green communities without frontiers
DESCRIPTION
Presentation made at Qabala, Afeganisthan, during the Pan-European CBD COP10 NGO Preparatory Meeting th Gabala, 5-6 July 2010TRANSCRIPT
GREEN COMMUNITIES without frontiers
Pan-European CBD COP10 NGO Preparatory MeetingGabala, 5-6th July 2010
PORTUGAL
Goal
Education, information and training people for getting involved in biodiversity conservation activities at local and regional level in supporting the Convention on Biological Diversity proper implementation at local level.
Possible activities Green space
Biodiversity conservation measures
Agriculture biodiversity
Invasive alien species
Co-existence of new technologies and traditional knowledge
Intellectual property rights
Developing and strengthening the urban plan develop. and management
New challenges
Communities and outputs
Project should apply to different kind of communities: Villages to cities
Outputs: Trained people, more informed, educated and committed Guidelines for communities in working with small and large
communities with different backgrounds identifying strength and weakness
Data base development for reporting the local biodiversity status of conservation – in support activities from the community level – to be validated by science - for achieving the CBD goals.
700 European species are threatened, while the number of alien exotic species in Pan-Europe continues to rise(In EEA’s fourth Pan-European Assessment)
Most important factors for biodiversity loss*:
Alteration and destruction of habitat(Ex: soil use change, physical change and draining of rivers, loss of coral reefs, damage in ocean floor due to some fishing techniques)
Over-exploitation
Invasive alien species
Climate change
Pollution In Millennium Ecosystem Analysis (MEA, 2005)
Current status of biodiversity
Statement by Ahmed Djoghlaf* *Executive Secretary of the CBD
On the occasion of the Second World Cities Summit 2010 Singapore, 30 June 2010
“Last month, the CBD Secretariat released the third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook.
Based on 120 national reports submitted by Parties,
the report demonstrates that the international community (...) has failed to fulfil its commitment to reduce substantially the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010.
The report confirms that we continue to lose biodiversity at unprecedented rates: today, species extinction rates may be 1,000 times higher than the natural rate.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a new biodiversity vision for a healthy and sustainable future for mankind.
This new vision should integrate the distinct contribution of cities in protecting life on Earth.
… the world’s urban population now exceeds that of rural areas. A new era has been born - the era of “Homo urbanus”, the city dweller.
This development is expected to have far-reaching implications for humanity and for biodiversity.
Cities occupy 2 per cent of the planet’s surface, but their residents use 75 per cent of the Earth’s natural resources.
BIO-LOCAL* Diversity of local actions for Biodiversity
Local and regional biodiversity
Consumption and biodiversity Agricultural biodiversity
A project of the Municipality of Moita (Portugal)
Biodiversity near people, in local identity and history
Get to know local biodiversity
And main habitats
Subtidal areaMud flats
Oyster beds
Cereal fieldsSaltmarshes
Saltpans
“Caniçal”
Portuguese Oyster
Learn about locally extinct species
Identify human activities connected with biodiversity
Aquaculture
Salt-pans
Fishing and collecting molluscs
Oyster harvest and preparation
And local threats to biodiversity
OverfishingPollution
Biodiversity andour Consumption
Help local consumers to discover the links between their choices and Biodiversity
Eco-consumer tours
Impact on working conditions?
Impact on animal welfare?
Impact of GEE?
Impact of packaging?
Impact on Biodiversity?
1. “Check-in”Adding more knowledge on ones's “luggage”
The beneficts of organic farming
Contributing to protect forests
www.fsc.org
Choosing local and seasonal products
Supporting regional varieties in kitchen gardens
Choosing sustainable fish products
www.msc.org
Sustainable consumption of certain species…
“I buy to have biodiversity today and tomorow!”
2. In-door tour Pratice in the supermarket
3. Out-door tourGet to know local producers
Build partnerships with private sectors
The compromise of a Cooperative of Consumers in Italy:
Dolphin- friendly products
Protection of Red Tuna
Stakeholders / partners Local Councils (Municipalities) Local Cooperatives and Businesses Other NGOs
Strenghts and Opportunities: Local Councils have frequently transportation means, good connection with school community and good channels for communication with general public and registration logistics
Weaknesses and Threats:Local Councils may not have a coherent policy, ex. on urban planning and developmentLocal businesses may be shops linked to national or multinational companies Difficult to evaluate results in awareness projects
Some questions
Added value of Pan-Europe Data base on local biodiversity Guide-lines on how to deal with local
communities
Thank you
Presentation available at www.slideshare.net/paulalopessilva
www.quercus.pt We thank to the Municipality of Moita for the images made available