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What is the Ecosystem Approach?
The Ecosystem Approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way.
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The Ecosystem Approach places human needs at the centre of biodiversity management. It aims to manage the ecosystem, based on the multiple functions that ecosystems perform and the multiple uses that are made of these functions. The ecosystem approach does not aim for short-term economic gains, but aims to optimize the use of an ecosystem without damaging it. |
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It
was endorsed at the fifth Conference
of the Parties to the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CoP
5 in Nairobi, Kenya; May 2000/Decision
V/6) as the primary framework for
action under the Convention. It comprises
12 Principles. Decision VII/11 of
the 7th Conference of the Parties
to the CBD supports the application
and implementation of the Ecosystem
Approach, and welcomes additional
guidelines to this effect.
CEM promotes the application of the
Ecosystem Approach throughout the work
of the Union, including its members
and partners.
Download the Ecosystem Approach as it was endorsed by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/23): English, Spanish, French (Word, 70
kB).
Activities/Projects
The project "Promoting
application of the Ecosystem Approach"
With the implementation of the Netherlands
funded project "Promoting application
of the Ecosystem Approach" CEM aims
to enhance the understanding and promote
the application of the Ecosystem Approach
by applying and testing it in the field
and sharing results of such tests with
key target audiences.
Case study analysis have
been undertaken in:
| 1. |
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Bocas del Toro, Panama under supervisoon of Nestor Windevoxhel, regional vice chair of the Commission in Meso-America and in cooperation with PROARCA. |
| 2. |
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The Maradi-Kano border region between Southern Niger and Northern Nigeria, supervised by Mike Mortimore in collaboration with Drylands Research (United Kingdom), Ahmadu Bello and Bayero Universities (Nigeria), and Abdou Moumouni University (Niger). |
| 3. |
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Tram Chim, Mekong delta by Martin van der Schans. |
| 4. |
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Papua Province, Indonesia supervised by Gill Shepherd, CEM theme leader on the Ecosystem Approach in collaboration with Marthen Kayoi
Provincial Forest Department Head,
Papua Province, and Adrian Wells. |
Clustering and Sequencing the Principles
of the Ecosystem Approach
Several previous attempts have been
made to prioritise the Principles,
or to cluster them by similarity of
issue, but IUCN CEM feels that the
main priority is to provide concrete
operational guidance for action on
the ground. Dr. Gill Shepherd, CEM
theme leader on the Ecosystem Approach,
introduced at CBD SBSTTA 9 in Montreal
(November 2003) a clustering and sequencing
of the principles, so that discussion,
planning and action can flow more simply
from them:
| 1. |
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Area and key stakeholders |
| 2. |
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Ecosystem structure, function,
health and management |
| 3. |
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Economic issues |
| 4. |
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Adaptive management over space:
impact on adjacent ecosystems |
| 5. |
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Adaptive management
over time: long-term goals, flexible
ways of reaching them |
Dr. Gill Shepherd's full presentation
can be downloaded here (ppt, 165 kB)
Other examples of prioritizing the
Principles of the Ecosystem Approach:
Comments are welcome and can be sent
to Simon
Rietbergen.
Case
Studies
Presently, the following case studies are in progress:
1. Bocas
del Toro Archipelago, Panama
2. Kano-Maradi border region, Niger-Nigeria
3. Papua Province, Indonesia
4. Mekong River basin
Contacts
Please contact Dr.
Gill Shepherd GillShepherd compuserve.com – CEM
theme leader on the ecosystem approach – for
more information. |
