Overview
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effect since December 29, 1993, The United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) is the only existing global agreement for preserving and improving
marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
The
main objectives of the CBD are to promote the conservation of biological
diversity, ensure the sustainable use of the components of biological
diversity, and to promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
resulting from the utilization of genetic resources.
With
the exception of the United States, Andorra, and the Holy See, every member
state of the United Nations has signed the CBD (known as ‘Parties to the
Convention’). An analysis of why the U.S. has not yet ratified the Convention and why it should do so is found here.
CBD
Parties (193 total) are encouraged to implement comprehensive ocean health
policies, establish integrated coastal zone management programs, protect
spawning and nursing areas, reduce the introduction of invasive species, create
educational programs and research initiatives, enact improvements in waste
treatment, and enforce controls on destructive fishing practices.
How Was It Measured?
Information in the
country reports prepared for the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) third national survey in 2005 were applied in varying combinations for five
separate Resilience measures for different goals and sub-goals; the response
layers used were 'alien species', 'habitat', 'mariculture', 'tourism', and 'water'. Each
question was weighted equally within each category and responses were averaged
to give a score between 0-1 for all respondents. For each question, a score of 1
was assigned if a country was a signatory and responded “yes”; a 0 was assigned if a
country was a signatory and either answered “no” or had no response.
153 of the 193 members of the CBD prepared reports for the CBD's third national survey.
All contributing countries were given 0.5 credit within each of the Resilience
measures for being a member of the CBD. The other 0.5 of the Resilience score
came from each country’s responses to specific questions within each Resilience
measure. In cases where the European Union answered “yes” or was a signatory,
all 25 EU countries were given that response unless individual countries responded differently on an individual basis. Data were provided for 147 regions. Geographical
means, weighted by country area, were computed as scores for the remaining regions.
CBD signatory status and responses to the CBD survey questions detailed above were used as Resilience components for calculating goals as follows. CBD water was used for nearly all goals. CBD Tourism, Alien Species and Mariculture were used for Biodiversity (Species and all Habitats). Additionally CBD Mariculture was used for the Maricultyure subgoal of Food Provision.
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Why Is This Important?
The measures that a country is taking
to conserve biodiversity can be seen as an indicator of its implementation of
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) goals. The
following indicators were developed by the CBD and the United Nations
Environmental Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC) to
assess the extent to which a nation is meeting these goals.
-Parties support the
CBD goal of designating 10% as Marine Protected Areas (MPA) by working to designate 10% or
more of their EEZ waters as MPAs through plans, monitoring, enforcement
and creation of national networks of MPAs.
-Parties have
strategies and action plans targeted to key terms of the CBD, e.g. having
a comprehensive ocean health policy, developing new MPAs, improving the
management of existing MPAs, protecting spawning and nursery areas,
creating educational programs and research initiatives, improving waste
treatment, and controlling destructive fishing practices.
-Parties’ marine and
coastal resource management plans identify critical components and key
threats to ecosystems, incorporate local and traditional knowledge, and
strengthen institutional, administrative and legislative support for
integrated marine and coastal ecosystem-based management (EBM).
-Parties’ marine
management programs include assessing, monitoring, reporting and
responding to the health status of coral reefs, including bleaching;
restoring degraded reef habitat; and providing education and training
programs for communities dependent on coral reef services and for scientists
who study reefs.
-Parties minimize the
negative effects of mariculture by conducting environmental impact
assessments, effective site selection, effective methods for waste
control, and by avoiding introduction of invasive species or genotypes and
minimizing use of antibiotics.
-Parties assess and
minimize the impacts of tourism on biodiversity by educating tourism
operators; assisting indigenous and local communities to participate in
policy-making, development planning, product development and management
for tourism; and incorporating guidelines on biodiversity and tourism development in national plans for tourism development.
What Has Been Done?
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, created by the nation of Kiribati, covers 408,250 km2 (157,626 mi2) – far more than 10% of its EEZ - in the central Pacific Ocean and is currently the sixth largest MPA in the world according to UNEP-WCMC.
In 2008, researchers in Albania began tagging and monitoring sea turtles in an attempt to learn more about migratory patterns and threats to the endangered species. The overall goal of the project was to initiate a legislative process in order to protect the sea turtles and to conserve Albania’s overall biodiversity.
Get More Information
IUCN Environmental Law Centre and IUCN Biodiversity Programme
A Guide to the Convention on Biological Diversity. 1994.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
CBD
provides a strategic plan for the conservation of biological diversity and the
sustainable use of its component factors on local, national, and international
scales.
References
Lester, S. E. et al. 2009. Biological effects within no-take marine reserves: a global synthesis. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 384, 33–46..
