Talk:Convention on Biological Diversity
Review by Job Dronkers (January 2013)
The economic crisis that started in 2008 has drawn the attention of politics and the public away from the issue of biodiversity conservation. The Convention on Biological Diversity is well aware of these changed priorities: “Economic development is essential to meeting human needs and to eliminating the poverty that affects so many people around the world. The sustainable use of nature is essential for the long-term success of development strategies. A major challenge for the 21st century will be making the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity a compelling basis for development policies, business decisions, and consumer desires.” The CBD website further indicates: “After a surge of interest in the wake of the Rio Summit, many observers are disappointed by the slow progress towards sustainable development during the 1990s. Attention to environmental problems was distracted by a series of economic crises, budget deficits, and local and regional conflicts. Despite the promise of Rio, economic growth without adequate environmental safeguards is still the rule rather than the exception. Some of the major challenges to implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity and promoting sustainable development are:
- Meeting the increasing demand for biological resources caused by population growth and increased consumption, while considering the long-term consequences of our actions
- Increasing our capacity to document and understand biodiversity, its value, and threats to it.
- Building adequate expertise and experience in biodiversity planning.
- Improving policies, legislation, guidelines, and fiscal measures for regulating the use of biodiversity.
- Adopting incentives to promote more sustainable forms of biodiversity use.
- Promoting trade rules and practices that foster sustainable use of biodiversity.
- Strengthening coordination within governments, and between governments and stakeholders.
- Securing adequate financial resources for conservation and sustainable use, from both national and international sources.
- Making better use of technology.
- Building political support for the changes necessary to ensure biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
- Improving education and public awareness about the value of biodiversity.”