G7-Elmau-Progress-Report-2015-Biodiversity-A-vital-foundation-for-sustainable-development

G7 ELMAU PROGRESS REPORT 73Example 5.8 Reducing the use of endangered species in traditional medicine,Vietnam (Germany)The global demand for wildlife products used for perceived health benefits, among many other reasons, hasgiven rise to a poaching industry that has reduced animal populations and contributed to the demise of endangeredspecies. In Vietnam, for example, rhino horn is used for traditional and recreational purposes and is said torelieve fever and provide a hangover cure. Its consumption also increased dramatically after rumors spread that itsuse cured a prominent public figure of cancer. There is, however, no credible scientific evidence on the effects of suchtreatments. China, for example, removed rhino horn already in 1993 from the official Chinese pharmacopeia, whichis the country’s official compendium of traditional Chinese and Western medicines.In the context of Germany’s broader commitment to support the implementation of measures along the entireillegal trade chain to tackle poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Africa and Asia, Germany has recently supportedefforts in Vietnam to discuss ways in which traditional medicine practitioners can help protect endangered speciesthat are used for alleged health purposes. Together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, TRAFFIC (the wildlifetrade monitoring network), and WWF, information has been shared with traditional medicine practitionersand academics, particularly on the current illegal trade of rhino horn, mainly from Africa. Based on analyses andenhanced understanding of the motivations leading to rhino horn consumption, the initiative aims at increasedlevels of public-government collaboration and at publicly visible commitments to action from key stakeholdersin order to undermine some of these motivations. The initiative explores the dimensions of the illegal wildlifetrade, the historical use of rhino horn in traditional medicine, current laws covering the use of endangered speciesin alternative medicine in Vietnam, and presents effective alternatives such as herbs.5.3 Biodiversity and climate change5.3.1 G7 efforts to address interactions betweenbiodiversity and climate changeClimate change is one of the major drivers of biodiversitychange and likely to become the main driver of biodiversityloss in the future (Settele et al. 2014). Increased globalClimate change is a major threat to human well-being.The resulting sea level rise and changes in global patternsof rainfall and evaporation are expected to result inchanges in floods, droughts and other extreme weatherevents, which can threaten human life directly and indirectly,for example through crop failure. The current G7commitment on climate change addresses specifically theneed to provide financial support for actions to adapt to achanging climate in developing countries. Biodiversity lossand global climate change have similar root causes in theunderlying direct and indirect drivers of environmentalchange, and are highly interdependent (see Figure 5.3).This must be taken into account in activities addressingthem (Jones et al. 2014).A post for measuring the tidal flows in the marshlands. Rugezi, Rwanda.FAO/Giulio Napolitano