Knowledge Cafe : Conserving Dryland Biodiversity

Transcription

1 Knowledge Cafe : Conserving Dryland Biodiversity World Conservation Congress, Jeju Yeongju Hall B 08 Sep :30-16:30 Introduction/outline... 2 Summary of the knowledge café outputs/discussions... 2 Detailed notes of all discussion points... 2 Next steps... 4 Participants list... 5 Organising institutions for the knowledge café

2 Introduction/outline The knowledge café consisted of a short introduction to the recent publication on Conserving Dryland Biodiversity (produced by UNCCD, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC). Participants then introduced themselves and their institutional or personal interest in dryland biodiversity. This was followed by brain storming of priority issues (in pairs), feedback to the wider group and debate between the participants. The Knowledge Café rounded off with thoughts on the next steps for moving the drylands agenda forward. Summary of the knowledge café outputs/discussions Priority Issues The priority dryland issues put forward by participants can be grouped under the following 6 categories: 1. Knowledge and information: recognise the strength of indigenous and local knowledge and the poor penetration of new science into local decision making; 2. Linkages: link local initiatives and efforts with global resources and global dialogue; 3. Governance: strengthen local governance, built on customary institutions and relationships, with emphasis on participatory approaches and ensuring equity in governance; 4. Food security: strengthen understanding of the link between biodiversity and food security; 5. Land degradation: emphasise ecosystem planning, integrating land and water, and addressing sustainable land management at a landscape scale; 6. Biodiversity conservation: emphasise work in dryland biodiversity hotspots and support greater recognition of community conserved areas and other approaches to joint management. Steps to move forward Many recommendations were made for moving the agenda forward, but they can be categorised broadly under 4 headings: 1. Build a network for drylands learning and communication within IUCN; 2. Mobilise the union for more effective multistakeholder engagement in dryland issues from local to global level; 3. Strengthen the development and communication of dryland knowledge and science both to communities, development partners and government; 4. Build programmatic work on drylands to demonstrate principles of drylands sustainable development and conservation on the ground. Detailed notes of all discussion points Priority issues Knowledge Mobilise existing science at community level and information Document indigenous knowledge and raise awareness on the values of biodiversity Develop an up to date database of dryland flora and fauna and soil Public awareness on conservation and understanding the importance of 2

3 protected areas Monitoring and assessing what is defined as protected areas Creation of national/regional collaboration in accessing information to develop a red list of wildlife Linkages Marry the energy of local efforts to global needs Get national and international support to local level Leverage programmatic funds Addressing the tension between urban and rural access and distribution Governance Strengthen governance and capacity to attain sustainability Participatory land use planning Protecting and recognising customary governance systems Governance equity based on rights of local communities, indigenous peoples and women management and access to Biodiversity Food security Maintain the link between food security and biodiversity and demonstrate drylands BD conservation benefits for food security Land Create opportunities for marginalised land degradation Sustainable development of land usage Scale up pilot initiatives especially on sustainable land management techniques (land scape scale models) Maintaining water flows Biodiversity Focus on biodiversity hotspots conservation Need for joint management such as community conserved areas Drylands under-represented in PAs need to include ICCAs in PA regimes Comments on the priority issues Knowledge and information Science and information that can strengthen drylands conservation and sustainable development exists and there is a great need to mobilise it to the community level. Local and indigenous knowledge is often strong in the drylands and more effort is needed to bring this knowledge together with new ideas from science to support innovation. Local knowledge and perspectives need greater support to influence government decision making. We need to be confident enough to train decision makers and we need to find a way to convince them that they need new skills and approaches. Knowledge still needs to be better used to convince donors of the value of drylands and there is need for much stronger communication. There is also need to bring a wider range of stakeholders round the table for example including extractive industries or energy suppliers. Greater resources are needed to fund human resources for the qualitative side of the work. Look at NAPA and NAP/NBSAP alignment processes as an opportunity to mobilise knowledge on drylands and to bring different knowledge holders together for example meteorologists and farmers/pastoralists. Often the science holders do not have resources for outreach support can be given to national platforms for knowledge exchange. DRYNET (a representative from Turkey was present) already provides one such platform that people can link up with. Sharing of knowledge and information can be improved through better networking, and this does not need to be constrained by lack of funds people just need to get on with it. IUCN already has the components of a 3

4 network in place and it needs to join the parts together more effectively. In relation to the UNCCD more could be done through networks to mobilise enthusiasm to engage in the convention. Linkages There is a lot of action on the ground and communities for example invest hugely in sustainable management of their resources this needs to be matched by action at global level. IUCN in particular needs to strengthen its efforts to link work across themes, commissions and members. It is recommended to take an issue-based approach to improve synergies across the union. The 3 Rio conventions offer a great opportunity to link disciplines and IUCN should support the process of harmonising the conventions for example, aligning NAPs, NAPAs and NBSAPs. Consult the convention focal points to examine their various action plans and see how much overlap there is. Recognising this overlap could help to reduce conflicting approaches and also allay fears that knowledge and science is overwhelming there are common solutions to many of the major challenges. Overlap between the different action plans may be as great as 70%. In 66% of countries that have signed the 3 conventions, all three conventions are managed from the same department in 11 countries it is the same person so the opportunity for linkage should be great. Governance An effort is need to protect customary governance systems through which indigenous knowledge can be deployed, whilst promoting equity in these institutions. Common property is widespread in drylands and is not usually well support in law more work is needed in this field to strengthen resource rights for effective management and as a basis for effective governance. This links to water: governance over land and water are a common problem with common solutions. Look closely at the drying of aquifers and loss of scarce water resources, for example to industry, and the implications for sustainable land management and food security. Consider equity and conflict over land and other resources. There is a need to map conflict-prone drylands and support alert systems for resource-based conflicts. Tenure systems often don t recognise mobility and this is often a point of conflict or weakening of rights. There is a global discussion here over export of water for example where foreign companies farm intensively on land and they use scarce water resources to produce crops for export. Look at carbon sequestration in drylands and in land in general much greater potential than in forests but the REDD agenda seems to have been captured by the timber industry. Good governance is still a prerequisite for effective carbon capture. Next steps These are the points left by participants at the end of the knowledge café, grouped as best as possible into categories. Build a dryland network within IUCN 1. IUCN secretariat should facilitate networking and knowledge sharing among the secretariat, members and interested commissions 2. Develop a web-based networking/advocacy platform 3. Network of IUCN members working on drylands 4

5 4. More drylands in IUCN 5. More keeping in touch for the group 6. Set up a network on dryland issues as a platform for sharing ideas, latest developments, exchanging lessons Build multistakeholder engagement in global/national dryland issues 7. National decision making and planning need to be well informed a. Traditional and local knowledge and sustainable practices of dryland communities b. Inter-sectoral planning, understanding impacts and risks of extractive industries c. Science needs to be available to communities and decision makers d. Train decision makers to understand information and knowledge 8. Better tools in collaboration 9. Engage in processes that link biodiversity conservation to country priorities especially in food security 10. Catalyse synergistic implementation of relevant MEAs: UNFCCC, UNCCD, CBD, CMS 11. IUCN has a catalytic role in getting states to see the possibilities for synergies on adaptation (in drylands) in all the 3 Rio Conventions 12. IUCN has a valuable platform role between CSOs, national States, Conservation Sector and the multilateral sector 13. More mainstreaming for UNCCD Strengthen knowledge on drylands 14. Organise a workshop on how to build partnerships at national level up to RECs and to global level for sharing knowledge and good practices 15. IUCN could develop its own knowledge products and platform on adaptation with special focus on drylands 16. Advance awareness on the value of dryland ecosystems and restoration of sustainable systems backed up by solid data targeting policy makers and donors 17. Training programmes on what other institutions are doing tackling problems in conservation and biodiversity in terms of monitoring and assessment Build programmatic work on drylands 18. Focus on ecological corridors wildlife and livestock for example 19. Develop more effective partnerships for delivering programme objectives 20. Develop a list of priorities coming out of this discussion to be used for IUCN programmes 21. Develop programmatic work on protection of species/biodiversity through land management, and on Climate Change Adaptation 22. Promote sub-regional programme on dryland biodiversity conservation 23. Develop international initiative to pilot some of the ideas proposed here governance support, knowledge sharing, human wildlife conflict 24. Sustainable land management led by all stakeholders by partnership building Participants list Duyku Kutluay TEMA duygu.kutluay@tema.org.tr Ouhoud Al-Ragam Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research oragom@kisr.edu.kw KugBo Shim UNCCD kshim@unccd.int 5

6 Leo Niskanen IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Bob Peart WCPA-TGCI Julian Fennessy Namibia Nature Foundation Mamadou Honadia Burkina Faso SP/CONEDD Nigel Crawhall IUCN TILCEPA and IPACC Secretariat Luc Gncadja UNCCD Secretariat Aditi Jha Development Alternatives Savadogo Moumini IUCN West and Central Africa Masego Madzwamuse USISA and CEESP Jennifer Mohamed-Katerere CEESP TECS Jonathan Davies IUCN Global Drylands Programme Organising institutions for the knowledge café 6