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| Sunday, 21 December 2003 |
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IUCN forum identifies critical environment and conservation issues : Sri Lanka could be key player in negotiations
How can we best keep Asia's rich biological diversity intact and sustainably use its natural resources to provide a better livelihood for the marginalised whose livelihoods are threatened - was the question that conservationists, eminent scientists, representatives from states, government agencies, non government organisations, donor agencies, UN bodies and members of the corporate sector grappled with, for three days, from December 10 to 13, at the BMICH Colombo. The World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Asia Regional Conservation Forum brought together participants from 136 member organisations including 11 state members, 20 government agencies and 103 non government organisations to "identify critical environmental and conservation issues facing the region as well as facilitating a broad-based agreement, across the environment and development constituency, on how best to address these concerns." Although Asia has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources these had been rapidly depleting in the last five decades due to unsustainable use. Plagued by calamities - natural and man made disasters had been increasingly threatening the environment in recent years resulting in the loss of livelihoods of the marginalised. IUCN had identified the areas to be focused as Asia's mountain areas, wetlands, drylands, forests, coastal areas and Asia's rich diversity of culture and traditional knowledge. The forum focused on four main themes: From the mountains to the sea - how to manage ecosystems and landscapes; Conservation as a poverty reduction strategy - supporting livelihoods and minimizing insecurity and vulnerability; Benefits beyond boundaries - how do we manage protected areas and The failure of Cancun - trade, globalization and poverty. Trans-boundary cooperation, multinational links and dialogue between the private sector and conservation community emerged important elements for conservation solutions at the forum. The importance of countries learning from each other, sharing experiences and looking at the issues on a regional or sub-regional perspective for better addressing of the issues were stressed along with the importance of the multilateral approach of the conservation process. Conservation is not an isolated area, it should be linked and addressed along with socioeconomic, globalization and trade issues, the experts determined. Many recommendations were drawn up and will be integrated to the IUCN Asia region's work programme for the next quadrennium (2005 to 2008), said Shiranee Yasaratne, Country Representative, IUCN Sri Lanka. by Vimukthi Fernando "I find that environment has a lot of logic. You don't have to be wise, a researcher or a politician or professional to understand it. The logic of survival is very simple, if you do this (live in harmony with nature) you will survive and if you don't there is no option to life," says Yolanda Kakabadse Navarro, President of IUCN. The Sunday Observer interviewed Kakabadse, during her short stay in Sri Lanka. An ardent conservationist with over two decades of affiliation in the environmental conservation movement, Kakabadse coordinated the participation of civil society organisations at the Earth Summit in Geneva, Switzerland in the 1990 and held the position of the Minister of Environment for the Republic in Ecuador from 1998 to 2000. Here are some excerpts of Sunday Observer's interview with Yolanda Kakabadse Navarro: Her career as a conservationist has been special almost every day says Kakabadse, "There are several elements that make it so special - that makes every day so special." Besides her interest in people, passion for environment is a driving force in her life she says. "This passion for environment I qualify as a virus. Once you get it you cannot get rid of it." In linking the two things people and nature, she found that life is worth living, says Kakabadse, for "you can do a lot of things - working with people in generating change that is visible." The many environmental concerns in the world cannot be prioritised, but should be taken up as a package and addressed together, says Kakabadse. Investment in scientific research, policy making and implementation are of paramount importance, she points out. "I think that it is a package of priority because they are so much interrelated, unless you address them all it will not work," says Kakabadse. Taking water as an example she questions as to what area of water takes priority and points out that legislation, policies, sustainable use, protection of watersheds, regulations and technical actions to avoid pollution are of equal significance. "So, if you avoid pollution but do not make policies it is worthless. Or if you make wonderful legislation and it does not work what is the use? I believe that water is one of the main elements. Forest is another element of tremendous importance, and in the urban environment or sector of production energy is another element... I think we need to invest a lot in science and research and in policies in making things happen. Otherwise we can always have an excuse - that we are OK as we are." Priorities for conservation differ from country to country and even within a country, says Kakabadse. Sustainable development is a formula which is to be devised by the people in each country. Even in one country, priorities would differ from coastal communities to mountain communities, she points out. Biodiversity rich countries such as Sri Lanka can benefit from the Bio Diversity Convention by recognising and valuing their natural resources and investing more efforts in their negotiating process, says Kakabadse. The cards are in the hands of biodiversity rich countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Ecuador, she points out. "I think that we have the cards in our hands - the bio diversity rich countries like Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and my country Ecuador. I think what we need is to negotiate well. One of our weaknesses is that we differ in our approach to negotiations. A country in Latin America has one strategy, in Africa a different strategy and in Asia another. If we invest more efforts in coming up with a stronger negotiating position we win. In the sense, we can see that a balance is reached between those who have and those who need those resources. And Sri Lanka of course is a key player in this process. I think all our countries need to recognise that biodiversity is wealth. It is a capital. We do not value enough. I suppose the day we give it enough value then we will know how to negotiate and then we become stronger in our positions." Long term strategic planning and policies are needed to overcome Asia's environmental and poverty problems, says Kakabadse. "Asia is one of the richest continents in bio and cultural diversity and also a region with many problems. Population, poverty, soil, water and forest are only few of the problems. But definitely when you have problems of wealth and poverty as two packages on two lists, it is a challenge that requires creativity, innovation, evaluation, and a vision not only for two or five years, but for 25 to 100 years ahead. It requires a capacity to look at the weaknesses and failures and to recognise strengths." IUCN is permanently involved in this task, with the involvement and participation of the Asian people, designing the programmes for the region, she points out. IUCN contributes as one of the stakeholders in Asia, as well as learning from the exercise. Although IUCN was established mainly as an agency for conservation, 55 years ago, its agenda now includes sustainable development. Linking conservation and people is IUCN's main goal today, says Kakabadse. "Today IUCN is completely focused on conservation and people. In that we mean the whole environment. We look at eco systems, landscapes because evidence now is quite clear in respect that you cannot work on conservation unless the people who live there who are close to it and who depend on it are part of that objective. If those people do not participate in the process, it is a lost effort in every sense. We consider our main objective is to satisfy the needs of people through conservation. That conservation is profitable in the sense of becoming a tool for poverty alleviation, a tool that would guarantee quality of life for different people around the world. That is our thrust. That is the main goal, linking nature and people." |
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