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KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
RESOURCES
BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE
This page was updated
on: 01/12/10
GOOD
PRACTICE GUIDE: SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: BIODIVERSITY AND
LIVELIHOODS
(CBD and IUCN, November 2009)
Part of a series of Good Practice Guides produced by the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), this booklet provides a range
of case studies and other materials to make the forest sector more
biodiversity-friendly, and socially beneficial. The guide: introduces
public decision-makers to some techniques, technologies and procedures
that optimize the social and environmental contributions of forestry and
minimize negative impacts; presents good practice examples on the
interface between forestry, poverty reduction and biodiversity; provides
suggestions for the improvement of national and sub-national
forest-related policies, strategies, plans and projects that consider
poverty reduction and biodiversity; provides suggestions for organizing
forestry training and workshop sessions; and provides sources and
references for more detailed information. The
guide.
TEEB REPORT FOR POLICY MAKERS
(UNEP TEEB Initiative, November 2009)
Prepared by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
Initiative, this new report calls on policy-makers to accelerate,
scale-up and embed investments in the management and restoration of
ecosystems. It also calls for more sophisticated cost-benefit analysis
before policy decisions are made. The report outlines a ten-point plan
aimed at catalyzing a transition to more ecosystem savvy economies able
to meet the multiple challenges and deliver the multiple opportunities
on a planet of six billion people, rising to nine billion by 2050. Key
recommendations include the need to: invest in ecological
infrastructure; reward benefits through payments and markets; reform
environmentally harmful subsidies; address losses through regulation and
pricing; recognize that protected areas are a cornerstone of
conservation policies and provide multiple benefits; halt deforestation
and forest degradation; protect tropical coral reefs; save and restore
global fisheries; recognize the deep link between ecosystem degradation
and the persistence of rural poverty; and agree to a forest carbon deal
at Copenhagen.
TEEB study.
2009 IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES
(IUCN, November 2009)
The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals
that 21% of all known mammals, 30% of all known amphibians, 12% of all
known birds, 28% of reptiles, 37% of freshwater fishes, 70% of plants,
and 35% of invertebrates assessed so far are under threat. The report
serves as an urgent reminder that the world is still far from stemming
the worldwide tide of extinction. The
update information.
LEARNING
FROM THE PRACTITIONERS: BENEFIT SHARING PERSPECTIVES FROM ENTERPRISING
COMMUNITIES
(UNEP/UNU-IAS, October 2009)
This new publication by M.S. Suneetha and Balakrishna Pisupati considers
the sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources in the context of
human and community wellbeing. Published by the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) and UN University's Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), the
report was launched in Montreal, Canada, on 13 November 2009, at an
event held on the margins of the eighth meeting of the Ad hoc
Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) of the
Convention on Biological Diversity. The report outlines case studies in
Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific, and concludes that people's
wellbeing can be improved by ABS if it is part of a deliberate planning
process. The publication was dedicated to the work and memory of Benson
Venegas, Director of ANAI, an organization pioneering economic
development and environmental conservation in Costa Rica's Talamanca
region. The
report.
BIO-CULTURAL
COMMUNITY PROTOCOLS – A COMMUNITY APPROACH TO ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY
(UNEP, Natural Justice, October 2009)
Edited by Kabir Bavikatte and Harry Jonas, this book illustrates the
application of bio-cultural community protocols to a range of
environmental legal frameworks. Part I focuses on the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) and access and benefit-sharing. Part II looks
at other frameworks to which bio-cultural protocols can be applied by
indigenous and local communities, including REDD, the CBD programme of
work on protected areas and payment for ecosystem services schemes. Part
III looks more broadly at the meaning of bio-cultural protocols for
environmental law. The
book.
FOREST
RESILIENCE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(CBD Secretariat, October 2009)
This synthesis report on the biodiversity/resilience/stability
relationship in forest ecosystems, produced at the request of the ninth
session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity, strongly supports the conclusion that the capacity of forests
to resist change, or recover following disturbance, is dependent on
biodiversity at multiple scales. The findings are relevant for the
further implementation of the CBD programme of work on forest
biodiversity, as well as for efforts to reduce emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The
report.
TOWARDS
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND USE OF RESOURCES: ASSESSING BIOFUELS
(UNEP, October 2009)
Based on a review of published research up to mid-2009 as well as the
input of independent experts world-wide, this report by the UNEP
International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management recognizes that
the research that has accrued over recent years presents a complex and
uncertain picture of the risks and benefits of biofuels. The report's
main message is that biofuels' costs and benefits are context-specific,
and therefore simplistic approaches to managing biofuels production are
unlikely to yield environmentally positive results. Considering not only
biofuels for transport, but biomass as a whole, the report's chapters
discuss, inter alia: the full life-cycle approach needed to
completely account for the impacts of biofuels; the issue of land-use
change; options for more efficient and sustainable production; and
strategies to enhance resource productivity. The
report.
CONSERVATION FOR A NEW ERA
(IUCN, September 2009)
Authored by Jeffrey McNeely and Susan Mainka, this book outlines
critical issues taken up during the World Conservation Congress held in
Barcelona in October 2008. The book considers the state of global
natural resources, as well as current trends. It reports a consensus at
the Congress that work on ecosystems, species and protected areas will
increasingly become a critical element in any societal strategy capable
of bringing about a sustainable future. The book includes 22 chapters
covering topics such as: ecosystem services; climate change and
biodiversity; protected areas; challenges related to species
conservation; armed conflict and post-disaster recovery; human health
and biodiversity; the green economy; and forest, marine, dryland,
freshwater, agricultural and urban systems. The
book.
WILDLIFE LEGISLATION AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF
THE POOR IN LATIN AMERICA
(FAO Legal Paper Online no. 80, September 2009)
Authored by Soledad Aguilar and Elisa Morgera, this study analyzes and
compares national legislation on wildlife management in eleven countries
in Central and South America. The comparative analysis aims at
identifying strengths and weaknesses of legal frameworks in the
promotion of sustainable wildlife management, and in allowing all
members of society, particularly disadvantaged people, to directly
benefit from wildlife management. The
study.
BIOFUELS
CERTIFICATION AND THE LAW OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
(ICTSD, August 2009)
This paper by Marsha A. Echols analyzes biofuels certification within
the optic of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and proposes
requirements for compliance with the international trading system. The
paper explains how the compatibility of a biofuels-certification measure
with international trade rules is determined from several perspectives,
to determine whether the nondiscrimination rules of Article I or Article
III of GATT apply and, if there is prohibited discrimination, whether it
is excused by the health or environmental carve-outs of GATT Article XX
(among other possible exceptions). The decisions also determine whether
the detailed substantive and procedural rules of other WTO agreements
apply. The paper further analyzes how implementation of certification
schemes must also be aligned with WTO rules. The
paper.
COVERING
ABS: ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR SECTORAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, LEGAL AND
INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION IN THE ABS REGIME
(IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Paper no. 67/5, 2009)
Edited by Tomme Young, this book is the fifth in The ABS
Project book series. It focuses on: sectoral issues, with marine
genetic resources as an example; regional and other coordinated
interests, including examination of the Southern African Development
Community context; social issues, including ABS and livelihoods;
commercial and legal systemic issues, addressing legal certainty for
users, claims of unauthorized access and misappropriation,
administrative and judicial remedies available; and a final part on ABS
and the international regime, including critical areas for further work.
The
paper.
AUSTRALIA'S BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT OF
THE VULNERABILITY OF AUSTRALIA'S BIODIVERSITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE
(Australian Government Biodiversity and Climate Change Expert
Advisory Group, 2009)
This assessment of the vulnerability of Australia's biodiversity to
climate change was begun in early 2007 in response to a request from the
Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. Its key messages and
policy directions address the need to reform biodiversity management;
strengthen national commitments to conserve Australia's biodiversity;
invest in the life support system; build innovative and flexible
governance systems; and meet the mitigation challenge. The
report.
RIGHTS-BASED APPROACHES: EXPLORING ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CONSERVATION
(Center for International Forestry Research, IUCN, 2009)
This publication contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the
relation between conservation and human rights, exploring questions and
concepts relating to rights-based approaches to conservation. Case
studies address natural resource management in Colombia, water
management in the Middle East, a human rights approach to conservation
and development in the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa, a Sherpa
community conserved area in the Mount Everest in Nepal, and integrating
a gender approach in ABS governance. The
publication.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH - EARLY DETECTION AND
RAPID RESPONSE TO BIOLOGICAL INVASION ALONG US TRADE PATHWAYS
(IUCN and US EPA, 2009)
This report, produced by IUCN, states that ports and trade hotspots in
the US require better ways to detect invasive species, as well as more
rapid response protocols. The publication urges swift action to improve
biosecurity measures, including improved coordination between agencies
and greater international cooperation. Neighborhood Watch offers
recommendations to improve biosecurity measures at US ports, as well as
a possible funding mechanism based upon the "polluter pays" principle.
The
report.
WILDLIFE IN A
CHANGING WORLD – AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2008 IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED
SPECIES
(IUCN, July 2009)
Published every four years, this IUCN analysis indicates that the 2010
target to significantly reduce biodiversity loss will not be met. The
report analyzes 44,838 species on the IUCN Red List and presents results
by groups of species, geographical regions, and different habitats, such
as marine, freshwater and terrestrial. The report shows that a broad
range of marine species are experiencing potentially irreversible loss
due to over-fishing, climate change, invasive species, coastal
development and pollution; nearly one-third of amphibians, more than one
in eight birds and nearly a quarter of mammals are threatened with
extinction, while the situation is even more serious for some plant
groups, due to habitat destruction, through agriculture, logging and
development.
IUCN press release. The
report.
THE
CONSERVATION STATUS OF PELAGIC SHARKS AND RAYS: REPORT OF THE
IUCN SHARK SPECIALIST GROUP PELAGIC SHARK RED LIST WORKSHOP
(IUCN, June 2009)
This study is the first to determine the global conservation status
of 64 species of open ocean (pelagic) sharks and rays and reveals that
32% are threatened with extinction, primarily due to overfishing. The
percentage of open ocean shark species threatened with extinction is
higher for the sharks taken in high-seas fisheries (52%) than for the
group as a whole. The
report.
CONVENIENT SOLUTIONS TO AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH:
ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACHES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
(World Bank, 2009)
The World Bank's Environment Department has published a report that sets
out a compelling argument for including ecosystem-based
approaches to mitigation and adaptation as a third and essential pillar
in national strategies to address climate change. Such ecosystem-based
strategies can offer cost-effective,
proven and sustainable solutions contributing to, and complementing,
other national and regional adaptation strategies. The report notes
three of the world's greatest challenges over the coming decades will be
biodiversity loss, climate change, and water shortages. It highlights
that promoting further integration of ecosystem-based
approaches into climate change responses and national adaptation
strategies will require access to much greater sources of funding,
including capitalizing on opportunities to protect natural ecosystems as
part of major energy and infrastructure projects. The
report.
BIOFUELS FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
(ENERGIA, 2009)
This book of case studies represents a collaborative effort to explore
the potential of biofuels to provide sustainable livelihoods and local
sources of energy for people in rural areas of developing countries,
with a special emphasis on women. Although there are many forms of
bio-energy that can be useful in this regard, book focuses on plant
products, mostly seeds, used to produce oil - which is then either
utilized directly in engines or equipment, or processed into biodiesel.
The book was presented at the 17th session of the UN Commission for
Sustainable Development. It was developed with support from IUCN and
edited by Gail Karlsson and Khamarunga Banda. The
book.
THE WADER
ATLAS – AN ATLAS OF WADER POPULATIONS IN AFRICA AND WESTERN EURASIA
(Wetlands International, May 2009)
Funded by the governments of Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands, and
the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA), this
publication is a compilation of current knowledge of the numbers,
distribution and movements of wader populations in Africa and Western
Eurasia and is a result of an international effort involving thousands
of coordinated expert observers in nearly 100 countries. The
atlas.
WILDLIFE
LAW AND THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE POOR IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
(FAO Legal Paper Online no. 77)
Authored by Maria Teresa Cirelli and Elisa Morgera, this paper includes:
an overview of international legal instruments related to wildlife
management; a chapter on selected themes relevant to legal empowerment
of the poor in wildlife management; an analysis of emerging trends with
focus on the empowerment of the poor, resulting in suggestions for the
drafting of legal provisions; and a country-by-country analysis
providing an overview of the legal framework in each of the twelve
countries considered. The
paper.
SMALL SCALE
BIOENERGY INITIATIVES: BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND PRELIMINARY LESSONS ON
LIVELIHOOD IMPACTS FROM CASE STUDIES IN LATIN AMERICA, ASIA AND AFRICA
(FAO and PISCES, January 2009)
This study, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
the Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES), covers
15 bioenergy projects across 12 countries in Latin America, Africa and
Asia, on the linkages between livelihoods and small-scale bioenergy
initiatives. The study focuses on the impacts that different types of
local level bioenergy initiatives can have on rural livelihoods in
different contexts in the developing world. Livelihoods, as defined by
the study, are the enhancement of the full range of natural, financial,
human, social and physical capitals on a sustainable ongoing basis. The
study.
BENEFIT SHARING IN ABS: OPTIONS AND ELABORATIONS
(UNU-IAS and UNEP, 2009)
Authored by MS Suneetha and Balakrishna Pisupati and presented during a
side-event at ABS 7, this report attempts to assess and analyze the
issues related to benefit sharing, the entry points for discussions on
the issues and the possible considerations that national implementing
authorities should make before deciding on benefit sharing principles
and policies. The principles are discussed under five topics in the
order of a typical scheme in a bio-prospecting exercise: defining
ownership over resources and related knowledge; by-products/Derivatives;
benefit sharing; Third Party Transfer of research results; and
intellectual property concerns. The
report.
MARINE BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION NETWORK
(Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, 2009)
Created by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), an
inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science,
the Marine Biodiversity Information Network (SCAR-MarBIN) is a
collaborative web portal that provides free and open access to
information on Antarctic marine biodiversity. The portal started as a
major Belgian contribution to the International Polar Year, but grew
into an international collaborative effort. The
portal.
ITTO/IUCN GUIDELINES FOR THE CONSERVATION AND
SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY IN TROPICAL TIMBER PRODUCTION FORESTS
(International Tropical Timber Organization and IUCN, 2009)
These guidelines are a complete revision and update of ITTO's original
Biodiversity Guidelines published in 1993. They set out the specific
actions that policymakers, forest managers and other stakeholders should
take to improve biodiversity conservation in tropical production
forests. The
guidelines.
IUCN CASE STUDIES ON WATER AND
PROTECTED AREAS
(IUCN, 2009)
This compilation of case studies concludes that
protecting watersheds provides many of the
world's megacities with freshwater and saves billions of dollars. The
cases relate to: Guatopo and Macarao National Parks;
Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park;
Kruger National Park; and the Macquarie Marshes.
Case studies.
PLANT CONSERVATION REPORT
(CBD Secretariat, Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, 2009)
The Plant Conservation Report reviews progress in implementing the
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, adopted in 2002 by the sixth
Conference of the Parties to the CBD. The
report.
ITTO/IUCN GUIDELINES FOR THE CONSERVATION AND
SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY IN TROPICAL TIMBER PRODUCTION FORESTS
(ITTO, IUCN, 2009)
This publication, which offers a complete revision and updating of the
original Biodiversity Guidelines published by the International Tropical
Timber Organization (ITTO) in 1993, sets out the specific actions that
policymakers, forest managers and other stakeholders should take to
improve biodiversity conservation in tropical production forests. The
guidelines.
STATE OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES – AN
ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE TARGET OF HALTING
BIODIVERSITY LOSS BY 2010
(Norden, 2009)
The Nordic countries have agreed on a common target to halt the decline
in biodiversity by 2010. This report aims at evaluating the 2010 target
by presenting indicators that can describe trends in biodiversity in the
Nordic countries. The
report.
COPING WITH
WATER SCARCITY: WHAT ROLE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGIES?
(FAO, 2008)
This UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) discussion paper
represents the outputs from an e-mail conference hosted by the FAO
Biotechnology Forum from 5 March-1 April 2007. It provides an overview
of the current status and future perspectives regarding water
availability as well as a discussion of some major strategies that can
be employed to deal with water scarcity. The paper then looks at the
issue of water use in agriculture in more detail as well as some of the
potential ways in which biotechnology could contribute to this area. It
also contains a summary of the main issues discussed during the
moderated conference, based on the messages posted by the participants.
The
discussion paper.
ABS
INFORMATION PORTAL
(CBD Secretariat, February 2009)
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has
launched an "Information Portal" related to the negotiations of an
international regime on access and benefit-sharing. The
portal.
STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ABS
INTERNATIONAL REGIME AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WHICH GOVERN
THE USE OF GENETIC RESOURCES: WTO, WIPO AND UPOV
(CBD Secretariat, January 2009)
Authored by Jorge Cabrera Medaglia, this study includes: an overview and
factual description of the relevant provisions and developments on
access and benefit-sharing at the WTO, WIPO and UPOV; options and
scenarios; and final remarks. The
study.
GREEN
CUSTOMS GUIDE TO MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS
(UNEP, 2008)
This guide aims to orient customs officers and border protection
officers to provisions of multilateral agreements that are relevant to
their work.
The
guide.
THE
GOVERNANCE OF NATURE AND THE NATURE OF GOVERNANCE: POLICY THAT WORKS FOR
BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOODS
(IIED, 2009)
Written by Krystyna Swiderska et al., this book examines the
governance of biodiversity - how it is managed and how decisions about
it are made - at the local, national and international levels. It
reviews experience with community-based conservation, mainstreaming
biodiversity, and the Biodiversity Convention process, and includes case
studies from India, Peru and Tanzania.
The book.
FARMERS'
RIGHTS IN PERU: FARMERS' PERSPECTIVES
(Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Farmers' Rights Project Background Study 8,
November 2008)
Authored by Maria Scurrah, Regine Andersen and Tone Winge, this study
presents the perceptions and experiences of 180 farmers from various
regions of the Peruvian Andes on issues related to Farmers' Rights as
they are addressed in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture. A series of regional workshops were
held in the Andes from March to May 2008 to map the views, experiences
and suggestions of farmers on the realization of Farmers' Rights. Their
views were presented at a national multi-stakeholder workshop in Lima in
September 2008. This report presents and analyzes the results from these
workshops. Recommendations emphasize the importance of: documentation of
traditional knowledge; the establishment of agro-biodiversity reserves;
support to community gene banks, seed fairs and exchange visits;
participatory research on traditional seed systems and participatory
plant breeding; assistance in processing and marketing products made
from traditional varieties; improved economic incentive structures for
maintaining traditional crop varieties; and the establishment of pilot
villages to bolster the conservation and exchange of genetic resources
and traditional knowledge. Suggestions for activities to foster farmers'
participation in decision-making are elaborated as well as institutional
questions on how to coordinate the realization of Farmers' Rights. The
report.
PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT LAWS
(FAO Legal Paper, December 2008)
Authored by Elisa Morgera and James Wingard, this paper illustrates the
relevant international framework and identifies design principles
regarding the development of effective national legislation on wildlife
management. The
paper.
RESULTS
OF FAO E-CONFERENCE ON BIOTECHNOLOGIES AND BIOENERGY
An FAO-moderated e-mail conference entitled "The role of agricultural
biotechnologies for production of bioenergy in developing countries" ran
from 10 November to 14 December 2008. Major topics of discussion
included applying biotechnologies in jatropha; the potential benefits
for small-scale farmers of applying biotechnologies for bioenergy
production; biogas production in developing countries; and production of
enzymes for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to liquid
biofuels. Most attention was paid to applications of genetic
modification, molecular markers and tissue culture in crops for biofuel
purposes. The
messages.
CD-ROM ON THE
APPLICATION OF THE ADDIS ABABA PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE
SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY WITHIN THE BIODIVERSITY-RELATED
CONVENTIONS
(Biodiversity Liaison Group, 2008)
The Biodiversity Liaison Group, comprising the CBD, CITES, CMS, the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture, the Ramsar Convention and the World Heritage Convention, is
launching a CD-Rom on the application of the Addis Ababa Principles and
Guidelines for the sustainable use of biodiversity within the
biodiversity-related conventions. Composed of four sections, it contains
information on the application of the Principles and Guidelines by the
six biodiversity-related conventions, their full text, relevant
decisions, recommendations and resolutions, background documents, as
well as other materials, including links to relevant websites. Copies
are available from the convention secretariats upon request. In due
course, information will also be made available through the web.
ACCESS
AND BENEFIT-SHARING IN PRACTICE: TRENDS IN PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS SECTORS
(CBD, 2008)
Authored by Sarah Laird and Rachel Wynberg and part of the CBD Technical
Series, the study fills gaps in current understanding of ABS
partnerships, collaborations and contractual agreements in the range of
sectors using genetic resources. It looks at the nature of these
relationships, and whether and how they achieve the objectives of
sustainable use and equitable benefit-sharing. Also examined are the
characteristics and procedures common to different sectors seeking
access, and sharing benefits. The
study.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE
CHANGE AND BIOENERGY ON NUTRITION
(FAO and IFPRI, 2008)
This paper examines the consequences of climate change and rising
bioenergy demand for sustainable development, food security and
nutrition throughout the lifecycle. It also explores the implications of
climate change and rising bioenergy demand for nutrition and analyzes
potential strategies for cultivation of bioenergy crops that can
contribute to poverty reduction, food security and sustainable natural
resource management. The authors note that efforts to assure food
security and good nutrition in the face of current climate change
challenges must continue in order to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals. The
report.
If you
would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD
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