Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

384 K Recommendations for action
question. To that end, management must be directed
at long-term usability, the diversity of abiotic and
biotic factors at the site must be considered and also
the pressure placed on neighbouring ecosystems by
land use in that given area. The model alone is however
not sufficient, practicable instruments (eg indicator
systems) will be required for implementation
and evaluation.
The Council recommends transferring the principles
of multifunctional land use as fully as possible to
agricultural and forestry practice, because the worldwide
introduction of that sort of strategy of land use
promises to be all the more successful the earlier
these practices are also realized in industrialized
countries and the earlier their ecological and economic
benefits become visible there. One urgent
requirement is for pricing to contain the costs of soil
protection, environmental protection and the conservation
of biological diversity.The certification of corresponding
use strategies and the labelling of their
products is an important opportunity for promoting
multifunctional land use.
There is not a great deal of time left if the present
risk-laden and, in its impact, essentially unknown
development trajectory is to be halted. There is an
urgent need for swift and effective action.
K 2.2.7
Counteracting the temporal and spatial separation
of biogeochemical processes
The knowledge about the effects of human intervention
in biogeochemical conversion processes in
ecosystems is essentially available, but so far it has
not been sufficiently evaluated or translated into
action at local or global level. For problems of biogeochemical
build-up and depletion, avoidance or
compensatory strategies must be developed and
employed that aim to link together biogeochemical
cycles in both spatial and temporal terms. Economic
practices that are based on the overexploitation of
national or managed ecosystems must be avoided at
every spatial level. Management directed towards
sustainable use should be identified by the ecolabels
or promoted through other measures in order to offset
the higher costs incurred by these strategies. It
should also be publicized much more that sustainable
land use comes with a price tag.
A possible strategy for avoiding biogeochemically
driven changes in biological diversity is bioregional
management (Section E 3.9), by means of which spatial
disparities can be reduced and regional cycles
strengthened. In order to preserve the necessary
scope for action for the sustainable use of natural
resources, there is a need for systematic recording
and evaluation of the numerous interactions of production,
consumption, trade and environment at different
spatial levels. Internationally, the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) could
assume the requisite coordination. On the whole this
topic area should be addressed to a greater extent.
K 2.2.8
Introduction of alien species: precautionary
control
In order for the terms employed in connection with
the introduction of alien species to be used uniformly
in national legislation (in Germany in the Bundesnaturschutzgesetz
[Federal Nature Conservation
Act] Art. 20 d II) it is necessary to ascertain and
define clearly the meaning of these terms, which
could be done by the Conference of the Parties (in
cooperation for example with FAO, IMO or WHO)
(Section E 3.6). Furthermore, the provisions in connection
with the introduction of alien natural species
and genetically modified species should be harmonized,
since the problems are of a similar nature.
In many countries the intended introduction of
alien organisms is subject to the obligation to obtain
approval, but deficits often prevail with regard to the
verification of existing regulations and possible sanctions
for violations. In dealing with the problem, the
precautionary principle should always be the basis.
Planned introductions must also be accompanied by
environmental impact assessments. These provisions
should not just apply to releases into agriculture and
forestry, but should be generally applicable.
As a matter of principle the originator must also
be held liable for unintentional introduction of alien
species and the responsible authorities for prevention,
emergency management and early warning
must be determined. Unintentional introductions
could for example be prevented by border and seed
controls (arranged by the IPPC), logistical measures
such as shorter waiting times in container traffic, but
also and above all through awareness-raising in the
population and amongst the major players. In the
context of the CBD the possibility of drawing up
common standards for dealing with alien species
should be examined.
The most important means of transmission for the
worldwide transfer of marine species is the ballast
water on ships. Annually, 10 thousand million tonnes
of ballast water are transported worldwide with
3,000–4,000 species finding a new home in that way
every day (Box E 3.6-1). Since organisms from
coastal waters die in the high seas and plankton from
the high seas cannot survive in coastal waters, the
International Maritime Organization recommends