1. Establishes a programme of work on the biological diversity of
dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland, and savannah ecosystems,
which may also be known as the programme on "dry and sub-humid lands",
bearing in mind the close linkages between poverty and loss of biological
diversity in these areas;
2. Endorses the programme of work contained in annex I to the
present decision;
3. Urges Parties, countries, international and regional
organizations, major groups and other relevant bodies to implement it, to
support scientifically, technically and financially its activities at the
national and regional levels and to foster cooperation among countries within
regions and subregions sharing similar biomes;
4. Endorses the indicative list of levels of implementation and
coordination for the various activities which are proposed in annex II, and
the process described in the paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 below, and illustrated in
annex III;
5. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice to review and assess periodically the status and trends
of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands on the basis of the
outputs of the activities of the programme of work, and make recommendations
for the further prioritization, refinement and scheduling of the programme of
work based on the review by the Executive Secretary referred to in
paragraph 8 below;
6. Requests the Executive Secretary to review this programme of work
and identify expected outcomes, further activities to achieve these outcomes,
those who should implement these activities, and timetables for action and
follow-up, taking into account the suggestions of the technical group of
experts, and to present these to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical
and Technological Advice for consideration at a following meeting. This
process should be carried out in close collaboration with the Executive
Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and
other relevant bodies to provide synergy and avoid duplication;
7. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice to establish an ad hoc technical group of experts with
the following tasks:
(a) Consolidate and assess information on the status and trends of
biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands, on the possible establishment of an
international network of dry and sub-humid areas of particular value for
biodiversity, on indicators, on processes affecting biodiversity, on global
benefits derived from biodiversity, and on the socio-economic impacts of its
loss, including the interrelationship between biodiversity and poverty;
(b) Assess the progress and the effects of the specific measures that
have been taken for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, for
resource management and for the support of sustainable livelihoods;
(c) Assess international priorities set up at the regional and global
levels and make proposals for expected outcomes, further activities, possible
actors that may implement them, and timetables for action;
8. Requests the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the
Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification, including through
the development of a joint work programme, drawing upon the elements
contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on coordination between the
Convention on Biological diversity and the Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/INF/15), as well as with other relevant
bodies, in the implementation and further elaboration of the programme of
work and further requests the Executive Secretary to seek inputs from and
collaborate with countries with sub-humid lands, and with other bodies
relevant to sub-humid lands;
9. Requests the Executive Secretary to establish a roster of experts
on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands. This should be
carried out in close collaboration with the Executive Secretary of the
Convention to Combat Desertification and other relevant bodies to provide
synergy and avoid duplication;
10. Requests the Executive Secretary to make available relevant
information on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands through
various means, including the development in the clearing-house mechanism of a
database on dry and sub-humid lands;
11. Invites bilateral and international funding agencies to provide
support for the implementation of the activities of the programme of work on
the biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands, in particular for
capacity-building in developing countries and countries with economies in
transition.
Annex 1
DRAFT PROGRAMME OF WORK ON DRY AND SUB-HUMID LANDS
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The overall aim of the programme of work is to promote the three
objectives of the Convention in dry and sub-humid lands. 6/
2. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should:
(a) Build upon existing knowledge and ongoing activities and
management practices, and promote a concerted response to fill knowledge gaps
while supporting best management practices through partnership among
countries and institutions;
6/ The programme of work does not apply to polar and tundra regions.
(b) Ensure harmony with the other relevant thematic programmes of
work under the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the work on
cross-cutting issue;
(c) Promote synergy and coordination, and avoid unnecessary
duplication, between related conventions, particularly the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification, and the programmes of various
international organizations, while respecting the mandates and existing
programmes of work of each organization and the intergovernmental authority
of the respective governing bodies;
(d) Promote effective stakeholder participation, including the
identification of priorities, in planning, in research and in monitoring and
evaluating research;
(e) Respond to national priorities through the implementation of
specific activities in a flexible and demand-driven manner;
(f) Support the development of national strategies and programmes and
promote the integration of biological-diversity concerns in sectoral and
cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies, in furtherance of Article 6 of
the Convention on Biological Diversity, in seeking harmonization and avoiding
duplication when undertaking activities relevant to other related
conventions, in particular the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification.
3. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should aim
at applying the ecosystem approach adopted under the Convention on Biological
Diversity. Implementation of the programme of work will also build upon the
knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities
consistent with Article 8(j) of the Convention.
II. PROGRAMME OF WORK
4. The programme of work is divided in two parts, "Assessments" and
"Targeted actions in response to identified needs", to be implemented in
parallel. Knowledge gained through the assessments will help guide the
responses needed, while lessons learned from activities will feed back into
the assessments.
Part A: Assessments
Operational objective
5. To assemble and analyse information on the state of the biological
diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and the pressures on it, to disseminate
existing knowledge and best practices, and to fill knowledge gaps, in order
to determine adequate activities.
Rationale
6. Ecosystems of dry and sub-humid lands tend to be naturally highly
dynamic systems. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological
diversity of dry and sub-humid lands is therefore particularly challenging.
A better understanding of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid
lands, their dynamics, their socio-economic value and the consequences of
their loss and change is needed. This also includes the merits of short-term
adaptive management practices compared with long-term management planning.
This should not, however, be seen as a prerequisite for targeted actions for
the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and
sub-humid lands. Indeed, lessons learned from practices, including
indigenous and local community practices, contribute to the knowledge base.
Since water constraints are a defining characteristic of dry and sub-humid
lands, effective water management strategies underpin their successful
management. This requires an appropriate balance between the immediate water
requirements of humans, their livestock and crops, and water required to
maintain biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.
Activities
Activity 1. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological diversity
of dry and sub-humid lands, including landraces, and the effectiveness of
conservation measures.
Activity 2. Identification of specific areas within dry and sub-humid lands
of particular value for biological diversity and/or under particular threat,
such as, inter alia, endemic species and low lying wetlands, with reference
to the criteria in Annex I to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Activity 3. Further development of indicators of the biological diversity of
dry and sub-humid lands and its loss, for the various ecosystem types, for
use in the assessment of status and trends of this biological diversity.
Activity 4. Building knowledge on ecological, physical and social processes
that affect the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, especially
ecosystem structure and functioning (e.g., grazing, droughts, floods, fires,
tourism, agricultural conversion or abandonment).
Activity 5. Identification of the local and global benefits, including soil
and water conservation, derived from the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid
lands, assessment of the socio-economic impact of its loss, and the
undertaking of studies on the interrelationship between biodiversity and
poverty, including analysis of: (i) the benefits from biodiversity for
poverty alleviation; and (ii) the impact of biodiversity conservation on the
poorest.
Activity 6. Identification and dissemination of best management practices,
including knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local
communities that can be broadly applied, consistent with the programme of
work under the Convention on Article 8(j) and related provisions.
Ways and means
7. The activities of part A are to be carried out through:
(a) Consolidation of information from various ongoing sources,
including those under other international conventions, the Global Observing
Systems, and other programmes. This process would draw upon ongoing work of
these existing programmes, with additional catalytic activities, such as
workshops, further use of the clearing-house mechanism under the Convention
on Biological Diversity, and partnerships between organizations, including,
where appropriate, joint activities of the secretariats of the Convention on.
Biological Diversity and of the Convention to Combat Desertification, drawing
upon the elements contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on
possible elements of a joint work programme between the two secretariats on
the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/INF/15)
in determining priorities for these activities;
(b) Targeted research, including existing programmes of international
and national research centres and research systems and other relevant
international or regional programmes, with additional funding for priority
work needed to overcome barriers to the conservation and sustainable use of
the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary case-studies on
management practices, carried out primarily by national and regional
institutions, including civil-society organizations and research
institutions, with support from international organizations for catalysing
the preparation of studies, mobilizing funds, disseminating results, and
facilitating feedback and lessons learned to case-study providers and policy
makers. New resources could be needed to promote such studies to analyse the
results and to provide necessary capacity-building and human-resource
development;
(d) Dissemination of information and capacity-building required by
assessment activities.
Part B: Targeted actions in response to identified needs
Operational objective
8. To promote the conservation of the biological diversity of dry and
sub-humid lands, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of its
genetic resources, and to combat the loss of biological diversity in dry and
sub-humid lands and its socio-economic consequences.
Rationale
9. The activity needed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of
the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands will depend on the state
of the dry and sub-humid lands resources and the nature of the threats.
Hence, a range of options needs to be considered, from sustainable use to in
situ and ex situ conservation.
10. Many dry and sub-humid land resources must be managed at the level of
watersheds, or at higher spatial levels, implying community or
inter-community, rather than individual, management. This is often further
complicated by multiple user groups (e.g., agriculturalists, pastoralists and
fisherfolk) and the migratory habits of some animal species and users of
biological diversity. Institutions need to be developed or strengthened to
provide for biological diversity management at the appropriate scale and for
conflict resolution.
11. Sustainable use of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands may
require the development of alternative livelihoods, and the creation of
markets and other incentives to enable and promote responsible use.
Activities
Activity 7. Promotion of specific measures for the conservation and
sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands,
through, inter alia:
(a) The use and the establishment of additional protected areas and
the development of further specific measures for the conservation of the
biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including the strengthening
of measures in existing protected areas; investments in the development and
promotion of sustainable livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods; and
conservation measures;
(b) The rehabilitation or restoration of the biological diversity of
degraded dry and sub-humid lands, with the associated benefits arising
thereof, such as soil and water conservation;
(c) The management of invasive alien species;
(d) The sustainable management of dry and sub-humid land production
systems;
(e) The appropriate management and sustainable use of water
resources;
(f) Where necessary, the conservation in situ as well as ex situ,as
a complement to the latter, of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid
lands, taking due account of better understanding of climate variability in
developing effective in situ biological conservation strategies;
(g) The economic valuation of the biological diversity of dry and
sub-humid lands, as well as the development and the use of economic
instruments and the promotion of the introduction of adaptive technologies
that enhance productivity of dry and sub-humid lands ecosystems;
(h) The sustainable use or husbandry of plant and animal biomass,
through adaptive management, bearing in mind the potential population
fluctuation in dry and sub-humid lands, and the support by Parties of
national policies, legislation and land-use practices, which promote
effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable use;
(i) The establishment and promotion of training, education and public
awareness;
(j) The facilitation and improvement of the availability, the
accessibility and exchange of information on sustainable use of the
biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(k) The establishment and promotion of research and development
programmes with a focus on, inter alia, building local capacity for effective
conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid
lands;
(l) Cooperation with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species with regard to, inter
alia, integrated catchment management incorporating wetlands ecosystems as.
integral parts of dry and sub-humid lands, and the creation of migratory-species
corridors across dry and sub-humid lands during seasonal periods, as
well as with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) with regard to rare and endangered species in dry and sub-humid
lands;
(m) Cooperation with all relevant conventions, in particular with the
Convention to Combat Desertification with respect to, inter alia, the
sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the
application of the ecosystem approach, the assessment of the status and
trends of this biological diversity as well as to its threats.
Activity 8. Promotion of responsible resource management, at appropriate
levels, applying the ecosystem approach, through an enabling policy
environment, including, inter alia:
(a) Strengthening of appropriate local institutional structures for
resource management, supporting indigenous and local techniques of resource
use that enable conservation and sustainable use in the long term, and/or
combining appropriate existing institutions and techniques with innovative
approaches to enable synergies;
(b) Decentralization of management to the lowest level, as
appropriate, keeping in mind the need for common resource management and with
due consideration to, inter alia, involving indigenous and local communities
in planning and managing projects;
(c) Creating or strengthening appropriate institutions for land
tenure and conflict resolution;
(d) Encouraging bilateral and subregional cooperation to address
transboundary issues (such as facilitating access to transboundary
rangelands), as appropriate, and in accordance with national legislation and
international agreements;
(e) Harmonizing sectoral policies and instruments to promote the
conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity of dry and sub-humid
lands, including by, inter alia, taking advantage of the existing
national action programmes under the Convention to Combat Desertification
frameworks at the country level, as well as, as appropriate, other existing
and relevant sectoral plans and policies.
Activity 9. Support for sustainable livelihoods through, inter alia:
(a) Diversifying sources of income to reduce the negative pressures
on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(b) Promoting sustainable harvesting including of wildlife, as well
as ranching, including game-ranching;
(c) Exploring innovative sustainable uses of the biological diversity
of dry and sub-humid lands for local income generation, and promoting their
wider application;
(d) Developing markets for products derived from the sustainable use
of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands, adding value to harvested
produce; and
(e) Establishing mechanisms and frameworks for promoting fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of the
genetic resources of dry and sub-humid lands, including bioprospecting.
Ways and means
The activities of part B to be carried out through:
(a) Capacity-building, particularly at the national and local levels,
as well as investments in the development and promotion of sustainable
livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods, and conservation measures,
through participatory and bottom-up processes, with funding from bilateral
and multilateral sources, and catalytic support from international
organizations;
(b) Establishment of an international network of designated
demonstration sites to facilitate the sharing of information and experience
in implementing the programme of work, as well as to demonstrate and to
promote conservation and sustainable use integration on the context of dry
and sub-humid lands;
(c) Case-studies on successful management of dry and sub-humid lands
that could be disseminated through, inter alia, the clearing-house mechanism;
(d) Improved consultation, coordination and information-sharing,
including, inter alia, documentation on knowledge and practices of indigenous
and local communities, within countries among respective focal points and
lead institutions relevant to the implementation of the Convention to Combat
Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant
global conventions and programmes, facilitated by the secretariats of the
various conventions and other international organizations;
(e) Enhanced interaction between the work programmes of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat
Desertification, through, inter alia, the regional networks and action plans
of the latter, drawing upon the elements contained in the note by the
Executive Secretary on possible elements of a joint work programme between
the two secretariats on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands
(UNEP/CBD/COP/5/INF/15) in determining priorities for this interaction; and
(f) Partnerships between all relevant stakeholders at all levels,
including international organizations and programmes, as well as national and
local partners, scientists and land users.
III. REPORTING FRAMEWORK
12. It is proposed that Parties and other bodies be requested to report on
the implementation of the programme of work through, inter alia:
(a) Appropriate sections of the national reports on biological
diversity prepared for the Conference of the Parties under Article 26 of the
Convention on Biological Diversity; and/or
(b) Reports made in the context of the Convention to Combat
Desertification and other relevant conventions, with due regard to, inter
alia, promoting harmonization, avoiding duplication, and enhancing
transparency.
13. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
is to review such reports and make recommendation for the further
prioritization and refinement of the programme of work at that time.
Thereafter, the implementation of the programme is to be reviewed as
determined by the Conference of the Parties.
