Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity

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SUPPORTING LOCAL ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY

THE ROLE OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS


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Supporting Local Action forBiodiversity:

The Role of National Governments


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Copyright United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) 2010

All rights reservedUrban Environment and Planning BranchUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)P.O Box 30030 00100 Nairobi GPO KENYA

Tel: 254-020-7625404Email: [email protected]

HS Number: HS/173/10E

DISCLAIMER

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinionwhatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or

area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or regarding its economic system ordegree of development. The analysis conclusions and recommendations of this publication do not necessarily reect theviews of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme or its Governing Council.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Principal author: Julie Tasker-Brown

Contributors: Karin Buhren (UN-HABITAT), Andre Mader (ICLEI), Oliver Hillel (SCBD), Rob McInnis (Bioscanuk), Bonnie Ja(Environment Canada) and Joanne Keegan (Natural England).

Case study contibutors: Carolina Proano, Fabiana Spinelli, Elisa Calcaterra, Machteld Gryseels, Vronique Blanger, AsadRahmani, Peter Massini, Sally Mackenzie, Matthew Thomas, Faiyaz Khudsar, Eric Blencowe, Fiona Mayo, Gabby McAvey,Richard Boon, Rod Braby, Stephen Monet, and Uwe Friedel.

Review process: Andrew Rudd (UN-HABITAT), Maike Christiansen (UNEP), Grant Pearsell (City of Edmonton), Carol Bergquist(City of Waitakere), Russell Galt (IUCN), Shela Patrickson (ICLEI), Ndinda Mwongo (UN-HABITAT) and Florence Clap (IUCFrance).

Design and layout: UNON Printshop Gideon Mureithi, Jennifer Odallo & Eugene Papa.Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi, ISO 14001:2004-certied

PHOTO CREDITS

Front cover: UN-HABITAT, UNEP/ Still Pictures, Getty images, NACOMA, Sally Mackenzie

Back cover: UN-HABITAT, Vronique Blanger


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Table of Contents

5 INTRODUCTION

5 Background

9 Ten actions national governments can take for local action on biodiversity

11 UNDERSTANDING CITIES AND BIODIVERSITY

11 Urban biodiversity

12 The link between urban activities and biodiversity loss17 BIODIVERSITY ACTION AREAS

17 Action Area One Raising awareness and education

22 Action Area Two Creating a strong regulatory and institutional framework

25 Action Area Three Facilitating mainstreaming of biodiversity into local decision-making and operations

27 Action Area Four Laying the groundwork for cooperative governance

29 Action Area Five Decision making at the habitat, ecosystem and landscape scale

32 Action Area Six Capacity building and information sharing

35 Action Area Seven Collecting and disseminating biodiversity information

36 Action Area Eight Facilitating partnerships and participation

38 Action Area Nine Prioritizing and focusing action

43 Action Area Ten Financing biodiversity conservation

45 ANNEXES

45 ANNEX I: TABLE OF CASE STUDIES47 ANNEX II: TABLE OF BIODIVERSITY ACTION AREAS

49 ANNEX III: USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES


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4 Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity

On October 29, 2010, in Nagoya, Japan, the 193 na-tional governments of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity adopted a decision with deep strategic implica-tions: basically, the Parties recognize that they will notbe able to meet the ambitious goals dened in the new2011-2020 Strategic Plan of the Convention without theeffective help of their sub-national and local authorities.Faced with the steep rate of biodiversity loss which jeop-

ardizes the chances of achieving most of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, Parties have decided to invite sub-national and local governments to help them, involvethem when revising their national biodiversity strategiesand action plans, and include their achievements intheir regular reporting duties to the Convention.

The 2011-2020 Plan of Action on SubnationalGovernments, Cities and Other Local Authorities forBiodiversity adopted at COP 10 denes the ways andmeans for collaboration between levels of government,proposes a governance system, a monitoring and re-

porting structure, provides indicative activities and sug-gested fundraising mechanisms for Parties. The Planreects a 4-year long outreach and consultation pro-cess with Parties, networks of local authorities such asICLEI, NGOs and many UN agencies including rst andforemost UN-HABITAT, an active member of the CBDGlobal Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity since 2007.The present publication is part of our concerted effortto provide Parties, sub-national and local governmentswith guidelines and best practice cases to implementthis historical decision. While ICLEIs excellent LocalAction for Biodiversity Guidebook provides all the nec-essary information for local authorities to incorporatebiodiversity into urban planning and management, thisguidebook is intended to advise national governmentson how to mobilize and support their sub-national andlocal governments to help achieve the 2020 targets ofthe Convention, improve the quality of life of their citi-zens and bring biodiversity back into cities. In this light,I commit the Secretariat to continue working with UN-HABITAT and many others on this important subject aswe know, the campaign for life on Earth will be won, orlost, at the local level.

Dr. Ahmed DjoghlafCBD, Executive Secretary

The need for city governments to tackle the challengesof biodiversity loss is more important than ever as theworlds population has grown enormously in recent de-cades, particularly in developing countries. Urbanisationprocesses are undoubtedly responsible for some of thisloss. Yet strategic urban planning can make cities morecompact, reducing the spatial footprint of developmentand allowing for more shared infrastructure. This in turn

reduces per capita resource use. Biodiversity reciprocatesby providing ecosystem services crucial to the function-ing of cities such as ood prevention, which in turn pro-mote adaptation to climate change. The historic decisionmade at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) tothe Convention on Biodiversity to adopt the 2011-2020Plan of Action on Sub-national Governments, Cities andOther Local Authorities for Biodiversity acknowledgesthe important contribution cities can make to stemmingthis loss, and denes multi-level cooperation betweendifferent levels of government.

The present publication helps those in every tier of gov-ernment around the world as they manage biodiversityin cities. It has been written for national focal points,departments and ministries dealing with the urban envi-ronment to provide practical advice on supporting biodi-versity action at the local level. With nearly 50 interest-ing case studies from around the world, it provides aconsolidated series of actions toward implementing theCOP10 Plan of Action. This publication also comple-ments ICLEIs Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook,which demonstrates how local authorities can incorpo-rate biodiversity into urban planning and management.

As the worlds premier sites of innovation, cities play acrucial role in reversing the loss of biodiversity. And ascities are some of the biggest beneciaries of biodiver-sity and ecosystem services, their citizens particularlythe poor -- and their economic activities are inextricablylinked to the wider urban environment. The interest ofcities in the biodiversity agenda is growing fast, and wemust seize this opportunity to make them more effectiveactors in the implementation of the Convention. It is myhope, therefore, that this guidebook will inspire nationalgovernments to achieve their targets for 2020. There isno time to lose.

Joan ClosUnder-Secretary General and Executive Director

Foreword


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Introduction 5

Background

Loss of biodiversity is one of the worlds most pressingcrises. Apart from its intrinsic value, biodiversity mat-ters because it sustains the ecosystem services uponwhich human societies depend. According to the re-cently published Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, despitethe 2010 target to signicantly reduce the rate of theloss of biodiversity, we continue to lose the diversity ofliving things by every measure.

It is estimated that the current species extinction rate isbetween 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it wouldnaturally be1, largely as a result of human activitiessuch as habitat destruction.

As noted in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment,this loss has been substantial and largely irreversible,with some 10 to 30% of mammal, bird and amphibian

species currently threatened with extinction.Human activities associated with cities such as convert-ing natural areas to farming and urban development,

introducing invasive alien species, polluting or over-ex-ploiting resources such as water and soils and harvest-ing wild plants and animals at unsustainable levels allplay a disproportionately inuential role in the loss ofspecies and their habitats.

1 Introduction

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Biodiversity is the variety of life and its processes;and it includes the variety of living organisms, thegenetic differences among them, and the communi-ties and ecosystems in which they occur.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) de-nes biodiversity as the variability among livingorganisms from all sources including, inter alia, ter-restrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and

the ecological complexes of which they are part; thisincludes diversity within species, between speciesand of ecosystems (Article 2, CBD).


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The Convention on Biological Diversity is one ofthe three Rio conventions along with the UnitedNations Convention to Combat Desertication(UNCCD) and the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is alsoone of six biodiversity-related conventions with theother ve being: the Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITES), the Convention on Wetlands ofInternational Importance (Ramsar), the Conventionon Migratory Species (CMS), the International Treatyon Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agricultureand the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

Each country that signs one of these conventions,becoming a Party to that convention, has a respon-sibility to respect the objectives and provisions of

these multilateral agreements and to adjust its owndomestic legislation to ensure the conventions areimplemented in their own countries.

Although cities occupy just 2% of the Earths surface2,they are home to more than half of the worlds popula-tion, and they use 75% of the worlds natural resourc-es. They are also responsible for 70% of all the wasteproduced globally3.

The ecological footprint4

of city dwellers clearly extendsbeyond the boundaries of urban areas. This is mosttrue of urban residents in the developed world whoseenvironmental impact is disproportionately high. Forexample, the average North American living in a citysuch as Boston or New York has an ecological footprintof 8.4 hectares which dwarfs that of the average per-son in India, whose footprint is just 1.98 hectares.

Furthermore, the planet is urbanizing at an unparal-leled rate. The United Nations estimates that, by 2030,almost 5 billion people worldwide will live in citieswhich is more than double the total in 19955; of them,two billion will be living in slums6.

The number of highly urbanized zones or megalop-olises continues to grow and in 2007 there were 22cities with more than 10 million inhabitants, and an-other 400 with more than 5 million. The majority ofthese megacities are and will continue to be in thedeveloping world where resources are strained.

Also noteworthy is the growth of small and mediumcities and the rapid urbanization of rural settlementswhich often encroach into valuable agricultural land orimportant natural habitat7. If not managed adequate-ly, the current activities and growth of especially theworlds urban population will continue to acceleratethe unprecedented loss of our planets biodiversity.

Recognizing that many of the key drivers of this loss arehuman activities in urban areas, the Global Partnershipon Cities and Biodiversity was formally established atthe International Union for Conservation of Nature

(IUCN) World Conservation Congress in October 2008.This partnership brings together key United Nations(UN) agencies the Secretariat of the Conventionon Biological Diversity (SCBD), UN-HABITAT, UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) andUnited Nations Educational, Scientic and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) - international organisations,including ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainabilityand the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN), and academic networks (URBIO, URBIS), withthe aim of supporting local authorities in meeting thethree objectives of the CBD: conserving Earths bio-

diversity, sustainably using its components and ensur-ing the fair and equitable sharing of its benets.

While Parties are the primary implementers of aConvention, local authorities are increasingly playing acomplementary and growing part in the achievementof the CBD objectives.

Decision IX/28 of the 9th Conference of the Partiesto the Convention on Biological Diversity encourag-es Parties to recognize the role of cities and local au-thorities in their national strategies and action plans,to integrate biodiversity considerations into urbaninfrastructure development, to build the capacity of

local authorities to assist in the implementation ofthe CBD decisions, and to report on local action onbiodiversity.


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Introduction 7

Working with different arrangements: Memo-randum of Understanding between theProvince of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg

In Canada, municipal and environmental affairs fallunder provincial jurisdiction so provincial govern-ments are full partners in the Canadian BiodiversityStrategy and have an important role in raisingawareness and building capacity at the local level.

The City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitobasigned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) toagree to work cooperatively with other stakehold-ers and levels of government to identify areas ofmutual interest and opportunities for collabora-tion in the conservation, restoration and man-agement of natural areas and habitats. A rst of

its kind in Canada, this MoU recognizes the inter-connectedness of actions being taken at all threelevels - national, provincial and local-and the needto develop mechanisms for enhanced dialogue andcoordination.

As the world continues to urbanize, cities are increas-ingly centres of population, consumption, innovationand decision-making power. Local authorities there-fore play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation

and restoration: they design and implement land-useplanning and zoning tools, produce urban develop-ment and infrastructure guidelines, licence businessesprovide a panoply of services from water and sewer-age management and waste disposal to recreationand housing, promote investment and conduct publiceducation and awareness campaigns all of which havedirect effects on biodiversity within and beyond theirborders. Furthermore, urban biodiversity is often theonly opportunity many city inhabitants have to experi-ence and appreciate nature.

With local knowledge and close community ties, localauthorities are ideally placed to take positive action atthe local level to protect our natural resources for thefuture. Successful biodiversity conservation will dependon the close coordination of, and open communicationbetween, different levels of government from nationalto sub-national to local.

There is no single solution to the crisis of biodiversityloss, as each country faces different challenges in bio-diversity conservation and management, and eachcountry functions with different types of governmentstructures and different relationships between levels of

government.Sometimes responsibility for local government restswith the sub-national level, as is the case in Canada,

Germany, and Mexico. Sometimes, as in Brazil, thereis a more direct connection between the national gov-ernment and cities and towns. Or, as in the Frenchexample, there are three sub-national government

levels. For this reason,Supporting Local Action forBiodiversity: the Role of National Governments offersthe reader examples of best practice that reect thevariety of institutional and legislative arrangementsthat exists, from a range of urban contexts.

Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity: the Role ofNational Governments 8 was conceived to assist CBDnational focal points as well as other departments orministries involved in areas that inuence environmen-tal and biodiversity management and protection such ashousing, land-use development, transportation, nanceand so on to encourage and support the critical con-tribution of local authorities in implementing the CBD.To achieve this, Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity:the Role of National Governments presents biodiversitydecision-makers at the national level with practical in-formation and advice on how to support and encouragebiodiversity action at the local level.

Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity: the Role ofNational Governments is intended to complementthe publication entitled Local Action for BiodiversityGuidebook: Biodiversity Management for LocalGovernments , which was produced by ICLEI and IUCN,

members of the Global Partnership on Cities andBiodiversity, under their Local Action for Biodiversity(LAB) Programme. That publication is designed to helppractitioners working at the local level to improve the


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Understanding Cities and Biodiversity 11

Understanding Citiesand Biodiversity2

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Urban biodiversity

Urban areas include natural and semi-natural habitatson the one hand and articial or created habitats onthe other. These spaces and the biodiversity containedwithin them, play an important role in maintaining theoverall quality of life in the city. Nature provides ecosys-tem services vital to human well-being such as the pro-vision of food, bre, fuel, medicine and clean air andwater; the regulation of climate, water and the spreadof disease and protection from natural disasters not tomention the cultural, aesthetic, recreational, and edu-cational benets that people hold dear.

The poor tend to be particularly vulnerable to localizedenvironmental threats such as poor air quality, inad-equate sanitation and lack of safe water so their directdependence on functioning local ecosystems is evengreater10. Too often, these ecosystem services are notconsidered in urban planning and development deci-

sions or given economic value.Consideration of biodiversity in planning should gobeyond the protection of threatened and endangered

species and habitats. It should embrace the idea thatit is better to build or conserve a pond than to storestorm water in underground tanks. Or that grass verg-es are better along roads than tarmac pavements.

Furthermore, healthy and sustainable ecosystems cre-ate economic benets by, among other things, increas-ing land value through improved landscape amenity,by providing a valuable tourism and recreation re-source, and by absorbing costs that would otherwisebe borne by the local government. In the eThekwiniMetropolitan Municipality (Durban), South Africa, en-vironmental goods and services were valued in 2003 atR3.1 billion per annum (excluding the contribution ofthe tourism sector which is R3.5 billion per annum)11.In short, sound local environmental policy is also soundlong-term economic policy and good social policy12.

Cities tend to be in areas that are biologically rich anddiverse such as river valleys and ood plains13 and some

contain highly signicant and uncommon habitats.Garry oak woodlands the most diverse terrestrialecosystem of the province of British Columbia, Canada


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East London Green Grid: Valorizing Urban Treesand Green Spaces

Cities house a collection of street trees, urban parks,recreational areas, semi-natural spaces and, some-times, agricultural land. We need to begin to see theseurban green spaces as a single asset with a range ofaesthetic, social, economic and ecological values.

This is the approach of the Greater London Authority(GLA) embodied in the East London Green GridFramework, which aims to create a network of in-terlinked, high-quality open spaces that connect towncentres with public transport nodes, the Green Belt, theThames and major employment and residential areas.The GLA contends that a well-maintained Green Gridwill... help to promote healthy living and communityspirit through access to recreational and cultural oppor-tunities, while at the same time promoting biodiversityand acting as a green lung for East London. Within

the Green Grid there is potential to create a wide varietyof landscapes. These might include a combination ofdeep green zones where land is given over to wilder-

ness; areas for sport and more intensive recreation; andquiet escape areas mixed with agriculture. Developingthe Green Grid will also make East London more resil-ient in the face of predicted climate change.

For more information see Design for Londons web-site: www.designforlondon.gov.uk/what-we-do/#/ east-london-green-grid.

are found in its capital, Victoria 14. Of the 21 nationalvegetation types in South Africa that have been assignedthe highest conservation status of Critically Endangered,11 occur with the city of Cape Town, of these, threeoccur nowhere else but within the city borders.

Cities also manage urban parks, national or regionalparks, greenbelts and important protected areas, some-times with signicant biodiversity. The two MunicipalEnvironmental Protection Areas, 33 urban municipalparks, seven natural parks and the Biosphere-Reserve-

classied greenbelt of So Paolo, Brazil, make up 21%

of the citys territory and are home to 58 wild mam-mal species, 47% of them endemic, and 288 speciesof bird. Many urban areas are also included within the34 biodiversity hotspots identied by ConservationInternational15. The fact that cities are frequently thesite of some of the worlds most important biodivers-ity, is one reason why they need to be recognized as acritical partner for the full implementation of the CBD,including its Programme of Work on Protected Areas.

Furthermore, urban biodiversity is often the only op-portunity most city inhabitants have to experience andappreciate nature. Urban areas, according to the visionin the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan 2010, con-tain spacious green areas that include forests, and aredotted with smaller nature spots that allow children toplay on the soil and touch living things.

Biological diversity in city parks and green spaces has

also been shown to have measurable mental and phys-ical health benets for humans such as enhanced re-covery time of patients, reduced blood pressure andfeelings of happiness. Urban trees improve air quality,lower air temperature and reduce the effects of green-house gases among other benets.

The link between urban activities andbiodiversity loss

Although cities maintain more habitat than if their

populations were spread across the land, they have

One of the six Green Grid Areas across East London P h o

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Case Study 1

Ecological goods and services underpinnedby biodiversity include:

Food, fuel, bre, and medicine Shelter and build ing materials Air and water purication Waste detoxication and decomposition Climate regulation Moderation of oods, droughts, temperature

extremes and the forces of wind Generation and renewal of soil fertility Pollination of plants, including many crops Pest and disease control Cultural and aesthetic benets Ability to adapt to change


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Singapore: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Occupying a 455ha area in the centre of Singapore isthe Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The Reserve

houses several recreational sites to encourage pub-lic appreciation and understanding of nature and it ishome to over 1,600 species of ora and 500 animal

species, some of which, like the Banded Leaf Monkey,are critically endangered.

For more information see Design for Londons web-

site: www.designforlondon.gov.uk/what-we-do/#/ east-london-green-grid.

profoundly disproportionate ecological footprints,demanding resources from surrounding areas andmuch further aeld, and releasing pollution into theair and water. Biodiversity in cities therefore has a criti-cal educational role to play a second and perhapseven stronger reason for national governments to bet-ter support the efforts of local authorities to carry outtheir functions with ecological considerations in mind.

Biodiversity loss in urban areas is mainly caused by thefollowing:

Loss, degradation and fragmentation of habi-tats due to land use change - whether for urbanand industrial expansion, agriculture, infrastructureor tourism - is undoubtedly the main cause of biodi-versity loss in cities, towns and urban settlements asit is elsewhere. Moreover, urban sprawl increases theproximity of urban areas to valuable natural areas, in-

creasing indirect human impacts such as noise, disturb-ance and pollution. In southern California, sprawlingdevelopment has wiped out 90% of the coastal sageecosystem, resulting in a drastic loss of native speciesof birds and small mammals16.

The construction of road and highways can have a par-ticularly negative impact on wildlife. Plans to constructa commercial highway across Tanzanias SerengetiNational Park will fragment one of the worlds mostcelebrated and unique ecosystems, disrupting the mas-sive migration of over 1.3 million wildebeest and zebra,

which has occurred annually for thousands of years.Pollution - damages ecosystems by making an environ-ment toxic to all or certain species. Many urban activitiespollute the air, water and soils upon which biodiversitydepends. Industrial and urban run-offs can pollute wet-lands, rivers and even aquifers, adversely affecting theaquatic food chain and the diversity of sh and waterbird species. Compounding the problem is inadequatesewer and storm water infrastructure in urban areas inmany developing countries and aging, deteriorating in-frastructure facing many developed nations.

Invasive alien species which are mainly introducedthrough transportation paths in cities can alter thestructure and chemistry of ecosystems and out-com-pete native species. In many parts of the world where

the supply of fresh water is a concern, invasive plantspose a direct threat to water security in urban areas.

The South African government implemented its

Working for Water Programme (see Action Area Nine),employing people to rid waterways and wetlands ofinvasive plants, such as the water hyacinth. The IUCNestimates that populations of this South American na-tive plant, which can double in as little as 12 days, havedramatically reduced biological diversity in aquaticecosystems18.

Overuse of resources. The consumption behaviour ofurban residents in developed countries tends to haveglobal impact while in the developing world urban in-habitants have a smaller, but strong local impact on re-source use such as utilising wood as fuel. A signicantthreat to biodiversity conservation in some developingcountries is the illegal trade of wild animals. In Brazil, forexample, it is a US$2-billion-a-year industry, removingabout 38 million animals from nature each year19.

Case Study 2


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eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Durban,South Africa: Assessing the Mitigation Advantagesof Maintaining the Open Space System Intact

The Durban Metropolitan Open Space System(DMOSS) contains a variety of ecosystems that in-clude grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and forests,both publically and privately owned. Natural spacesin urban areas can play a key role in climate changeadaption and mitigation by storing carbon that wouldotherwise be released as carbon dioxide, a green-house gas.

With help from the University of Stellenbosch, theEnvironmental Planning and Climate ProtectionDepartment conducted an open space carbon storageinventory of the DMOSS area to assess its contribu-

tion to climate change mitigation and how effectivelyindividual ecosystem/habitat types store carbon. It wasfound that DMOSS stored about 6.6 million tons of

carbon and sequestered 8,400 to 9,800 tons of carboneach year. Forests and wetlands are the best at storing

carbon1

.

1 eThekwini Municipality and ICLEI Africa Secretariat (2007) LAB Biodiversity Report: Durban.

Uncontrolled use of natural spaces. Recreationalpressures can damage fragile habitats. Uncontrolledaccess into natural areas by humans and pets in ur-ban surroundings is a threat to biodiversity that is morepredominant in cities than most other areas, and cancause disturbance to ecosystems, soil compaction andintroduction of weeds and diseases into natural areas.

Negative public perception of open spaces leftnatural. In urban areas there can be a conict be-tween policies to leave natural areas untouched for theecological services they provide such as wildlife habi-tat and corridors, water conservation and storm watermanagement and residents perceptions that theseareas can be havens for crime and other anti-social be-haviour and fears about wildlife.

Climate change resulting from human activities is pre-dicted to be one of the major drivers of species extinc-

tions of this century20

. It is already having a signicantimpact on species and ecosystems around the world.According to the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (Fourth Assessment Report), approximately 20

Case Study 3

Brazil: Sustainable Timber Purchasing Policy

Purchasing decisions and policies made by local au-thorities can have impacts on natural resources, bothpositive and negative, felt many kilometres away.Recognizing that local timber purchasing practiceswere largely responsible for the deforestration of the

Amazon rain forest, Greenpeace is working in part-nership with city governments in Brazil such as theCity of So Paulo to institute policies which have sig-nicantly curbed illegal logging. Greenpeaces Friendsof the Amazon Cities program elicits commitmentsfrom municipalities to only use timber of legal originin their construction projects and public tenders.

Case Study 4


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to 30% of plant and animal species are likely to be atincreased risk of extinction if greenhouse gas emis-sions remain at or above current rates.

Global and local changes in weather patterns and in-creases in extreme weather events will disrupt wildlifeand the natural environment. As argued in the GBO3,the linked challenges of biodiversity loss and climatechange must be addressed by policy makers with equalpriority and in close coordination21.

Pressure on freshwater resources is linked to risinghuman populations, particularly in urban areas, evolv-ing consumption and higher energy needs and the ef-fects of climate change. This leads to over abstraction,the thirst for energy heavy technologies associatedwith desalination, the building of reservoirs and dams,and hydrological, and consequently biodiversity, im-pacts encountered well beyond the urban area.

The regions most vulnerable to domestic water short-ages include those where water is already limited, pop-ulation is growing rapidly, urban centres are spreadingand the economy is weak22.

Local authorities have at their disposal a number ofplanning, nancial, and regulatory instruments thatcan be used for biodiversity conservation and man-agement such as:

Local biodiversity strategies and action plans Local government plans including plans for

land-use, housing development, environmen-tal management, infrastructure and economicdevelopment

Zoning and land-use by-laws Public consultation Financial incentive measures including tax in-

centives, property tax rebates, grants Non-nancial incentive measures including rec-

ognition and local award schemes, training andtechnical support

Market-based incentives such as procurementpolicies, biodiversity offsets and sustainableecotourism

Disincentive measures to discourage activitiesthat are harmful to biodiversity such as impos-ing nes and penalties

Environmental levies to raise revenue for biodi-versity conservation initiatives and land purchase

Acquisition of conservation worthy land Establishment of protected natural spaces Development concessions Conservation covenants or legally binding vol-

untary agreements that limit types of uses orprevent development on a private property toprotect its biodiversity

Summarized from: Local Action on BiodiversityGuidebook: Biodiversity Management for LocalGovernments.


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Biodiversity Action Areas 17

3 Biodiversity Action Areas

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Action Area One Raising awareness andeducation

A major obstacle to the mainstreaming of biodiver-sity planning at the local level is the lack of awarenesson the part of both public ofcials and citizens of thevalue and importance of biodiversity and the essentialecosystem services its supports. It is no surprise thatbiodiversity conservation and management is a low pri-ority for many local authorities. The low level of awareness is closely connected to thelack of training and education of public ofcials and per-sonnel, extending to both the importance of biodiver-sity for maintaining human well-being and the ability toidentify or create opportunities to protect or enhance it.Another contributing and allied factor is the resistanceto change in the public sector, on part of elected of-cials, administration and employees.


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France: The Local Biodiversity Atlas

In 2010 the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy,Sustainable Development and the Sea introduced anew initiative called the Local Biodiversity Atlas1 (ABC)to help local authorities better understand, protectand enhance biodiversity in their jurisdictions.

ABC is coordinated at the regional level by the RegionalDepartment of Environment, Land-Use Planning andHousing. Its objectives are to sensitize and mobilizeelected ofcials, key stakeholders and citizens and toimprove the quality of biodiversity knowledge.

The project aims to facilitate the integration of bio-diversity into municipal policies. Interested munici-palities apply to the project and, if successful, theyreceive a set of tools, including a packet of online sen-sitization and mobilization tools, the help of a region-al sensitization and mobilization team, standards andtemplates to conduct inventories of local biodiversity,

access to a national science platform based on theinvolvement of citizens and funding for training twoto three young interns in biodiversity-related elds.1 LAtlas de la biodiversit dans les communes.

:For more details on this initiative see.www.biodiversite.2010.fr

Case Study 5

Case Study 6

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C l a p ,

I U C N F r a n c e .

Commune de Saint Andr de Roquepertuis (Gard-France)

Action 1.2: Integrate biodiversity conservation values into communication, education and public awarenessprogrammes.

Preliminary research indicates that there are a grow-ing number of Canadian municipalities that are im-plementing initiatives to protect biodiversity. ICLEICanada, with support from Environment Canada, hasundertaken a multi-phase initiative to develop a cit-ies and biodiversity engagement strategy and preparecase studies of initiatives undertaken by municipalitiesleading the way in nature protection.

The Cities and Biodiversity Engagement Strategy re-views how local governments and associated stake-

holders are currently addressing biodiversity, theirlevel of awareness and capacity to take biodiversityactions, and makes recommendations for improve-ment. The second phase -Canadian Urban BiodiversityCase Study Series- will share biodiversity initiativesacross the country to further engage municipalitiesas partners in reducing the rate of biodiversity loss inCanada.

For further information visit:http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=11305.

Canada: The Cities and Biodiversity Engagement Strategy


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Germany/Japan: Hosts of a CBD event

Cities have also hosted meetings of the CBDConference of the Parties (COPs) and the CartagenaProtocol, events that gather thousands of delegatesand civil society representatives for several weeksand require local residents to assist and collaborate.To ensure a successful meeting and mobilize sup-port, local authorities, in close cooperation with na-tional governments, have invested in public aware-ness campaigns.

At COP 9 in Bonn, Germany, the city governmentpromoted a successful campaign aimed at residents,proposing the concept of diversity taken broadly,as an element for resilience and social and economicstrength, and using posters with charismatic mega-

fauna to engage citizens. The main message wasthat as social and ethnic diversity is one of Bonns(and Germanys) political strengths, biodiversity alsoallows nature to be resistant to climate change andother threats.

The city of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, in taking thesame challenge, is using an equally compelling theme,Life in Harmony, into the Future, building on Japanstraditional philosophy of balance and pertinence.

Action 1.2: Integrate biodiversity conservation valuesinto communication,education and public awarenessprogrammes.

A recent survey by the European Environment Agencyfound that two-thirds of EU citizens do not know themeaning of the word biodiversity, nor do they understandwhat the threats and challenges to its conservation are.

To change peoples attitudes so that they consider bio-diversity in their daily lives, it is important to make bio-

The CEPA (Communication, Education and PublicAwareness) Toolkit was developed by the IUCNCommission on Education and Communication (CEC)for the Secretariat of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity. The toolkit is meant for CBD focal pointsand those to whom the implementation of a NBSAPis delegated. The toolkit offers information to updateknowledge and skills with fact sheets, checklists and

practical examples from all over the world. For anyquestions or suggestions about the CEPA toolkit,please contact [email protected].

For more information visit:www.cbd.int/cepa/toolkit default.html.

Case Study 7

diversity relevant to people and to communicate a visionthat describes our co-existence with and dependence onnature. Local communities are the natural arena for mo-bilizing and engaging the public. Recognizing this, manynational governments have integrated the value of na-ture conservation into communication, education andpublic awareness programmes. Here are a few examples.

The United Kingdom: Breathing Places Campaign

Breathing Places is the campaign led by the BritishBroadcasting Corporation (BBC) to encourage millionsof people across the UK to take action to maintainand enhance local biodiversity. It aims to accomplishthis by raising the publics level of awareness of theimportance of nature and wildlife to their daily livesby getting people involved in nature conservation and

education events and activities enabled through anonline Event Finder of some 10,000 breathing plac-es, to bring people close to nature.

The database was developed in collaboration withNatural England1 with contributions from hundredsof organizations participating in the campaign includ-ing government departments and agencies, countycouncils, environmental NGOs, schools and commu-nity groups. Visitors to the website (www.bbc.co.uk/ breathingplaces/) can search the database by locationfor places to explore. Each window provides a map,legend to services and activities, and a description of

the places habitat(s) and species.1 Natural England is Englands government advisor on the natural environment. (http://www.natura-

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Ireland: Notice NatureCreated by the countrys Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government, NoticeNature is Irelands public awareness campaign for biodi-versity1. The aim of the campaign is to raise awarenessof the importance of biodiversity and to encourage ev-eryone to play their part in its protection.

The campaigns website (www.noticenature.ie/) pro-vides visitors with a wealth of information and links,as well as special pages for children and informationon invasive alien species. The website gives individualsand communities, public bodies, business, agriculture,tourism and construction sectors, ideas on actionsthey can take to protect biodiversity. For the construc-tion industry, for example, Notice Nature identies the1 Ireland also has a number of on-line national public awareness campaigns, including: the CHANGE

campaign (www.change.ie) which offers information on climate change and practical advice onhow to live with a reduced carbon footprint; and the ENFO website(www.enfo.ie) which provides information on Irelands environment.

impacts of construction projects on wildlife, plantsand their habitats, and provides Guidelines for theProtection of Biodiversity in Construction Projects.Guidelines have also been produced for the business,tourism and extraction industry sectors2.

The initiative also provides opportunities for peopleto get close to nature such as the 80 looped walksdeveloped by Filte Ireland with support from theDepartment of Community, Rural and Gaeltaehtaffairs.

For the childrens page visit;www.noticenature.ie/kids_area.html and for informa-tion on invasive alien species, see:www.noticenature.ie/Invasive-Species_Homepage.html.

2 Pdf les are available for all four documents.

Case Study 8

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An excerpt from the window for LackfordLakes-Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Lackford Lakes lie beside the River Lark and havebeen created from former gravel pits. The potentiallist of birds here seems never ending, with rarities likeBlack Necked Grebe occurring alongside more com-mon species such as shelduck. A superb site for wild-fowl in both winter and summer, Lackford attractstufted duck, teal, pochard, gadwall, shoveler andgoosander... Passing birds of prey include the majesticosprey, whilst buzzard and sparrowhawk can be seenregularly...This is one of the best places in Suffolk forkingsher, and cormorant are often seen shing atthe sailing lake or roosting in the tall trees by the river.Almost any migrant bird can turn up - black terns areregulars but species like Little Egret and the more un-

common waders are also seen. The Visitor centre hasa range of facilities to enhance your visit to LackfordLakes including an information desk, gift shop, view-ing gallery, light refreshments and toilets.

See: www.breathingplaces org/public/place_by_name/ Lackford-Lakes-Suffolk-Wildlife-Trust?id=10600.


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Canada: Urban BioKits

The Biosphre Environment Museum (www.ec.gc.ca/ biosphere), located in Montreal, is an EnvironmentCanada facility dedicated to environmental actionand education. Last year, the Biosphre approachedcities across Canada including Vancouver, Edmonton,Calgary, Regina, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax andheld workshops to develop a series of Urban BioKits.Their aim is to encourage families, through interac-tive, outdoor activities, to discover the diversity ofanimals and plants in local urban spaces and natural

areas.

There is also a Canadian Urban BioKit that can beused by families across the country to appreciate bio-diversity in their own backyard and understand theimportance of protecting it. The BioKits are availableon a website (www.ec.gc.ca/biotrousses-biokits),which also offers participants an opportunity to pro-vide feedback on the parks they visited and providesresources to incite participants to become involved inprotecting biodiversity.

Case Study 9

Action 1.3: Support museums and other institutionsfocused on biodiversity education and research

Many governments fund museums, botanical gardensand other institutions dedicated to educating peopleabout the natural world.The Canadian Museum ofNature in Ottawa, Ontario, was opened to connectpeople with nature and accomplishes its mandate intwo principal ways: sharing its collection of natural his-tory objects and outreach programs including commu-nity-based research (see the Rideau River BiodiversityProject, Case Study 34).

Mainstreaming biodiversity into planning anddevelopment

Planning and developmental decisions made at the lo-cal level have direct biodiversity impacts yet national

conservation priorities and objectives are not alwaystransmitted to lower-tier governments. Real coopera-tion and synergy between the various decision-makinglevels - international, national, sub-national and local- is crucial to stem the loss of biodiversity.

The CBD Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity,supported by select Parties, proposes to complementDecision IX/28 of the CBD (on Cities, Local Authoritiesand Biodiversity) with a Plan of Action23 on this themeto fully realize the potential benets of coordinatinggovernment action on biodiversity.

There are a number of ways in which national govern-ment actors can engage cities and local authorities inthe realization of national biodiversity strategies andaction plans, support the development of local biodi-versity strategies and action plans consistent with na-tional strategies and action plans, and facilitate theadoption by cities and local authorities of plans, policiesand practices that support the three objectives of the

Convention. The conservationand enhancement of bio-diversity should seek to become a multi-sector responsi-bility which facilitates improved human well-being.

To mainstream biodiversity considerations into deci-sion making at all levels national governments musttake a multi-pronged approach, which includes thedevelopment of a strong regulatory and institutionalframework (Action 2), the provision of guidance forintegrating biodiversity at the local level (Action 3) andthe coordination of governance across sectors andgeographic scales (Actions 4 and 5).

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Action Area Two Creating a strong regulatoryand institutional framework

National legislation sets the framework for local gov-ernance. Effective enabling legislation can take manyforms from a requirement for public authorities tomainstream biodiversity in their day-to-day functionsto the devolution of responsibility for biodiversity pro-tection to the local level. It lays the foundation for rais-ing the level of engagement and awareness of publicauthorities at the local level.

Many governments have adopted national environmentallegislation that provides a legal framework to protect andmanage biodiversity in their territories such as AustraliasEnvironmental Protection and Biodiversity ConservationAct 1999, and some give local authorities a clear statu-

Case Study 10

tory responsibility for protecting biodiversity on privateland such as New Zealands Resource Management Act.

Action 2.1: Make consideration of biodiversity in pol-icy and decision making a legal requirement for allpublic authorities

Action 2.2: Adopt legislation to encourage and en-sure the preparation of biodiversity strategies and ac-tion plans for sub-national levels

Action 2.3: Adopt or revise laws to ensure that natureprotection and enhancement is integrated into munici-pal planning legislation

The United Kingdom: the Biodiversity Duty

One of the key priorities of the UK Biodiversity ActionPlan and the 2007 framework document ConservingBiodiversity - the UK Approach is embedding properconsideration of biodiversity and ecosystem servicesin all relevant sectors of policy and decision-making.

Section 40 of the Natural Environment and RuralCommunities Act 2006 gives legal effect to this aim in

England and Wales by placing a statutory duty on allpublic authorities, including regional bodies and localauthorities, schools, government ofces, public healthand social welfare authorities, to have regard for bio-diversity conservation during the exercise of their func-tions. In the UK, this is commonly referred to as theBiodiversity Duty.

A May 2010 review1 of the impact and effective-ness of the duty published by Defra concluded that,although the duty is not the only driver inuencingpublic authorities work relating to biodiversity con-servation, it has been responsible for much work inthis regard. Furthermore, it found that better integra-tion of biodiversity across the whole suite of publicauthorities functions is one of the main areas for

improvement.For more information on the Biodiversity Duty see:www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/ biodiversity/protectandmanage/duty.aspx.

1 For more information consult the nal report: Entek UK Ltd. (2010) Defra CTX 0811: Review of theBiodiversity Duty contained in Section 40 of the NERC Act 2006. Available at: www.biodiversitysouth-west.org.uk/docs/BiodiversityDutyReviewFullReport.pdf

Japan: Article 13 of the Basic Act on Biodiversity

Article 13 of the Basic Act on Biodiversity describesfundamental policies on the conservation and sustain-able use of biodiversity, and promotes the compre-hensive and systematic implementation of biodivers-ity-related policies. The Act obliges prefectural andmunicipal governments to prepare local biodiversitystrategies and action plans.

As a result, local biodiversity strategies or plans havebeen developed in several sub-national governments,

such as the prefectures of Shiga, Chiba, Nagasaki,Aichi, Saitama and Hyogo as well as the city ofKitakyushu.

France has also adopted legislation1 aimed at en-suring the development of regional and local biodi-versity strategies and their alignment with nationalstrategies.

1 Article 23 of Loi no. 2009-967 du 3 aot 2009 de programmation relative la mise en oeuvre duGrenelle de lenvironnement. For the text in French see: www.legifrance.gouv.fr/afchTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000020949548.

Case Study 11


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Located just outside the city of Puerto Princesa,Palawan, Philippines, the Puerto PrincesaSubterranean River National Park is the rst nationalpark devolved to and successfully managed by a lo-cal authority. Since 1992, when the national govern-ment granted management of the National Park to

the City Government of Puerto Princesa, the site hasbeen recognized as an example of best practices forbiodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Parkcontains the worlds longest navigable undergroundriver, a full mountainto-sea ecosystem and some ofthe most important forests in Asia. It is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site and recognized as a core part ofthe Palawan Island Biosphere Reserve.

For more information visit:www.puerto-undergroundriver.com/.

Case Study 13

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Local authorities often lack sufcient legislative powerto implement biodiversity protection measures withintheir jurisdictions. The city of Seoul, South Korea, iden-tied the lack of consideration of the natural environ-ment in urban planning and lack of legal mechanismsto protect biodiversity as two important causes of bio-diversity loss within Seoul24.

Action 2.4: When appropriate, delegate the respon-sibility to protect and manage natural resources andspaces at the local level from national agencies to local

authorities, accompanied by relevant fundingEnvironmental management has become increasinglydecentralized over the past few decades, giving localauthorities greater responsibilities in this domain25. Inthe United Republic of Tanzania, one of the nationalgovernments strategic actions with regard to main-streaming environmental issues into planning andadministration, is to empower local governmentsthrough decentralization and the devolution of centralgovernment powers. This action gives local authoritiesthe responsibility for environmental oversight throughVillage and District Environment Committees26.

Similarly, in Kenya, game reserves are now under themanagement of County Councils and in Ecuador, thefederal Ministry of Tourism and Environment has trans-ferred management rights of the El Cajas National Parkto the local level, creating the El Cajas National ParkMunicipal Corporation (Corporacin Municipal ParqueNacional Cajas) to plan, manage, develop, protect, andcontrol the site28.

Below are some additional examples of the devolutionof conservation management responsibilities to localauthorities.

Philippines: Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

South Africa: Integrated Development Planning

All local authorities in South Africa must prepare ave-year Integrated Development Plan which is re-viewed annually in consultation with the communityand other stakeholders. The Integrated DevelopmentPlan aims to coordinate the work of local and otherspheres of government in a coherent plan to im-prove the quality of life of all people living in an area.As such, each municipalitys Plan has to be alignedwith, among other things, provincial EnvironmentalImplementation Plans and national environmen-tal legislation such as the National EnvironmentalManagement: Biodiversity Act (2004)1.

1 For a copy of the Biodiversity Act see: http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/saf45083.pdf.

This Act requires that municipalities align their IntegratedDevelopment Plans with the national biodiversity frame-work and the applicable bio-regional plan. Some feelthis system is problematic in that local authorities areresponsible for implementation but have limited fund-ing and power to legislate.

For a guide to Integrated Development Plans, see:www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/localgov/webidp.html.

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The government of Ecuador has set up a decentral-ized system of efcient and participatory environ-mental management (Sistema Descentralizado deGestin Ambiental (SNDGA) eciente y participati-vo). This aims for a transfer of competencies from thenational government to local authorities in areas re-lated to forest management, forestry, forest monitor-ing, wildlife management, and environmental qual-

ity. This system is part of the national EnvironmentalManagement Law.

The Ministries of Tourism and of Environment are thegoverning bodies that coordinate and supervise thedecentralization processes. However, the programhas been weakened by political difculties1.

1 Ecuadors 4th National Report to the CBD, 118.

Case Study 14

Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) is the rst bio-diversity program to be conducted by ICLEI-LocalGovernments for Sustainability, and represents a

partnership between ICLEIand the IUCN. Between 2006and 2009, 21 local govern-ment bodies from around the

world from Amsterdam to Curitiba to King County

piloted LAB by taking part in an intensive, coordi-nated process of biodiversity assessment, planningand implementation underpinned by political com-mitment through the signing of the internationallyrecognized Durban Commitment.

In recognition of the critical role of local govern-ments in global biodiversity conservation, the aimand result of this process was to strengthen biodi-versity management in these participating cities.LAB has now expanded from a pilot project into afull programme.

For more information visit the Local Action forBiodiversity website: www.iclei.org/lab.

Action 2.5 Remove legal barriers to the conservationand enhancement of biodiversity at the local level

It is also important to review existing environmental

laws to remove legal barriers to the implementationof biodiversity action. In Namibia, for example, inte-grating biodiversity considerations into local level de-cision-making is made challenging by the centraliza-

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tion of the National Biodiversity Strategy and ActionPlan and the lack of laws such as a Parks & WildlifeManagement Bill to mandate capable local authoritiesto manage biodiversity in their jurisdictions.

Ecuador: Decentralized System of Efcient and Participatory Environmental Management

Japan: Guide to the Local Biodiversity Strategy

In 2009 Japans Ministry of the Environment issuedthe Guide to the Local Biodiversity Strategy, whichis based on the Biodiversity Basic Law and the Third

National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan. The guidanceaims to provide local government ofcials with a

practical approach to biodiversity conservation. It de-scribes the need for local biodiversity strategies anda framework for planning, promotion, and projectmanagement, as well as relevant methods.

For more on the Guide see:www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029583.html.

Case Study 15


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The Local Government Network + Biodiversity 2010(La Red de Gobiernos Locales +Biodiversidad 2010)is a collaboration between the federal Ministry of theEnvironment and Rural and Marine Affairs, its pub-lic foundation, the Biodiversity Foundation, and theSpanish Federation of Municipalities (Fderacion es-panola de municipios y provincias (FEMP)), dedicatedto promoting local policies aimed at the conservationand sustainable use of biodiversity and the conserva-tion of Spains natural patrimony.

Created in 2007, the Network integrates 219 localauthorities in Spain, totaling almost 22 million inhab-itants. The FEMP Network offers members technicalsupport in promoting biodiversity conservation and

improvement. For their part, members of the Networkundertake to carry out a number of nature conserva-tion objectives. These include: promoting municipalstrategies, plans, programmes and projects which aregrounded in sustainable development and ecosystemfunctioning, and conserve and increase biodiversity innatural areas and sensitizing and educating the publicabout the vital importance of biodiversity and natureto human health and well being. The Network alsocarries out a variety of conservation activities at thelocal level including an annual competition of biodi-versity improvement project.

Visit the websites (in Spanish) at: www.redbiodiversidad.es; www.fundacion-biodiversidad.es; and www.mma.es.

Case Study 16

Ireland: Local Biodiversity Action Plan Process

Local biodiversity plans are required under IrelandsNational Biodiversity Plan, adopted in 2002. A guid-ance document, Guidelines for the Production ofLocal Biodiversity Action Plans, was prepared by theDepartment of the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment in cooperation with Heritage Councilto assist local authorities.

The process is laid out as follows: Establish a Biodiversity Working Group Promote and raise awareness of the conserva-

tion of biodiversity Consult with individuals and organizations Assess the role and impacts of the local author-

ity in the conservation of biodiversity Establish a database on local biological diversity Prepare an audit of the local biodiversity resource Identify information gaps Establish priorities and set targets Produce draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan Agree and publish the Local Biodiversity Action Plan Monitor and review

Available at: www.heritagecouncil.ie/wildlife/ heritage-council-initiatives/local-biodiversity-action-plan/.

Action Area Three Facilitating mainstreamingof biodiversity into local decision-making andoperations

Councils, communities and other agencies seek practicalguidance on how to tackle biodiversity management at alocal government level. A great starting place is the ICLEILocal Action for Biodiversity Guidebook: Managementfor Local Governments.

This publication is designed to help practitioners in lo-cal government to plan for and manage their local bio-diversity drawing on the experiences of 21 LAB PioneerLocal Governments.

Many national governments have developed guidancematerials to ensure that local biodiversity strategiesand action plans are in line with national strategies andto help actors at the local level integrate biodiversity

concerns into planning and development projects.

Action 3.1: Provide guidance for the developmentof local biodiversity strategies and action plans andmainstreaming biodiversity considerations into localdecision-making

Local biodiversity strategies and action plans are the lo-cal level version of national biodiversity strategies andaction plans in that they detail broad strategies and

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specic actions that a local government plans to imple-ment to protect and enhance its biodiversity. Whencoordinated appropriately, they facilitate stakeholderengagement in biodiversity conservation and increasepublic awareness of biodiversity value and loss.

Action 3.2: Develop and implement building guide-lines that seek to maximize opportunities for biodiver-sity protection and enhancement

The United Kingdom: Design for Biodiversity

Design for Biodiversity is an initiative establishedby the London Development Agency in partnershipwith Natural England, Greater London Authority,Groundwork London and London Wildlife Trust topromote the conservation of wildlife as part of thedesign and management of buildings and urbanlandscapes in London. The project provides guidancefor developers, architects, landscape designers and

planners and other interested parties on how ecologi-cally sensitive designs and features can be integratedinto new and existing developments.

Further details on the approach can be found onthe Design for Biodiversity website (www.d4b.org.uk). Visitors to the site can also download a numberof useful guidance materials including, Design forBiodiversity, Biodiversity by Design, and CABE Space:Start with the Park.

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The coherence of international environmental pol-

icy at the national level in Belgium is ensured by amechanism called the Coordinating Committee forInternational Environment Policy which is composedof representatives from the federal government,the regions and the communities. This body func-tions under the high level authority of the Inter-

ministerial Conference for the Environment. Under

the Coordinating Committee, different conventionrelated or thematic committees have been establishedsuch as for Biodiversity, Climate Change, Forests,Nature and so on1.

1 Belgiums 4th National Report to the CBD.

Mexico: Clean Beaches Programme

Beach contamination is a complex and serious prob-lem for Mexico with wide-ranging impacts on manyareas such as tourism, industry, public health and eco-system functions. Recognizing that the issue necessi-tated a coordinated cross-sectoral approach, the fed-eral government formed an inter-institutional groupcomprised of health, tourism and environment agen-cies to devise a strategy to promote technical andadministrative solutions for the protection of coastalecosystems and public health.

This led, in 2003, to a nation-wide cooperative endeav-or called the Clean Beaches Programme (ProgramaIntegral de Playas Limpias). This Programme brings to-

gether several key federal departments including the

Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, theSecretariat of Health, and the Marine Secretariat, aswell as state and municipal governments, and diversecommunity organizations. The primary goal of theClean Beaches Programme is to promote the cleaningof beaches and the river basins, ravines, water-bear-ing and associated receiving water bodies, as well asprevent and ameliorate contamination, protect andpreserve Mexican beaches, respect the native ecology,improve the quality of life of local populations, andpromote tourism.

For more see: www.semarnat.gob.mx/informaciona-mbiental/Pages/playas.aspx.

Case Study 18

Case Study 19

Action Area Four Laying the groundwork forcooperative governance

The conservation of biological resources requires coopera-tive efforts by all spheres of government across all sec-tors. Natural resource managers and those assigned re-sponsibility for biodiversity protection can only achieve somuch working alone. It is incumbent on all sectors acrossgovernments to recognise that biodiversity protection andenhancement is essential to secure improved human well-being and that opportunities to deliver on this goal arenot missed.

Belgium: Coordinating Committee for International Environment Policy

There is a need for greater consideration of the potentialimpact of policies implemented in one sector on biodiver-sity management at the local level. For example, peoplemay be encouraged to migrate to urban areas for hous-ing, jobs and education without taking into account thepotential impact on irreplaceable, terrestrial and wetlandareas. Many instruments are being used to bridge gapsbetween sectors and scales: including the creation ofpan-governmental bodies with a mandate to protect bio-diversity and the environment, the involvement of citizensand cities in National Parks management and the devolu-tion of biodiversity protection to sub-national levels.


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Action 4.2: Facilitate the active participation of localcommunities and citizens in biodiversity managementand decision-making

Action 4.3: When appropriate, facilitate the effortsat the sub-national level to support local authorities inbiodiversity conservation and management

In some contexts, sub-national governments are bet-ter placed to provide support to local authorities. InSouth Africa for example, the city of Cape Town mostoften receives support from provincial agencies suchas CapeNature and the Provincial Government ofWestern Capes Department of Environmental Affairsand Development Planning. P h o

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Brazil: Tijuca National Park Management 1

The Tijuca National Park stretches over more than3,900 hectares, making it the largest urban forest inthe world, and is home to 30 waterfalls, hundreds ofplants and tree species and more than 300 differentspecies of animals. Tijuca lies inside the municipalityof Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by more than 100 in-formal settlements and fragmented by highways androads passing through it. In 1996, catastrophic rainsleft an already abandoned and poorly maintained

park severely damaged.Recognizing the crucial role of local communities, therst Shared Management Agreement between thefederal, state and municipal governments was signe-1 Notes from Workshop on Cities, Ecosystems and Biodiversity held 21 September 2006 in Nairobi,

Kenya. See: www.unep.org/urban_environment/PDFs/CitiesEcosystemsNotes.pdf.

din 1999 to try to restore and manage the uniquenature park better. Until 2005, Tijuca National Parkwas managed by a intergovernmental council witha municipal representative as chair. Following a four-year hiatus due to political differences, a new agree-ment was signed in 2009 between the federal andmunicipal authorities.

Today, the Park continues to face challenges such ascrime, poaching, squatting and illegal logging. Thepark director has reached out to and established close

relationships with city stakeholders, including schoolsand poor communities who can visit and use the park.

See: biodivercities.les.wordpress.com/2010/09/san-tos-celso-biodivercities-2010-powerpoint-presenta-tion-city-of-rio-de-janeiro.pdf

Case Study 20

France: Natureparif

The political landscape of France is multi-layered.Local government, therefore, is many times removedfrom the national level and has a more direct aflia-tion with the region.

Natureparif is the Regional Agency for nature andbiodiversity in le-de-France (which include Paris). Theexecutive body of Natureparif counts among its mem-bers environmental organizations, research bodies,chambers of commerce, companies, local authori-ties, the French State and the le-de-France Region.

Its mission is to promote the conservation and resto-ration of biodiversity in the Region using a numberof approaches: networking existing information andexpertise, collecting and sharing regional biodiversityinformation, establishing a regional biodiversity ob-servatory, educating the public on biodiversity in the

le-de-France Region and supporting local authori-ties and institutions, particularly in terms of regionaldevelopment policy and the inclusion of biodiversityconsiderations in economic and social planning.

For more information on Naturparif see:www.natureparif.fr/.

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Established in 1996, Chicago Wilderness is a re-gional alliance dedicated to protecting nature andenriching life in the region encompassing parts of

four states-Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.The organisation now has 250 members, includingrepresentation from local, state and federal agencies,large conservation organizations, cultural and edu-cation institutions, volunteer groups, municipalities,corporations, and religious groups.

Chicago Wilderness has four broad, long-terminitiatives: Climate Change Green Infrastructure Vision: Bringing Nature to

People Leave No Child Inside Restoring the Health of Local Nature

The Green Infrastructure Vision initiative is built onthe idea that healthy natural areas are as vital to aregions economic vitality and peoples quality of lifeas transportation systems. The Visions aim is to ex-pand the network of protection and restoration areasacross the Chicago Wilderness Region from nearly150,000 to over 725,000 hectares.

For additional information visit:www.chicagowildernes.org.

Case Study 22

Action Area Five Decision making at thehabitat, ecosystem and landscape scale

The natural world does not operate along geo-politi-cal boundaries like cities, regions or nations. As mostspecies, ecological communities and eco-systems de-pend on a much larger domain, regional cooperationand coordination is essential for wildlife and natureprotection.

Similarly, biological systems operate on different time-lines to individual governments. Ecosystems need timeto recover and changing political mandates can com-promise biodiversity. It is important to recognize thatpolitical decisions made for short-term objectives canresult in long-term ecological damage.

Action 5.1: Support and facilitate the coordination ofmunicipal and other entities at a regional level

U.S.A.: Chicago Wilderness Collaborative Model for Urban Conservation

The three Belgian regions Flemish, Walloon andBrussels-Capital each have their own strategic doc-uments and action plans related to biodiversity. In theFlemish regional plan, for example, the Policy Planfor Environment and Nature 2003-2007 (extendedto 2010)1, contains major objectives focused on thelocal level, including support of local authorities (pro-

vincial and municipal authorities), regional landscapegroups, and non-governmental organizations to en-hance local actions for conservation measures andparticipation.

See www.lne.be/themas/beleid/beleidsplanning.

Case Study 23

Belgium: Flemish Region Policy Plan for Environment and Nature 2003-2007


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A network of 14 Nordic municipalities of the veNordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Icelandand Denmark) was set up in 2006 to undertakespecic projects with the aim of achieving theConvention for Biological Diversitys 2010 target tosignicantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss. TheNordic Project1 is a forum where local politicians and1 See also http://nordbio2010.dmu.dk/ for information on another Nordic Council of Ministers project

to develop indicators that describe the state of biodiversity in Nordic countries.

civil servants can exchange their experiences in im-plementing biodiversity conservation projects whichrange from habitat restoration, invasive alien speciescontrol and the use of municipal plans as instruments.

See: www.dirnat.no/2010-malet

Case Study 25

Australia: Australias National Landscapes

Launched in June 2008, Australias NationalLandscapes is a partnership between TourismAustralia and Parks Australia to identify, protect andmarket the countrys many iconic landscapes whichattract tourists from around the world.

Regions that apply to become a National Landscapemust meet a set of tough selection criteria and show ahigh degree of stakeholder interest and commitment.To date, ten National Landscapes have been identi-

ed reecting the diversity of Australia natural andcultural heritage and these include including FlindersRanges, Australias Wilderness Coast, Kakadu, theGreat Ocean Road and the Kimberly region.

Each National Landscape must establish a local steer-ing committee responsible for implementation at aregional level to ensure that tourism contributes tothe protection of the regions natural and cultural val-ues and returns benets to the community. The initia-

tives success, in large measure, depends on aligningthe plans and actions of the tourism industry, the con-servation sector, communities (including indigenous)and government stakeholders.

For more information visit:www.tourism.australia.com/nl.

Action 5.2: Foster and support intersectoral and inter-governmental cooperation at large spatial scales

Action 5.3 : Foster trans-national cooperation at ad-dressing shared environmental objectives at the locallevel.

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Kangaroo Island, one of Australias National Landscapes

The Nordic Council of Ministers: Network of Nordic Municipalities

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East Africa Cross Borders Biodiversity Project

East Africa Cross Borders Biodiversity Project is a co-operative trans-national endeavor involving Kenya,Uganda and Tanzania and which is operated andfunded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) andUNDP.

The aim of the project is to reduce the loss of for-est and wetland biodiversity in four cross-border sitesof national and global signicance. One of thesesites, the Eastern Arc Forests, is one of 25 GlobalHotspots for plant diversity with exceptional levels ofendemism.

The project has two specic objectives: to help com-munities and local district authorities work in part-nership with wildlife and environmental agencies onboth sides of borders and to encourage sustainableuse of natural resources, including biodiversity, bydeveloping alternative economical activities and liveli-hoods for local communities1. These objectives wereachieved by establishing an enabling environment(policy, legislation and awareness) that permits thecollaboration of sectoral and development agenciesand local communities.

1 See: www.undp.org/gef/documents/writeups_doc/bio/EastAfricaCrossBorders_notes_BD1.doc.

Case Study 26

The European Union: Green Belt Initiative

After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the formerborder zone between East and West left behind a nat-ural corridor of largely preserved and rare Europeanhabitats and ecological areas: coastal habitats, naturaloodplains, grasslands, wetlands and forests. Drivenby the IUCN, the EUs Green Belt Initiative joins theseareas together in an ecological network running thelength of Europe from the Barents to the Black Sea1.

1 For more information consult the publication by Terry A, K Ullrich and U Riecken (2006) The Green Beltof Europe: from vision to reality. IUCN: Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K.

This model of transboundary cooperation in natureconservation supports a variety of projects with anaim to promote knowledge and information ex-change, education activities and the harmonizationof nature conservation and management methods.For example, local and national authorities collabo-rate to protect one of Europes Biodiversity Hotspots,the Central Danube Floodplain, whose 57,000 ha ofprotected wetland is home to many EU species.

For more information visit the website at:www.greenbelteurope.eu.

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Action Area Six Capacity building andinformation sharing

Effective biodiversity action at the local level requiresthat local authorities have the necessary skills andknowledge to develop, implement and assess policies,programmes and projects. This is particularly criticalwhen nature conservation and management becomesa statutory responsibility at the local level.

A workable national approach is simply not possiblewithout addressing capacity issues at the community andcouncil level, especially in developing countries. Capacitycan be built and strengthened in a variety of ways: infor-

mation exchange activities such as workshops, nationaland regional forums, network building; developing anddisseminating resources like new planning tools andguidance materials, templates for tendering documentsand procurement contracts; sharing and replicating suc-cessful approaches; and developing training packages.

Below are some examples of what is working in variouscontexts.

Action 6.1: Support the creation of biodiversity net-works and platforms for information exchange

Action 6.2: Provide appropriate training and capacitybuilding of staff in biodiversity-related functions, espe-cially when decentralizing environmental managementto sub-national levels

Linked to this should also be a programme of raisingthe awareness of the importance of biodiversity to staffin indirect biodiversity-related functions.

Austria: Local Biodiversity Network

In 2009, the Austrian Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry,Environment and Water Management launched a na-tional campaign on biodiversity called Vielfaltleben(Living Diversity) in partnership with the Austrian NGONaturschutzbund, WWF and BirdLife. Within this cam-paign, a network of Austrian municipalities was setup to support local governments in meeting the 2010target to reduce the loss of biodiversity.

As of 2010, 30 municipalities had joined the network.Although the Local Biodiversity Network is new, it is

successfully bringing the topic to the local arena1

.In order to become a member of the network, munici-palities have to commit themselves (by signing a dec-

1 The Local Biodiversity Network is supported by the Austrian Association of Municipalities(Gemeindebund), which represents interests at the local level and to which 99 percent of allAustrian local governments belong.

laration2) to certain activities, including raising aware-

ness on biodiversity, integrating biodiversity aspects intheir local policies and operations, informing citizensabout importance of biodiversity, and actively contrib-uting to the protection of the natural environment.

They also agree to prepare and implement a biodiver-sity action plan. To this end, the Ministry has producedGuidelines for local biodiversity activities which in-cludes information on: where to nd data on localbiodiversity and endangered species; nancing in-struments; and best practice examples. The nationalgovernment also provides other tools such as an e-

newsletter, a dedicated homepage and special meet-ings to raise awareness and assist local authorities intheir work.

For more information visit www.vielfaltleben.at.

2 A copy of the declaration in German is available.

Case Study 28

South Africa: Biodiversity Planning Forum

Initiated in 2004, the Biodiversity Planning Forumis an annual forum organized and subsidized bythe national governments South African NationalBiodiversity Institute (SANBI). The Forum providesan opportunity for individuals involved in spatialbiodiversity planning - people from conservation or-ganizations, provincial and municipal environmentaland conservation departments, NGOs, universitiesand research institutes and consultants - to share and

synthesize lessons from projects and initiatives acrossSouth Africa.

The focus on the technical aspects of biodiversityplanning and project implementation makes it a use-ful forum for biodiversity and environmental manage-ment staff to obtain guidance in ne-scale biodivers-ity planning at a municipal level. Each year the Forumis held in a different province and co-hosted by SANBIand the relevant provincial conservation authorityand/or agency.

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The Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, with fund-ing and technical support from the World Bank,

developed an e-learning program with the goal ofdecentralizing environmental management throughcapacity building and training of municipal environ-mental managers1.

This initiative has three main delivery tools: monthlyseminars on selected environmental management is-sues to foster a network for information exchange;distance learning for a 54-hour course on solid wastemanagement reaching 200 students in six states and1 The link to the course is: ead.mma.gov.br.

distance learning for a 70-hour course on environ-mental licensing reaching 800 students in 17 states.

Some of the concrete lessons learned from the pro-gram are that the distance learning tool proved effec-tive in responding to the large-scale capacity buildingdemand from municipal environmental managers;the participation of several states offered an excellentopportunity for knowledge exchange among partici-pants and the piloting of two distance learning cours-es opened new horizons to the municipal technicalstaff about the benets of distance learning2.

2 http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/WBIPROGRAMS/ENRLP/0,,contentMDK:22105477~menuPK:460994~pagePK:64156158~piPK:64152884~theSitePK:460957,00.html.

Case Study 31

Brazil: Decentralized Environmental Management for 5500 Municipalities

New Zealand: Action Bio-Community Programme

The Ministry for the Environment through LocalGovernment New Zealand supported the Action Bio-Community (ABC) Programme with the aim of build-ing local capacity for biodiversity management andof strengthening partnerships of local, regional andnational actors.

It targets councillors, planners, senior management,information managers and users, parks, biosecurityand ecology staff, and community groups and theProgramme was built upon four pillars: leadership,collaboration, enhancing capacity at the communitylevel, and a balanced mix of tools.

The toolbox, available at www.biocommunity.org.

nz, provides an online source of technical informationas well as educational materials including: Key reference materials and contacts

Case studies of successful approaches Inventory of Local Biodiversity Strategies and

Action Plans Threatened Environment Classication Maps Video interviews with councils and community

groups working in nature conservation

A 2004 programme evaluation found that ABC hadcontributed signicantly to growing the skills andknow-how of local governments for biodiversitymanagement1.

Regular forums and national workshops which con-tribute to networking and the coordination and pool-ing of knowledge and experience across local authori-ties continue. The current focus of these wo

Supporting Local Action for Biodiversity

Documents