The "Rio Conventions": Sustainable development through action on biodiversity, climate change and desertification

Sustainable development – the satisfaction of current human needs without depleting the natural resource base for future generations – is perhaps the greatest challenge facing humanity today. Much thought and debate has gone into elaborating this vital concept. But how do we actually get there? What practical steps can governments and civil society take to translate the concept of sustainable development into reality?

Fortunately, many of the practical tools and actions for promoting sustainable development are available through the three so-called Rio conventions: The Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

These three treaties are working together to promote economic and social development while reversing the deterioration of our living and non-living environment.

Our challenge, three solutions

All three conventions address the complex interactions amongst human and natural systems. These systems, and the physical processes of biodiversity, climate change and desertification, are intimately intertwined. They are different aspects of the same problem – the unsustainable exploitation of the earth's resources.

For example, climate change affects drylands by influencing freshwater supplies, heat extremes, the humidity and temperature of soils, and agricultural production. It threatens biological diversity, on land and in the sea. Shifting climate zones disrupt ecosystems, killing off those species that cannot migrate or adapt.

Meanwhile, dryland degradation influences local climates, the global carbon cycle (as a result of deforestation and related activities), and the albedo, or reflectivity, of the earth's surface (greenery absorbs light, denuded surfaces reflect it).

Biodiversity and desertification are also closely related. Dryland degradation affects agricultural productivity and natural vegetation, wildlife and soils. Biodiversity loss undermines the environmental health of drylands and makes them more vulnerable to human and natural pressures.

Fortunately, these issues can often be tackled simultaneously through common solutions that also promote sustainable development. For example, combating deforestation reduces net carbon dioxide emissions, land degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Introducing renewable energy technologies cuts greenhouse gas emissions while providing alternatives to unsustainably managed wood and other biomass fuels.

Taking action

The Convention on Biological Diversity seeks to protect life's richness and variety, including genes, species and ecosystems. Biodiversity provides goods and services – from building materials and food to water filtration and pollination – that are essential for alleviating poverty. The international community relies on tools developed through the Convention to:

• collaborate on conserving and sustainably using key ecosystems, including forests, inland waters, marine and coastal areas, dry and sub-humid lands, and agriculture;
• grant foreign companies, collectors and others access to valuable genetic resources in return for sharing the benefits with the countries of origin and with local and indigenous communities;
• minimize the spread and impact of invasive alien species; and
• ensure the safe transfer, handling and use of genetically (or living) modified organisms that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health.

The Climate Change Convention aims to minimize the negative impacts of global warming by returning atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to safe levels. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. The Convention enables governments to:

• gather and share information on global greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and best practices;
• launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse emissions and adapting to expected impacts;
• limit their greenhouse gas emissions, including reductions by developed countries based on quantified targets and a 10-year timeframe; and
• reduce the costs of emissions reductions through a range of specialized mechanisms and the provision of financial and technological support to developing countries.

The Convention to Combat Desertification recognizes that some of the world's most vulnerable communities and ecosystems are located in the arid and semi-arid zones. Learning from the past, the Convention seeks to create a new partnership between affected countries and donors. It emphasizes international collaboration and participatory project development. Governments and civil society are using the Convention's toolkit to:

• implement action programmes – developed through participatory, bottom-up consultations with local communities – in several affected countries;
• collaborate and share ideas and best practices with neighbouring countries on the basis of the Convention's regional annexes; and
• exploit new channels and approaches for directing funds to where they can be most effectively used.

Johannesburg and beyond

Together, the Rio conventions offer a sound platform for promoting sustainable development over the coming decade. Their practical toolkits, their partnerships, and their mutual collaboration show the way forward. Accelerating action under the three agreements will go a long way towards meeting the goals of the Johannesburg Summit.

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