Bonn Dialogue - Tuesday, May 6th 2008
Diverse Futures or Future in Diversity? (tbc)
1. Preliminary Concept Note
The conservation of biological diversity has become a global concern and is closely tied
to global environmental change. It is increasingly clear that as a result of a complex
response to human-induced environmental change, biodiversity is changing at an
unprecedented rate. In 2007, there were 41,415 species on the IUCN Red List and almost
forty percent of these species were threatened with extinction. According to a recent UN
report human activity is causing the greatest mass species extinction since the extinction
of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The magnitude and rate of this change is so large
and so strongly linked to ecosystem processes and society's use of natural resources, that
biodiversity is a prominent issue addressed by researchers and the stimulus for
international policies such as the Cartagena protocol.
Following the outcomes of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report, biodiversity is
the foundation for human well-being. While biodiversity provides the basis for
ecosystems, their development, maintenance and stability, it also provides a wealth of
services upon which humanity is fundamentally dependant. These services include
provisional services such as fish for food and unseen services such as climate control.
However, unsustainable use of ecosystem services and increasing human activity,
including demographic, political, cultural and economic factors, are placing immense
pressure on ecosystems and driving biodiversity loss. Human perturbations such as
changes in land use for food production, crop monoculture and increased development
activities are degrading and changing habitats, overexploiting resources, creating
pollution and promoting the spread of invasive alien species. It is still not understood
how these many different factors such as globalisation, poverty and migration interact to
shape and change biological diversity. However, ultimately, the loss of biodiversity not
only interferes with essential ecological functions it threatens all dimensions of human
society including, the provisions of food, medicine, energy, security, health, genetic
diversity and freedom of choice.
Together, cultural diversity and biological diversity are increasingly viewed as key
elements in achieving environmental sustainability. The intimate connection between
these two elements are immensely important, as a threat to one, impacts the other. When
examining, for example, traditional Aboriginal practices in Australia, where traditional
burning promotes biodiversity of flora, the symbiotic relationship between culture and
biodiversity is starkly illustrated. Local and indigenous traditional ecological knowledge
of biodiverse regions is an important complement to scientific knowledge and
governance for successful biodiversity conservation. The second important link between
cultural and biological diversity pertains to their geographic distribution. Biodiversity is
not evenly distributed and species richness tends to be higher for instance in tropical
regions. Similarly, the density of different human cultures also differs markedly from
place to place. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa these distributions geographically
overlap. Management of biodiversity in such cultural diverse settings is often difficult
when many stakeholders are involved. Designation of protected areas can be met with
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outright opposition when the protected areas encompass land that could be used for
economic and primary livelihood purposes. Consequently, it is difficult to successfully
understand, conserve and manage natural systems, without recognising the human
cultures that shape them. Biological and cultural diversity linkages are increasing
recognised as significant tools for ensuring sustainable development and conservation in
both social and ecological systems.
Key questions associated with the human dimensions of biodiversity:
1. What are the human responses to contemporary and future global environmental
change?
2. Is a more biodiverse system more resilient to human-induced disturbances?
3. Are more diverse systems more productive and do they provide a greater range of
ecosystem functions?
4. What are the consequences of environmental change for human systems? How
can we adapt to changing ecosystem services or guarantee their provision in a
changing environment?
5. Is biotechnology the solution to food security, as it increases sustainable food
production, or does security lie in biodiversity conservation and sustainable
development?
6. Are biospheres an essential key to protection of ecosystems and biodiversity?
7. How do the mental models of social ‘values’ and benefits derived from ecosystem
use differ in different cultural settings and influence conservation and service
values?
8.
Do processes that diminish cultural diversity also threaten species diversity?
9. Is cultural diversity or cultural homogony a contributing cause to biodiversity
degradation?
10. Are regions of high cultural diversity more resilient to increased degradation of
biodiversity and loss of services?
11. What are the policy and governance constraints to the conservation of
biodiversity?
2. Potential Guest Speakers
Dr. Tomas Schaaf, UNESCO, MAB drylands
From the Biodiversity conference;
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- H. Mooney – May 14th, 9:00 to 9:30, Ecosystem Services: Human use of biodiversity
functions (Plenary lecture) and introduction of the evening session at 5:30.
- W.R. Erdelen - May 13th, 9.10 to 9.30, Addressing Future Challenges in Biodiversity
Science and Policy - A UNESCO Contribution.
- G. Mace - May 15th, 10.05 to 10.25, Approaches to biodiversity planning in a changing
world.
From the Business sector;
- James Griffiths or Björn Stigson (president), World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD), Switzerland.
- Annik Dollacker, Bayer company – biodiversity: an important matter for Bayer
CropScience.
- A representative from Global Nature Fund (organisers of the Wirtschaft und
Biodiversität Konferenz in Bonn, 2-3 April 2008), Germany.
- Dr. Daniel Skambrack, Senior Environmental Advisor, Stabsstelle Nachhaltigkeit,
KfW Bankengruppe, Germany.
From the last Bonn Dialogue Meeting (18th Jan);
Louise Fresco (University of Amsterdam, former chair of FAO)
UNESCO/ MAB (Man and the Biosphere) program - Natarajan Ishwaran?
Wilhelm Barthlott (Museum Koenig)
Naturbund (Germany)
Sander van der Leeuw (anthropology, University of Arizona)
Johan Rockström (ED of Stockholm Environment Institute)
Hillebrand (Uni Cologne)
Representative from UNV
Representative from BMZ
Welthungerhilfe or another NGO (Preuss)
Flassbarth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------It’s good to be aware of the following Conference, also as far as speakers are concerned.
However, since we had to change the date, it might not be that important anymore.
3. Biodiversity Research Conference – Safeguarding the Future
The Biodiversity research conference – safeguarding the future will take place in Bonn
from May 12th - 16th at the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig. This
scientific meeting is a pre-congress meeting to the 9th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
What are the themes and concepts?
The overall aim of the conference is to introduce the results of and the need for
biodiversity research to the political discussion. There are three symposium themes:
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1. Acceleration of Biodiversity Assessment & Inventorying
2. Biodiversity: Functions and uses
3. Biodiversity Change: The 2010 Target and Beyond
How does this fit with the Bonn dialogues?
The theme of the next Bonn Dialogue has strong ties to the second and third themes of
the Biodiversity Research Conference. For instance, workshop two will focus on
ecosystem functions and services, human use of biodiversity and ways to secure their
future availability and development. Of particular relevance within the third theme of the
conference is the presentation by Prof. G. Mase, ‘Approaches to biodiversity planning in
a changing world’.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Action items
- Finalise concept and title
- Confirm time, date and place for the Bonn Dialogue
- Identify speakers
- Confirm funding allocation
- Send out invitations
- Compose a brief for the moderator outlining the concept, direction, and debates
and include the professional background of the speakers.
- Publication and website update
- Advertising targeting the Bonn public as well as experts and international press
who will be present in Bonn for coinciding COP events.
5. Annex
Annex 1 - Biodiversity Research - Safeguarding the Future, Bonn, Germany, May
12-16, 2008
https://www.bayceer.unibayreuth.de/precop9/en/template/cop9/frameset.php?page=/precop9/index.php
Why should there be links between the two events?
By establishing ties between the two meetings there is a possibility for access to
additional resources such as funding, promotion and access. It may be possible to gain
greater scientific input from prominent biodiversity scientists such as Dr. Mooney. There
is an additional benefit for greater potential audience reach if conference organisers were
to advertise the Bonn dialogue.
How can we foster these links?
There are already established links between IHDP, DIVERSITAS (Prof. Mooney, guest
speaker) and the Forschungs Museum Koenig (Prof. Dr. Wägele, who is part of the
organisation and steering committee). Both are sponsors of the conference. The Bonn
Dialogue could potentially be promoted to these scientific speakers as a public outlet for
research outcomes and education to the general public
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Annex 2 - 9th COP conference
Issues for in-depth consideration:
- Agricultural biodiversity
- Global strategy for plant conservation
- Invasive alien species
- Forest biodiversity
- Incentive measures
- Ecosystem Approach
- Progress in the implementation of the strategic plan and progress towards the
2010 target and relevant millennium development
- Financial Resources and the Financial Mechanism
http://www.cbd.int/cop9/
Annex 3 – May events in Bonn
May
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Biosafety Clearing House Training Workshop
Bonn Dialogue
Biodiversity research - safeguarding the future: A
pre-COP9 scientific event
SBSTTA 26 on climate change
ESSP Side Event at SBSTTA 26 on Climate Change
Meeting of the COP-MOP Bureau
4th meeting of the Conference of the Parties
serving as the meeting of the Parties to the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 4)
African/Latin American adn Carribean/Asia and
the Pacific preparation meetings for the 9th COP
to the convention of biological diversity
CBD COP 9 - Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on biological diversity
Mayors Conference - Local action for biodiversity
High Level segment of COP-9
IBD 2008: International Day for Biological Diversity
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