Showing papers on "Convention on Biological Diversity published in 2013"

Essential biodiversity variables

Abstract: Reducing the rate of biodiversity loss and averting dangerous biodiversity change are international goals, reasserted by the Aichi Targets for 2020 by Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) after failure to meet the 2010 target (1, 2). However, there is no global, harmonized observation system for delivering regular, timely data on biodiversity change (3). With the first plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) soon under way, partners from the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) (4) are developing—and seeking consensus around—Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) that could form the basis of monitoring programs worldwide.

Ecosystem Restoration is Now a Global Priority: Time to Roll up our Sleeves

Abstract: Ecosystem restoration is now globally recognized as a key component in conservation programs and essential to the quest for the long-term sustainability of our human-dominated planet. Restoration scientists and practitioners are now on the frontline and will be increasingly called upon to get involved in large scale programs addressing immediate environmental crises and challenges. Here, we summarize the advances in mainstreaming ecological restoration in global environmental policy deliberations during the last year, culminating in the recent meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. We also provide key references for those seeking more information, and set out an agenda as to how the restoration community could respond to and act upon these recent developments. However, we underline the need for caution and prudence; we must not promise more than we can deliver. Thirty years after the emergence of ecological restoration as a scientific discipline and practice, there remain many obstacles and misconceptions about what can be achieved at large scales. Yet, clearly the old adage applies here: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Rethinking biodiversity: from goods and services to “living with”

Abstract: Since the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, counting and mapping have come to dominate international debates around biodiversity protection. With the emergence of the Ecosystem Services concept, these counting and mapping efforts are increasingly imbued with an economic logic that argues that to save biodiversity, its goods and services must be given monetary value. This article offers a critical engagement with the Ecosystem Services discourse and the way it translates the diversity of nature into a single measure—a “currency”—to be included in systems of exchange. We argue that this conception of biodiversity is too narrow and potentially detrimental because it reduces biodiversity to a series of quantifiable fragmented parts that become liable to counting, mapping, and utilitarian use, and because it reduces social–natural relations to market transactions. Subsequently, we outline possibilities for conceiving and living with biodiversity that go beyond relations of counting, mapping, and commodification. It is important that biodiversity knowledge organizations, such as the recently sanctioned Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), take these into account. Conserving a diversity of life requires acknowledging a diversity of values, knowledge and framings of biodiversity, and fostering a diversity of social–natural relations.

When good intentions are not enough … Insights on networks of “paper park” marine protected areas

Abstract: In efforts to protect the world's oceans, the Convention on Biological Diversity has moved the goal of establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) to cover 10% of the ocean from 2012 to 2020. This adjustment suggests that the rush to establish MPAs without proper resources does not resolve conservation problems. In fact, such actions may create a false sense of protection that camouflages degradation of marine ecosystems on regional scales. To exemplify this phenomenon, we reviewed MPA efficacy in the Gulf of California, Mexico, where some 23,300 km2 have been decreed as MPAs. With the exception of Cabo Pulmo National Park, MPAs have not met conservation or sustainability goals. We examined MPA budgets and foundations’ investment in the region and found that funding for management is not the limiting factor in MPA efficacy, although funding for enforcement may be deficient. We conclude that MPAs have failed because of insufficient no-take zones, lack of enforcement, poor governance, and minimal community involvement. We need a new philosophy to implement MPAs to take advantage of the scientific knowledge and monetary investment that have been generated worldwide and ensure that they complement effective fisheries management outside their borders.

Diversifying food and diets: Using agricultural biodiversity to improve nutrition and health

Abstract: Foreword Braulio Dias (Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity) Foreword Olivier De Schutter (United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food) Preface Emile Frison (Director General, Bioversity International) and Barbara Burlingame (Principal Officer, Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO) Introduction: Agricultural Biodiversity, Diverse Diets and Improving Nutrition Danny Hunter (Bioversity International) and Jessica Fanzo (World Food Programme - WFP) Part 1: The State of Agricultural Biodiversity and Nutrition - Overviews, Models and Themes 1. Harnessing Biodiversity: from Diets to Landscapes Fabrice DeClerck (Bioversity International) 2. Overview of Agricultural Biodiversity and its Importance to Nutrition and Health Vernon H. Heywood (School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading) 3. The Role of Livestock and Livestock Diversity in Sustainable Diets Irene Hoffmann and Roswitha Baumung (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO) 4. Valuing Aquatic Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes Matthias Halwart (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -FAO) Part 2: Creating an Enabling Environment 5. Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa - Delivery Mechanisms for Mobilizing Agricultural Biodiversity for Improved Food and Nutrition Security Herve B. D. Bisseleua and Amadou Ibra Niang (The MDG Centre - West and Central Africa) 6. Sustained and Integrated Promotion of Local, Traditional Food Systems for Nutrition Security Ifeyironwa Francisca Smith (Lanrify Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Consulting Inc.) 7. Linking Biodiversity and Nutrition: Research Methodologies Roseline Remans and Sean Smukler (The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the University of British Columbia) 8. Successes and Pitfalls of Linking Nutritionally Promising Andean Crops to Markets Michael Hermann (Crops for the Future) 9. Biodiversity's Contribution to Dietary Diversity: Magnitude, Meaning and Measurement Peter R. Berti (HealthBridge) and Andrew D. Jones (Cornell University) 10. "Opening a can of Mopane Worms?" : Can Cross-Sectoral Partnerships Leverage Agricultural Biodiversity for Better Quality Diets? Margaret McEwan, Gordon Prain (International Potato Center - CIP) and Danny Hunter (Bioversity International) Part 3: Case Studies: Agricultural Biodiversity and Food Based Approaches to Improving Nutrition Case Study 1. Traditional Foods of the Pacific: Go Local, a Case Study in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Lois Englberger and Eminher Johnson (Island Food Community of Pohnpei) Case Study 2. The Role of Integrated Homegardens and Local, Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species in Food Security in Nepal and Meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Roshan Pudasaini (LI-BIRD), Sajal Sthapit (LI-BIRD), Rojee Suwal (LI-BIRD) and Bhuwon Sthapit (Bioversity International) Case Study 3. Diversity of Indigenous Fruit Trees and their Contribution to Nutrition and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examples from Kenya and Cameroon Katja Kehlenbeck, Ebenezar Asaah and Ramni Jamnadass (World Agroforestry Centre - ICRAF) Case Study 4. Fish Diversity and Fish Consumption in Bangladesh Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted (The WorldFish Center) Case Study 5. The Introduction of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) in Mozambican Diets: A Marginal Change to Make a Major Difference Jan Low, Ricardo Labarta, Maria Andrade, and Mary Arimond (University of California Davis) Case Study 6. Diversifying Diets: Using Indigenous Vegetables to Improve Profitability, Nutrition and Health in Africa C. Ojiewo, A. Tenkouano, J. d'A. Hughes and J.D.H. Keatinge (AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center) Case Study 7. Diversifying Diets: Using Agricultural Biodiversity to Improve Nutrition and Health in Asia Jennifer Nielsen, Nancy Haselow, Akoto Osei and Zaman Talukder (Helen Keller International) Case Study 8. Minor Millets in India: A Neglected Crop goes Mainstream Nadia Bergamini, Stefano Padulosi (Bioversity International), S. Bala Ravi (MSSRF, India) and Nirmala Yenagi (University of Dharward, India) Case Study 9. Local Food and Dietary Diversity: Farmers Markets and Community Gardens in Melbourne, Australia Kelly Donati, Christopher Taylor and Craig Pearson (University of Melbourne) Case Study 10. "Please Pick Me" - How Incredible Edible Todmorden is Repurposing the Commons for Open Source Food and Agricultural Biodiversity John Paull (University of Oxford) Case Study 11. Cultivating Health with Leafy Vegetables in Coastal Tanzania Petra Bakewell-Stone (University of Kent) Case Study 12. The Food Acquisition Programme in Brazil: Contributions to Biodiversity, Food Security and Nutrition Catia Grisa and Claudia Job Schmitt (Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro - CPDA/UFRRJ)

Biodiversity Risks from Fossil Fuel Extraction

Abstract: Despite a global political commitment to reduce biodiversity loss by 2010 through the 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity, declines are accelerating and threats are increasing ( 1 ). Major threats to biodiversity are habitat loss, invasion by exotic species and pathogens, and climate change, all principally driven by human activities. Although fossil fuel (FF) extraction has traditionally been seen as a temporary and spatially limited perturbation to ecosystems ( 2 ), even local or limited biodiversity loss can have large cascade effects on ecosystem function and productivity...

Achieving the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Goals for Plant Conservation

Abstract: Identifying which areas capture how many species is the first question in conservation planning. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aspires to formal protection of at least 17% of the terrestrial world and, through the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, 60% of plant species. Are these targets of protecting area and species compatible? We show that 67% of plant species live entirely within regions that comprise 17% of the land surface. Moreover, these regions include most terrestrial vertebrates with small geographical ranges. However, the connections between the CBD targets of protecting area and species are complex. Achieving both targets will be difficult because regions with the most plant species have only slightly more land protected than do those with fewer.

Representation of Ecological Systems within the Protected Areas Network of the Continental United States

Abstract: If conservation of biodiversity is the goal, then the protected areas network of the continental US may be one of our best conservation tools for safeguarding ecological systems (i.e., vegetation communities). We evaluated representation of ecological systems in the current protected areas network and found insufficient representation at three vegetation community levels within lower elevations and moderate to high productivity soils. We used national-level data for ecological systems and a protected areas database to explore alternative ways we might be able to increase representation of ecological systems within the continental US. By following one or more of these alternatives it may be possible to increase the representation of ecological systems in the protected areas network both quantitatively (from 10% up to 39%) and geographically and come closer to meeting the suggested Convention on Biological Diversity target of 17% for terrestrial areas. We used the Landscape Conservation Cooperative framework for regional analysis and found that increased conservation on some private and public lands may be important to the conservation of ecological systems in Western US, while increased public-private partnerships may be important in the conservation of ecological systems in Eastern US. We have not assessed the pros and cons of following the national or regional alternatives, but rather present them as possibilities that may be considered and evaluated as decisions are made to increase the representation of ecological systems in the protected areas network across their range of ecological, geographical, and geophysical occurrence in the continental US into the future.

Representation of Ecological Systems within the Protected Areas Network of the Continental United States

Abstract: If conservation of biodiversity is the goal, then the protected areas network of the continental US may be one of our best conservation tools for safeguarding ecological systems (ie, vegetation communities) We evaluated representation of ecological systems in the current protected areas network and found insufficient representation at three vegetation community levels within lower elevations and moderate to high productivity soils We used national-level data for ecological systems and a protected areas database to explore alternative ways we might be able to increase representation of ecological systems within the continental US By following one or more of these alternatives it may be possible to increase the representation of ecological systems in the protected areas network both quantitatively (from 10% up to 39%) and geographically and come closer to meeting the suggested Convention on Biological Diversity target of 17% for terrestrial areas We used the Landscape Conservation Cooperative framework for regional analysis and found that increased conservation on some private and public lands may be important to the conservation of ecological systems in Western US, while increased public-private partnerships may be important in the conservation of ecological systems in Eastern US We have not assessed the pros and cons of following the national or regional alternatives, but rather present them as possibilities that may be considered and evaluated as decisions are made to increase the representation of ecological systems in the protected areas network across their range of ecological, geographical, and geophysical occurrence in the continental US into the future

The Ecosystem Approach

Abstract: This chapter introduces the ecosystem approach to management. This is a series of 12 principles that can be applied to planning and management. It is not necessarily about managing ecosystems; the principles can be used to guide biodiversity management in any situation. In order to avoid unnecessary confusion, the concept of an ‘ecosystem’ is discussed. Most of the early thinking about ecosystem management originated in the USA. This generally assumed that a natural system is sustainable if anthropogenic factors are removed or controlled. The ecosystem approach has not, until recently, been a feature of European conservation, but Europe has recognised and applied most of the principles implied by this approach for a very long time. The most commonly applied, and widely recognised, definition of an ecosystem approach comes from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This chapter will introduce the 12 principles promoted by CBD, which are all given varying levels of attention in other chapters of the book. The principles provide guidance that all management planners should, at least, consider, but it must be recognised that an ecosystem approach does not mean abandoning the established tried, tested and effective methods of conservation. The ecosystem approach to management must be adaptive: this book is about an adaptive approach to management and planning. Finally, there is no single way to implement the ecosystem approach, as it depends on local, provincial, national, regional or global conditions.

Ecosystem services, biodiversity and environmental change in a tropical mountain ecosystem of South Ecuador

Abstract: An interdisciplinary research unit consisting of 30 teams in the natural, economic and social sciences analyzed biodiversity and ecosystem services of a mountain rainforest ecosystem in the hotspot of the tropical Andes, with special reference to past, current and future environmental changes. The group assessed ecosystem services using data from ecological field and scenario-driven model experiments, and with the help of comparative field surveys of the natural forest and its anthropogenic replacement system for agriculture. The book offers insights into the impacts of environmental change on various service categories mentioned in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): cultural, regulating, supporting and provisioning ecosystem services. Examples focus on biodiversity of plants and animals including trophic networks, and abiotic/biotic parameters such as soils, regional climate, water, nutrient and sediment cycles. The types of threats considered include land use and climate changes, as well as atmospheric fertilization. In terms of regulating and provisioning services, the emphasis is primarily on water regulation and supply as well as climate regulation and carbon sequestration. With regard to provisioning services, the synthesis of the book provides science-based recommendations for a sustainable land use portfolio including several options such as forestry, pasture management and the practices of indigenous peoples. In closing, the authors show how they integrated the local society by pursuing capacity building in compliance with the CBD-ABS (Convention on Biological Diversity - Access and Benefit Sharing), in the form of education and knowledge transfer for application.

Innovation Politics Post-Rio+20: Hybrid Pathways to Sustainability?:

Abstract: The ability of innovation—both technical and social—to stretch and redefine ‘limits to growth’ was recognised at Stockholm in 1972, and has been a key feature in debates through to Rio+20 in 2012. Compared with previous major moments of global reflection about human and planetary futures—Stockholm, Rio in 1992, Johannesburg in 2002—we now have a better understanding of how innovation interacts with social, technological, and ecological systems to contribute to transitions at multiple levels. What can this improved understanding offer in terms of governance approaches that might enhance the interaction between local initiatives and global sustainability objectives post-Rio+20? The global political agenda over the last two decades has largely focused on creating economic and regulatory incentives to drive more sustainable industrial development patterns within and between nation-states—resulting most notably in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. At the other end of the spectrum, ‘Local Agenda 21’, launched at the first Rio summit, envisaged a community-led response to sustainable development challenges locally. This paper discusses the successes and challenges of globally linked local action through a number of illustrative examples, reflecting on how these have contributed to Rio 1992’s original objectives. In doing so, we will draw upon innovation studies and development studies to highlight three key issues in a hybrid politics of innovation for sustainability that links global and local: first, the direction in which innovation and development proceed; second, the distribution of the costs, benefits, and risks associated with such changes; third, the diversity of approaches and forms of innovation that contribute to global transitions to sustainability. Drawing on this analysis, we will also reflect on Rio+20, including the extent to which hybrid innovation politics is already emerging, whether this was reflected in the formal Rio+20 outcomes, and what this suggests for the future of international sustainable development summits.

Biological Diversity in the Patent System

Abstract: Biological diversity in the patent system is an enduring focus of controversy but empirical analysis of the presence of biodiversity in the patent system has been limited. To address this problem we text mined 11 million patent documents for 6 million Latin species names from the Global Names Index (GNI) established by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). We identified 76,274 full Latin species names from 23,882 genera in 767,955 patent documents. 25,595 species appeared in the claims section of 136,880 patent documents. This reveals that human innovative activity involving biodiversity in the patent system focuses on approximately 4% of taxonomically described species and between 0.8–1% of predicted global species. In this article we identify the major features of the patent landscape for biological diversity by focusing on key areas including pharmaceuticals, neglected diseases, traditional medicines, genetic engineering, foods, biocides, marine genetic resources and Antarctica. We conclude that the narrow focus of human innovative activity and ownership of genetic resources is unlikely to be in the long term interest of humanity. We argue that a broader spectrum of biodiversity needs to be opened up to research and development based on the principles of equitable benefit-sharing, respect for the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, human rights and ethics. Finally, we argue that alternative models of innovation, such as open source and commons models, are required to open up biodiversity for research that addresses actual and neglected areas of human need. The research aims to inform the implementation of the 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization and international debates directed to the governance of genetic resources. Our research also aims to inform debates under the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organization.

An Explanatory Guide to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (Chinese version)

Abstract: The main goal of this Explanatory Guide is to facilitate the understanding of the legal obligations of the Parties under the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This guide is the product of a fruitful, constructive, and harmonious collaboration with ABS experts from different regions and international institutions who engaged with IUCN in the writing and reviewing of this Guide. This publication serves as an adaptable tool for future ABS capacity-building and awareness raising initiatives, as well as an important reference for countries in their efforts to implement the Nagoya Protocol and operationalize ABS in practice.

How to Organize a Large-Scale Ecological Restoration Program? The Framework Developed by the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil

Abstract: Large-scale ecological restoration programs across the world have begun to extensively transform degraded lands into young native ecosystems. However, more projects like these will be necessary in the coming years to fulfill the goal of restoring 150 million ha established by United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Here, we present and discuss the steps required for and the lessons learned from the organization of a large-scale ecological restoration program in Brazil, the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact. These lessons are organized around 9 steps: (a) the presentation of the motivations driving the promotion of large-scale restoration, (b) the organization of the main stakeholders, (c) the definition of goals, (d) the organization of a database, (e) the indication of both available and priority areas for restoration, (f) the proposal of science-based and field-validated methods, (g) the establishment of a monitoring protocol, (h) the proposal of a communication program to unite members and in...

Edge artefacts and lost performance in national versus continental conservation priority areas

Abstract: Aim Global conservation policies, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decision to aim for the protection of 17% of the area of terrestrial ecosystems by 2020, are typically realized at national levels. We investigate the difference between continentally coordinated conservation versus nationally devolved conservation, in a manner relevant for the Nagoya resolution. Location The terrestrial areas of the Western Hemisphere. Methods We used IUCN distribution data for 8463 species of mammals, birds and amphibians in the Western Hemisphere. We investigated the consequences of prioritizing land at a continental scale, versus analysing priorities within each country separately. Spatial prioritization was performed using the Zonation software, which produces a complementarity-based hierarchical priority ranking across the area of interest. Results We found that coordinated continent-wide priorities achieved > 50% higher mean protection levels than national analyses for the top 17% of land. National prioritizations also result in spatial priority patterns that can be considered as artefacts at the continental scale: in bands of high-priority land concentrated at terrestrial political boundaries, such as at low-latitude edges of temperate zone countries. We find that this edge artefact also correlates with the present distribution of conservation areas, with the density of conservation areas within 50 km of a national border being > 50% higher than the density of conservation areas away from national borders. Main conclusions The means by which national priorities are integrated with continental or global conservation prioritization will have considerable influence on how much is achieved by the CBD resolution. Focus on national species distributions and priorities will result in lost performance because of emphasis on nationally rare species that are comparatively common elsewhere. National borders intersect species distributions (and possibly diversity gradients), leading to clustering of nationally rare species and priority areas close to the border.

Between nature and culture : exploring space for indigenous agency in the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract: The goals of nature conservation have changed over the last decades, but setting aside areas for nature protection is still a major part of environmental efforts globally. Protected areas often include traditional lands of indigenous peoples, and although indigenous rights have been strengthened through international treaties, conflicts over land entitlement are still common. I analyse indigenous peoples' role in nature conservation, focusing on the discursive construction of indigenous subject position in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and using post-colonial theory to situate the discussion in its historical and political context, discussing what subject positions are made available to indigenous people, and what political agency they can be assumed to entail. The analysis shows that limits to indigenous space for agency are embedded in the Convention on Biological Diversity discourse – the analysed texts present a narrow recognition of indigenous people's role in the context of the Conventio...

Linking biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction: de‐polarizing the conservation‐poverty debate

Abstract: The published literature leads the reader to expect polarization between conservation and development communities as to the relationship between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. A survey of over 1,000 conservation and development professionals does not, however, support this depiction. Indeed it reveals a surprising consensus of opinion that there is a positive link between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. Where there is some division, is over the direction of that link—conservation as a means to poverty alleviation, or poverty alleviation as a means to conservation—but again conservation and development organizations appear equally divided in their views. Extreme positions often dominate policy debates, hindering progress towards effective, integrated approaches. Our analysis indicates that this may be true of the conservation-poverty debate. Debate is needed not on whether conservation and poverty are linked and whose role it is to address each agenda but on how to develop conservation and development programmes that find integrated solutions to shared challenges. This could greatly inform the process of revising national biodiversity strategies that has recently been started by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and which potentially present a real opportunity for linking conservation and development in policy and practice.

Integrating Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Goal Structure, Target Areas and Means of Implementation

Abstract: The United Nations’ discussions on defining a new set of post-2015 development goals focus on poverty eradication and sustainable development. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential for poverty eradication, which is also one of the foundations of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Based on an assessment of current proposals of goals and targets, and a quantitative pathway analysis to meet long term biodiversity and food security goals, this paper discusses how biodiversity and ecosystem services can be integrated into a broad set of goals and targets, and concludes with relevant target areas and means of implementation for which specific targets need to be defined. Furthermore, it responds to the call of the CBD to consider the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the related Aichi biodiversity targets in the post-2015 development agenda. The paper’s analysis identifies three overlapping but also supplemental ways to integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services in the post-2015 agenda: integrated goals, goals addressing earth system functioning and goals addressing environmental limits. It further concludes seven target areas to be included under the goals to address biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of food and agriculture: access to food, demand for agricultural products, sustainable intensification, ecosystem fragmentation, protected areas, essential ecosystem services and genetic diversity. The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity provides a good basis for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in the post-2015 development agenda. Many Aichi targets address the proposed target areas and the means of implementation discussed, while they need to be complemented with targets that specifically address human well-being, as well as institutions and governance.

Bridging the biodiversity data gaps: Recommendations to meet users’ data needs

Abstract: A strong case has been made for freely available, high quality data on species occurrence, in order to track changes in biodiversity. However, one of the main issues surrounding the provision of such data is that sources vary in quality, scope, and accuracy. Therefore publishers of such data must face the challenge of maximizing quality, utility and breadth of data coverage, in order to make such data useful to users. Here, we report a number of recommendations that stem from a content need assessment survey conducted by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Through this survey, we aimed to distil the main user needs regarding biodiversity data. We find a broad range of recommendations from the survey respondents, principally concerning issues such as data quality, bias, and coverage, and extending ease of access. We recommend a candidate set of actions for the GBIF that fall into three classes: 1) addressing data gaps, data volume, and data quality, 2) aggregating new kinds of data for new applications, and 3) promoting ease-of-use and providing incentives for wider use. Addressing the challenge of providing high quality primary biodiversity data can potentially serve the needs of many international biodiversity initiatives, including the new 2020 biodiversity targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the emerging global biodiversity observation network (GEO BON), and the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Urban Biodiversity Gains New Converts

Abstract: Nature is being brought back into urban life—and that bodes well for efforts to conserve global diversity. Cities are supporting a range of efforts, including restoring watersheds; expanding and linking conserved areas; encouraging green roofs and local green gardening; reintroducing native fauna and flora to parks and walkways; removing the constructed covers over brooks, streams, and rivers (referred to as daylighting waterways); and encouraging educational outreach programs and green architectural design. From Stockholm and Malmo in Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark; Curitiba, Brazil; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; and Singapore, cities are revitalizing the potential for biodiversity. There is much new thinking going on. Timothy Beatley, University of Virginia professor of environmental and urban planning, extends biophilia— biologist E. O. Wilson’s term for an inherent human affinity for other species and natural communities—to city planning. His “biophilic cities” steward and restore their natural and cultivated biodiversity. Beatley details this urban vision in Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning. “My vision of a vibrant, compact, walkable, sustainable city has within and without it lots of nature— horizontally, vertically in all the spaces of the city,” he said Summit convened for the second time. The summit was held in Hyderabad, India, in conjunction with the biannual Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Attended by over 500 people, including over 60 mayors or municipal leaders, the Cities for Life Summit showcased the CBD-requested report in an interview. New parks are being planted with native species, and many experts write about the health benefits of urban biodiversity. “With nature in the city,” Beatley explains, “we are more social and healthier. Nature... is uniquely suited to bring us together.” Urban biodiversity got a boost in October 2012, when the Cities for Life

Managing Institutional Complexity and Fragmentation: The Nagoya Protocol and the Global Governance of Genetic Resources

Abstract: This article explores the impact of the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity on the complex of international institutions involved in the governance of access to, and benefit sharing from, genetic resources. Conceptually, we develop an interplay management perspective that focuses on the governance of institutional complexes and their internal division of labor by means of collective decisions within the elemental institutions. We seek to understand interplay management with reference to constellations of actors' interests and power, as well as institutional factors (commitments, inter-institutional consistency). We argue that the strength of status-quo forces led to the Nagoya Protocol consolidating and clarifying (rather than changing) the existing interinstitutional division of labor. The analysis demonstrates the difficulty of changing existing inter-institutional balances, yet suggests that a consolidation of an inter-institutional equilibrium can induce important new, pathdepend...

Ecological restoration in the Convention on Biological Diversity targets

Abstract: Ecological restoration has been incorporated into several Multilateral Environmental Agreements, including the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Target 15 of the Aichi Targets for 2020 sets a numerical goal of restoration of 15 percent of degraded ecosystems; however, the CBD has not established a clear statement defining restoration within this context. Without such a definition, the CBD will be unable to measure progress against the goal. The adopted definition of ecological restoration would have to allow for measurement against the numerical target, or the target should be modified to match the chosen definition.

Neoliberalism, Environmental Justice, and the Convention on Biological Diversity: How Problematizing the Commodification of Nature Affects Regime Effectiveness

Abstract: Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is becoming a dominant approach in generating political and societal support for conservation of globally important biodiversity. PES assumes that corporate actors and policymakers will be more likely to support environmental action if convinced of the economic rationale of doing so. However, by process-tracing two biodiversity projects funded by the Global Environment Facility in Jamaica and Mexico, I argue that linking biodiversity conservation to neoliberal economics reifies a short-term, exploitative view of the environment. Economic calculations about biodiversity will not persuade corporate actors and policymakers to abandon short-term exploitation. Moreover, commodifying nature under the neoliberal paradigm undermines other perspectives on the value of nature, notably those rooted in cultural, historic, subsistence and aesthetic paradigms. In turn, this restricts the ability of populations not integrated into major economic markets to participate in governance a...