World Bank Operations Evaluation Department

Losses in biodiversity are becoming alarming. To safeguard what is left means placing priority on the protection of species and habitats. Ideally, this should be a goal in its own right. In practice, people have to see a direct gain. However, participation is by no means guaranteed to ensure adequate safeguard. However, participation as a prelude to partnerships that bind government, agencies, and communities through coordinated funding is much more likely to be successful. In the Cape Floral Kingdom of South Africa, one of the world's 25 "hot-spots," public-private partnerships are regarded as vital. In the Uckermark Lakes Nature Park in northeast Germany the partnership approach is proving the only uncontested way to biodiversity management. This article discusses why partnerships are so essential for the future of biodiversity. It also assesses what difficulties remain in order to ensure cooperative linkages between community gain and ecological enhancement.

From Participation to Partnership in Biodiversity Protection: Experience from Germany and South Africa

http://web.mnstate.edu/wisenden/tfb2013/artuso 2002.pdf

Bioprospecting, Benefit Sharing, and Biotechnological Capacity Building

This paper analyses the complex social and political dynamics of feral horse management policy in Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW, and also suggests ways in which it might be made more effective. Cultural, historical and ecological dimensions of horse management are examined through an analysis of the government-led decision-making process, since an aerial cull of horses in October 2000. The paper focuses on challenges of effective community involvement when top-down management processes (e.g., centralized decision-making by government) are imposed. A key question addressed in this paper is who should be the final arbiter and by what process should decisions be made? The paper shows that it is the processes of social interaction in decision-making that determine substantive outcomes, rather than technical scientific details about ecology or biology. Several weaknesses in decision-making were identified. First, inadequacy of community consultation workshops for achieving genuine stakeholder input and s...

The politics of feral horse management in Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW

Towards a More Effective and Democratic Natural Resources Management

This report describes the findings of an assessment of GEF-financed enabling activity projects for biodiversity conservation. These projects are mainly assisting recipient countries (1) to develop national biodiversity strategies and action plans as required by Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (the Convention) and (2) to complete their first national reports to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention. The progress made towards completing national biodiversity planning efforts varies significantly. Some countries have moved fairly quickly and, by early 1999, were about to finalize impressive national biodiversity strategies and action plans, based on in-depth consultations with key stakeholders, solid technical analysis of major issues, and careful development of a plan consisting of clearly defined and prioritized activities. In contrast, other countries have experienced significant start up delays, have not managed to consult widely, and seem to be developing action plans consisting mainly of projects requiring international funding. Very few countries have started implementing their action plans. The report notes that although notable and significant progress in biodiversity planning has indeed been made by many countries implementing enabling activities, the development and implementation of national biodiversity plans that can make a real difference to current rates of biodiversity loss, and the commitment and capacity to implement such plans, are still some way in the future. Thus, continued follow-up action by the countries and the Global Environment Facility is critical.

Carmen Tavera

Papers

Interim assessment of biodiversity enabling activities : national biodiversity strategies and action plans