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Road to Addis and Beyond
In the first SUSG event at the World Conservation Congress
in 2004, Robin Sharp CB, Chair of the ESUSG, introduces and
explains the basic contents of the CBD Addis Ababa Principles
and Guidelines for Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (AAPG). Sharp groups them into three themes of 'Governance and
management', 'Policy approaches (mostly economic)' and
'Other issues', and accentuates a vitally important message
conveyed by the AAPG: that sustainable use is about working
with people rather than against them for the benefit of
conservation and livelihoods.
The Wildlife Trade - Linking Producers and Consumers
Teresa Mulliken discusses the application of the Principles
in the context of market forces, and highlights the
importance of understanding, and responding, these shifting
market forces to successfully achieving Sustainable
Use. The need for a thorough evaluation of our experience
of sustainable use is also discussed.
Using Wild Resources in Managed Ecosystems
Elizabeth Bennett of the Wildlife Conservation Society
demonstrates the application of the AAPG to one particular
type of sustainable use: the harvest of wild meat in
tropical forests. She emphasises the importance of examining
the productivity of a natural resource when assessing
its potential to be used sustainably.
Engaging Local Stakeholders in Forest Management in
the Peruvian Amazon
Linda Norgrove describes the application of the AAPG
to WWF's forest management work in the Peruvian Amazon,
in particular engaging local stakeholders in the management
activities. By persevering in the application of the
AAPG pertinent to this situation, both socio-economic
and conservation benefits are anticipated.
Principles of Sustainable Use. Monitoring and Indicators:
Ecological Aspects
Professor Herbert Prins gives an overview of the desirable
properties of indicators biological indicators. At the
CBD's forth workshop on Sustainable Use in Addis Ababa,
indicators with these properties were selected to assess
five components of biological diversity: genetic material,
populations, species, communities or assemblages, and
'ecosystems, habitats and other aggregated terms.' The
indicators that will be used to assess one of these
components - Populations - are outlined here.
Monitoring and Indicators for Sustainable Use: Socio-Economic
Aspects
Gill Shepherd and Jeff Sayer emphasize the importance
of monitoring the social and economic performance of
natural resource management systems. They explain that
it is essential to first establish a suitable baseline
against which to monitor, and then monitor changes in
a simple, participatory way. The need for such processes
in the context of the AAPG is made clear.
Applying the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines in
Different Contexts
Kai Wollscheid explains the cross-cutting nature of the
AAPG, which are important not only for the conservation
of biodiversity but also to the preservation of traditional
cultures. Implementation of the Principles can build bridges
between the many different geographical and institutional
levels of Natural Resource Management, and enhance the
efficacy of large scale, multi-stakeholder agreements.
The Panel Discussion
David Morgan of CITES stresses the pertinence of the
AAPG to CITES processes, and explains the latest moves
to incorporate them into CITES policy. Graham Webb,
of Northern Territories University, welcomes the adoption
of the AAPG but reminds us that factors affecting sustainability
of use interact in complex and unpredictable ways. Therefore,
simply satisfying the Principles will not guarantee
sustainability: simple monitoring techniques are the
only way to ascertain whether a resource use is sustainable.
Rob Hepworth of the Commission for Migratory Species
sums up the workshops.
After Addis Ababa: CBD Decisions and Activities on
Sustainable Use
As the first speaker in this second SUSG event, Paola
Deda of the CBD Secretariat presents CBD CoP Decision
VII/12, which outlines practical steps needed to assist
the implementation of the AAPG. Summarising the Decision,
Deda emphasizes the need for action amongst the Governments
and other organizations, such as incorporating the AAPG
into policies, and conducting further research into
the factors that lead to successful sustainable use.
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