CBD ECOSYSTEM APPROACH

CBD Ecosystem Approach

The Ecosystem Approach is a framework developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to integrate the three objectives of the Convention; “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources”. It is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. It recognizes that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems. The ecosystem approach requires adaptive management to deal with the complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems and the absence of complete knowledge or understanding of their functioning.

Principles of the Ecosystem Approach that are relevant with respect to management planning are:

• Management actions should be carried out at the scale appropriate for the issue being addressed,
• Management decisions should be decentralized to the lowest level possible and appropriate
• Intersectoral cooperation for the management of protected areas needs to be ensured.
• Management of protected areas is not the choice of ecologists alone but is a societal choice..

Links to additional information

• Guidance: https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/
• Guidance: https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity/ecosystem-approach/ecosystem-approach
• Information: http://web.unep.org/unepmap/who-we-are/ecosystem-approach