial wastes; unsustainable use of natural resources, for example, through forestry, fisheries and mining activities; the impact of climate change (e.g. fire, floods and droughts) and by making habitats unsuitable for some species; and invasion by alien species.

However, the authors contend that the roots of the problems lie in a series of underlying causes. These are driven by social, economic and political factors that feature a lack of knowledge and understanding of the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The study highlights ill-fitting policies, economic and market failures and inadequate governance mechanisms and institutions from international to local levels.

Although policy frameworks designed to safeguard biodiversity exist, these measures can be inadequate. The researchers suggest one of the main reasons is that decision makers at all levels fail to design policies that sufficiently protect ecosystem services. For example, a lack of effective property rights and ineffective governance structures were identified as major barriers to halting the biodiversity decline in the Congo Basin.

For the ecosystems reviewed in this study:

• Overexploitation, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and habitat change have had the greatest impact on biodiversity loss for forest, grassland and agricultural ecosystems
• Habitat loss and pollution are the most significant direct drivers of losses of biodiversity in coastal ecosystems and inland wetlands
• Most of the biodiversity loss in marine ecosystems has been driven by overexploitation, then habitat changes.

The authors put forward a number of policy options to help reduce the pressures mentioned above in order to halt and reverse the trend of biodiversity loss. These include:

• Develop an international market that captures and pays for the value of ecosystem services
  Raise awareness of the economic, social and environmental value of biodiversity, for example, through the TEEB process
• Implement and enforce current biodiversity policies and agendas more effectively, such as schemes to facilitate payments for conservation at local, regional and national levels
• Educate current and future generations about the importance of biodiversity and well-functioning ecosystems for human well-being

Source: ECORYS Report. (2009). Study on understanding the causes of biodiversity loss and the policy assessment framework. Available to download from: www.ec.europa.eu/environment/enveco/biodiversity/pdf/causes_biodiv_loss.pdf
Contact: [email protected]

29 January 2010. Based at the Natural History Museum in London, IYB-UK is the partnership of organisations, groups and charities celebrating the IYB in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom has responded extremely strongly to the call to support the IYB and the partnership is strong, with 300 partners ranging from charities to farmers, local councils to wildlife rangers, schools and colleges to zoos and museums and botanic gardens.

The IYB-UK partnership was launched on 25 November at the NHM with speeches by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD and Huw Irranca Davies, UK Member of Parliament. In his speech Mr Irranca Davies said that the IYB “gives us a real opportunity to leave a legacy of a greater public understanding of the intrinsic importance of our natural world.” And he stated that “Everyone…should be confident about their ability to create a better world. Because time and again, we have shown that by working together we can achieve more than we could ever have hoped for.” This statement very much reflects the spirit in which IYB-UK has grown up.

The exciting and broad programme in the UK from January-December includes talks, exhibitions, public debates, art work, citizen science experiments and exhibitions encompassing both science and the arts.
UK-wide events include the chance to take part in surveys of farmland birds, butterflies, harvest mice, hedgehogs and water.

There will be bat walks, bird watching, honey and apple sampling and orchard visits at blossom and harvest time. Summer highlights include pond dipping, insect trawling, bird box building and rambling. Hives will be introduced into the grounds of city churches and city squares will be transformed into gardens. Towns and cities will be going head-to-head, competing to map their local biodiversity. Hundreds of thousands of new plants and trees will be planted. New songs and music about bees will be commissioned and heard. A symbolic conference table and chairs, made from driftwood, will be built and shipped to Nagoya as a powerful call to action to the world’s leaders as they hold the future of life on Earth in their hands.

Bookmark the IYB-UK website, follow iybuk on Twitter, or on Facebook as International Year of Biodiversity UK.

Photo © OPAL

29 January 2010. Based at the Natural History Museum in London, IYB-UK is the partnership of organisations, groups and charities celebrating the IYB in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom has responded extremely strongly to the call to support the IYB and the partnership is strong, with 300 partners ranging from charities to farmers, local councils to wildlife rangers, schools and colleges to zoos and museums and botanic gardens.

The IYB-UK partnership was launched on 25 November at the NHM with speeches by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD and Huw Irranca Davies, UK Member of Parliament. In his speech Mr Irranca Davies said that the IYB “gives us a real opportunity to leave a legacy of a greater public understanding of the intrinsic importance of our natural world.” And he stated that “Everyone…should be confident about their ability to create a better world. Because time and again, we have shown that by working together we can achieve more than we could ever have hoped for.” This statement very much reflects the spirit in which IYB-UK has grown up.

The exciting and broad programme in the UK from January-December includes talks, exhibitions, public debates, art work, citizen science experiments and exhibitions encompassing both science and the arts. UK-wide events include the chance to take part in surveys of farmland birds, butterflies, harvest mice, hedgehogs and water.

There will be bat walks, bird watching, honey and apple sampling and orchard visits at blossom and harvest time. Summer highlights include pond dipping, insect trawling, bird box building and rambling. Hives will be introduced into the grounds of city churches and city squares will be transformed into gardens. Towns and cities will be going head-to-head, competing to map their local biodiversity. Hundreds of thousands of new plants and trees will be planted. New songs and music about bees will be commissioned and heard. A symbolic conference table and chairs, made from driftwood, will be built and shipped to Nagoya as a powerful call to action to the world’s leaders as they hold the future of life on Earth in their hands.

• Bookmark the IYB-UK website, follow iybuk on Twitter, or on Facebook as International Year of Biodiversity UK.

Photo © OPAL

25 January 2010. After Berlin just a few weeks ago, the International Year of Biodiversity was launched in Paris and Brussels.

At the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris a high-level event (photo) gathered representatives from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and United Nations agencies, international and national partners to highlight the IYB as an effective tool to advance the cause of biodiversity conservation.

The inaugural event was attended by Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director-General, together with high level guests, including Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, Chantal Jouanno, State Secretary for Ecology, France, Ladislav Miko, Director, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission and Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“There is no ‘in 10 years time’, or ‘in 20 years time’”, says Julia Marton-Lefèvre. “We do not have this luxury. This year is the International Year of Biodiversity. This year is the time to take action.”

At the same time in Brussels, Countdown 2010 in cooperation with the United Nations Regional Information Center and the European Commission Stagiaires’ Environment Subcommittee organized a conference “Beyond Copenhagen: Biodiversity and Climate Change” to launch the IYB in Brussels. Building on the climate change momentum, the event was addressed to youth working in the fields of European affairs to increase awareness of the biodiversity crisis and the linkages with climate change.

On this occasion, Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010, explained how both international and EU policy action for biodiversity could be improved. He stressed the need to recognize the value of ecosystem services and their benefits and underlined that the EU should have a more integrated approach when it comes to biodiversity issues.

• Documentary on the Coral Reef Crisis (shown during the Brussels event)
• IUCN webstory on Paris event

25 January 2010, Paris (France). IUCN together with Natureparif launched a competition to reward European cities for innovation and excellence in preserving the wealth of nature.

“Every day animals and plants disappear from our planet forever,” said Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General. “From the smallest village to the largest city, local authorities are key players in conserving biodiversity.”

There is a wide variety of biodiversity within many European cities, towns and villages. This is due to the range of habitats available: gardens and parks, rivers and small forests, old buildings and walls, fallow land and much more. For many people this is their first, or even their only, contact with nature as they live far away from bigger natural habitats which are more commonly found in rural areas.

“The urban population is steadily growing. I am confident that this competition will increase awareness and encourage French local authorities to take concrete action for biodiversity” said Jean-Vincent Place, President of Natureparif, France.

The “European Capitals of Biodiversity” competition is organized in each of the five partner countries – Germany, Slovakia, Spain, France and Hungary – to recognise and reward local authorities that implement strong initiatives to conserve and enhance biodiversity. The contest runs simultaneously in the five participating countries and it is envisioned to have competitions in all European countries in the future.

A final report on the initiatives carried out by the municipalities will be compiled by the partners and disseminated amongst the municipalities by national partners.

The competition was launched on the same date in Hungary and Slovakia. Germany and Spain will host launching events in the near future.

The event took place right after the Nature Congress organized by the French Committee of IUCN (photo) and on the eve of the global launch of the International Year of Biodiversity hosted by UNESCO which involved heads of state and government, as well as high-level representatives of leading environmental organizations.

• Read more about the project
• Article on the IYB launch in Paris
• Natureparif on the Countdown 2010 website

19 January 2010, Brussels. Today the European Commission marked the opening of the International Year of Biodiversity with a paper setting out future options for biodiversity policy. Despite past efforts, species extinctions are continuing at alarming rates, and a new vision is required to halt these losses. The Communication sets out a vision and outlines four possible targets to reach it, with different levels of ambition. The aim is to launch and facilitate a debate between Member States with a view to developing a post-2010 biodiversity policy framework for the EU before the end of the year. New targets are needed, as the current EU and global biodiversity targets expire after 2010.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “We will step up our efforts and put in place a new policy and strategy for the post-2010 period. We need a new vision and target for biodiversity considering the on-going loss of species and signalling the importance we attach to this issue. We cannot afford to turn our backs on the fight against biodiversity loss, and a high level of ambition to underpin our policy in the coming period is essential.”

• Read the full press release on the EC website.

14 January 2010, Valle de Mena (Spain). Throughout 2009, Valle de Mena – a small town in the North of Spain – has been very active in promoting and taking action for biodiversity in its territory.

Among the activities carried out last year the municipality organized an expedition to clean the Cadagua river in Villasana de Mena and promoted measures to try and eradicate invasive species, like the pampas grass which reached the municipality’s territory from major transport routes. The municipality contributed to the social participation plan for the agenda 21 and held events to present a book on the endangered monchina cow and another on the natural heritage of Valle de Mena.

The municipality of Valle de Mena was one of the winners of the 2009 “Concurso de Proyectos para el Incremento de la Biodiversidad” awarded to those projects which harmonized sustainability and conservation policies aimed at increasing biodiversity at local levels. It received 50.000 Euros which were used for the repopulation of local species in 9-hectare of land.

• Valle de Mena on Countdown 2010 website

12 January 2010, Berlin (Germany). The International Year of Biodiversity was launched yesterday by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany will hold the Presidency of the Convention on Biological Diversity until October when Japan will take over.

Chancellor Merkel urged the world to increase efforts for biodiversity and said “The question of preserving biological diversity is on the same scale as climate protection,” and “we need a sea change. Here, now, immediately — not some time in the future”.

Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, underlined that nature is closer than what it seems to humans by stating that “The words biodiversity and ecosystems might seem abstract and remote to many people. But there is nothing abstract about their role in economies and in the lives of billions of people”.

For the occasion, Ban Ki-Moon stated that the General Assembly will hold a special high-level meeting on the subject next September. The event will give the international community an opportunity to demonstrate “much needed leadership” in advance of the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit, which will adopt a new strategic place for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Julia Marton-Lefévre, IUCN Director General, who will be present at the UNESCO launch of the International Year of Biodiversity in Paris, France on 21 January, commented on the event by stressing the importance of managing the environment well: “Well managed natural resources are crucial to sustainable development, supporting peaceful communities, encouraging well-balanced economic growth and helping reduce poverty. Protecting biodiversity protects valuable assets that are vital to the global economy.”

12 January 2010, Denmark. The Danish Minister for the Environment, Troels Lund Poulsen, sent out a special New Year’s greetings card to all the 98 mayors of Denmark. The Minister decided to wish a happy new year to each of them to congratulate them with their elections in November 2009, but also to draw their attention to the beginning of the International Year of Biodiversity.

In the message, the Minister stressed the importance of conserving local habitats to preserve a diverse environment. He encouraged mayors to take good care of habitats and start working on targeted management, especially in areas which are subject to invasive species such as hogweed.

Almost 1/3 of Danish municipalities have signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration. Since Denmark has become a partner of the network, it has proactively promoted biodiversity conservation to local governments and organizations.

Click here to see the card.

11 January 2010, Curitiba (Brazil). Brazil, one of the world’s most diverse countries, convened an international event to launch the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) on 8 January. The celebration took place at the margins of the Second Curitiba Meeting on Cities and Biodiversity which was attended by 95 participants, including representatives of 18 cities from around the world and the national focal points for the Convention on Biological Diversity from Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.

Other participants included specialists in urban biodiversity and green infrastructure, NGOs and ICLEI. Aside from Mayor Beto Richa of Curitiba, attending authorities included Acting Minister of Environment Izabella Teixeira of Brazil, Minister Mah Bow Tan of Singapore and Ms. Kobie Brant, ICLEI Director for the African region.

Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, Brazil has been a champion in promoting the biodiversity agenda. The CBD was opened for signature at the Earth Summit and Curitiba hosted the historic Biodiversity Summit in 2007 that ushered in a new phase of enhanced implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, as underlined by the Executive Secretary of the CBD, Ahmed Djoghlaf. He also added that “this important international year signals a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to raise global awareness of the crucial importance of biodiversity for our health, our wealth, our food, indeed for our life.”

This ceremony is one of many celebrations which will culminate next October at the Biodiversity Summit in Nagoya, Japan, with the adoption by the Parties to the Convention of a new Strategic Plan for the period 2011-2020 as well as a longer-term vision for managing biodiversity.

Events to launch the IYB will be held in every region of the world. India held its launch on 4 January and many others are planned in the weeks to come. The official global launch is being held in Berlin today, organized by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Read more on the IYB.

How great would be the impact on the public if every traveler flying in the world found an article on biodiversity in the airline’s magazine? Articles or just advertisements would be an effective way of raising awareness of the biodiversity crisis. With thousands of people travelling every day, a larger audience could be sensitized towards biodiversity.

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During the International Year of Biodiversity a special Biodiversity Carnival dedicated to fauna and flora will be organized in South Africa following in the footsteps of the world renowned Rio de Janeiro Carnival. The Biodiversity Carnival will take place on World Environment Day (5 June) 2010, just a few days before the beginning of the FIFA World Cup (11 June) which will be hosted by South Africa. The Biodiversity Carnival will enliven the streets of Soweto, Johannesburg, which is the hub for the FIFA World Cup.

Articles 5 and 13 of the Convention on Biological Diversity provide a clear mandate for governments to support events which promote the International Year of Biodiversity. The Biodiversity Carnival will be a great opportunity to bring the International Year of Biodiversity closer to a wider audience.

The Carnival will be an unprecedented event in South-African and Brazilian cooperation and the idea will hopefully be applied in other countries to foster international cooperation.

Local communities will be involved in the production of costumes in Soweto helping to create jobs in this disadvantaged area. The Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador are also interested in participating in the setting up of the Biodiversity Carnival. The combination of Brazilian expertise and South African culture and nature will guarantee high-quality products and also give a unique opportunity for cooperation and experience sharing between the two countries.

For more information contact William Widsen at [email protected].

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The loss of the old tradition of transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock from higher pastures to lower valleys) affects biodiversity status: when animals move to one place to the other, they bring with them microorganisms and seeds which enrich the ecosystems. A relay of sheep from the Czech Republic to Morocco can be organized to raise awareness of the need to protect and revive transhumance in Europe and beyond.

For more information on this project, contact Hubert Beckmann at [email protected].

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