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THE GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY CRISIS AND RELATED POLICY CHALLENGE
This report provides many concrete examples of success
stories for which local engagement has proven
critical. for payments for environmental services (PEs)
or carbon storage programmes supported through
rEDD, it is generally local people who are paid for the
maintenance or restoration of watersheds, forests and
wetlands. Local knowledge of medicinal properties of
plants makes bioprospecting more cost effective, and
due sharing of the benefits can facilitate cooperation
(see generally chapter 5 on rewarding benefits).
In many southern African countries, community-based
natural resource management is considered a good
strategy not only to develop multi-resource livelihood
activities, but also to stimulate local self-reliance and
poverty alleviation (Wily 2000; Benjaminsen et al.
2002).
These types of approaches link natural capital and
creation of social capital. Typically, attention is focused
on restructuring the rights of access to and use of
communal and/or state lands. for these programmes
to be successful, the role of farmers in conserving biodiversity
on their farmlands needs to be recognised,
particularly the fact that rural communities through
different uses have created a diversified landscape.
for example, in Tanzania local communities often
consciously preserve and cultivate endemic species on
their village lands, because of their role to fulfil household
needs, but also of wider value for crop diversity.
A country or region where the natural capital – its
forests, watersheds, soil and crop varieties - is acutely
run down will find it particularly difficult to meet the
Millennium Development Goals (UN 2000). A concerted
effort to restore natural capital will therefore
be an essential part of a strategy to address the social
challenges and improve community health and
livelihoods.
Chapter 1 has highlighted the main issues for policy-makers raised by the global biodiversity crisis and
outlined the economic and social case for integrating valuation across relevant policy areas. Chapter 2
describes the framework for the policy response and shows how and when the benefits of biodiversity
and ecosystems can be linked to policy process, opportunities and instruments.
TEEB for NATIoNAL AND INTErNATIoNAL PoLIcy MAKErs - chAPTEr 1: PAGE 30