Side Event

Forest conservation at the landscape level: who cares about biodiversity?

Organizer
Center for International Forestry Research

Date and Time
22 May 2008 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9)

Scientists and conservationists are becoming increasingly aware that conservation approaches based on threats and protected areas are necessary but not sufficient for the conservation of biodiversity. In the landscapes outside of protected areas, forest patches and other secondary forests, agroforests and plantations play a key role in conserving biodiversity both within and outside of protected areas. These patches are often beyond the direct control of the government and their institutions, overlooked by traditional conservation strategies and subject to pressures originating from sustaining people’s livelihoods or conversion to a more profitable agricultural system. In addition, communities and other actors in these landscapes often utilize forest resources in protected areas in order to supplement their incomes, diets or medicines. Without taking an integrated approach to conservation, that examines the relationships between people and biodiversity within and outside of protected areas, many conservation initiatives will fail. For this reason, The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the global conservation organization WWF and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) will host this side event in order to present strategies for conserving biodiversity at the landscape level that recognize the demands from local communities and other actors, and address broader governance and land-use planning issues. At the core of these strategies which will be presented are: the need to i) integrate development and conservation planning at multiple levels, especially at the landscape level and in multifunctional mosaics including protected areas; ii) recognize existing and potential tradeoffs; and, finally, iii) consider the governance structures and challenges of monitoring biodiversity and project outcomes.