Biodiversity Conservation in Developing Countries - Uncertainties in Strategies and Action Plans

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Biodiversity Conservation in Developing Countries
- Uncertainties in Strategies and Action Plans

• Reginald Victor
• Sultan Qaboos University
• Sultanate of Oman

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Definition of Biodiversity Variability among
living organisms from all sources including,
inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and ecological complexes of which they
are part this includes diversity within species,
between species and of ecosystems
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Threats to biodiversity
Human activities
Ecological, Economical, Recreational, Cultural
and Spiritual benefits
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Convention on Biological Diversity

• UNCED Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992
• Objectives
• Sustainable use of bioresources
• Conservation of biodiversity
• Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from
  genetic resources

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Commitment of signatory nations

• Produce Strategies and action plans
• Implement to achieve the objectives of the
  convention

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Characteristics

• Strategies and action plans submitted are
  optimistic, ideal and utopian
• Prescriptive, use blueprints of developed nations
  supplied by consultants

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Uncertainties

• Seldom considered by Strategies and Action Plans
• This paper Uncertainties related to themes used
  in the framework of biodiversity strategies and
  action plans for developing countries

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Themes- Bioresources

• 1.Conservation natural resources protected
  areas, endangered species, ex situ measures
• 2.Terrestrial and freshwater fauna
• 3. Marine life and fisheries
• 4. Terrestrial and aquatic flora
• 5. Agricultural resources

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Themes Physical resources

• 6. Energy resources
• 7. Mineral resources
• 8. Industry, technology and services
• 9. Urban environment
• 10. Water resources

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Themes- Social

• 11. Environmental emergencies
• 12. Public participation
• 13. Societal values
• 14. Quality of life
• 15. Spiritual values

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Components of themes

• Key issues
• Objectives
• Options
• Priority actions

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Are there well defined linkages between key
issues and other components in themes?
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Example Protected areas

• Key issues
• 1. Increasing pressure from agriculture,
  fisheries,tourism and urban development
• 2. Lack of implementation of management plans
• 3. Incomplete network of protected areas
• Poor public participation
• Insufficient funding

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Objectives

• Maintain and develop an integrated,
  representative and sustainable network of
  protected areas that will ensure the protection
  of biodiversity
• 2. Conserve plant and animal diversity in
  existing and protected areas

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Problems

• Abbreviated objectives inadequate link between
  key issues and objectives
• Several key issues are ignored (e.g..
  implementation of management plans public
  participation funding pressure due to human
  activities)
• Terms integrated, representative and
  sustainable jargon - without explanation

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Why so vague?
Uncertainties in decision making
Consequences
Long wish lists of options and priority actions
Are these wish lists precautionary?
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Accountability and timeframe

• Flexible factors
• Ownership of responsibility, but not binding
• Loopholes permitting inordinate delays in
  addition to the bureaucratic lethargy in
  developing countries

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Priority matrices of strategies and action plans
nature of responsibility, agencies responsible
and performance indicators
No accountability criteria and timeframe
Example Species at risk
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Uncertainties in Strategies and Action Plans are
related to timeframe
Results of a simple exercise on environmental
professionals(n 30)

1.Score uncertainty from 0 (no uncertainty) to 10
(maximum uncertainty) for FOUR issues 2.
Timeframe 5-25 years 3. All types of uncertainty
in one category
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Legislation Protected area
Uncertainty Scores
Time - Years
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Tourist facility Public participation
Uncertainty Scores
Time -Years
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Reduction in Fishing Activity
Uncertainty Scores
Time - years
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Realization of a Large Dam
Uncertainty Scores
Time - Years
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Criticism

• Value laden
• All three values bias, contextual and
  methodological
• Unavoidable and even needed for realistic
  strategies and action plans

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Role of value judgments

• Bias values 1. Specialist influenced by
  expertise, 2. Factual known facts given
  importance
• Contextual values Important and needed in
  nations context wrong template syndrome
  should be avoided
• Methodological values- Unavoidable SA are
  trimmed and cooked documents

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Methodological values

• Instrumental to achieve a goal the specified
  action is good
• Categorical the goal is prima facie good, so it
  should be achieved

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Perception of judgments

• Example
• Option Development of liability measures to
  control human activities in protected areas
• Difference among professionals
• Question Does this option assume an instrumental
  judgment or a categorical judgment?

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What do professionals think?

• After explaining instrumental and categorical
  judgments, 45 professionals were asked for their
  opinion
• Instrumental - 5
• Categorical - 10
• Uncertain - 30 !!

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Recognition of uncertainties

• Need for certainty a priori affects options and
  proposed actions
• Certainty is appealing because the probability of
  achieving an objective is not understood
• Evaluation of uncertainties underestimate
  Account of uncertainties - incomplete

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• Recognition of uncertainties necessary
• Does this indicate the weakness of policy?
• Admission of weakness desirable for developing
  countries
• May enable international community to locate
  where biodiversity dollars are most needed

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Simple procedure

• Link key issues and objectives all issues should
  be addressed by objectives
• Establish a timeframe e.g. 15 years ( three
  five year plans)

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• Uncertainty assessment for each objective must be
  made
• Assessors should be environmental professionals
  who know the context, are knowledgeable and can
  make value judgments

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• As many assessors as possible should be used
• Score each objective in the scale of 0 (no
  uncertainty) to 10 (maximum uncertainty)
• Calculate average uncertainty score for each
  objective and then an overall average for all
  objectives

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• Discuss results, especially the reasons for
  scores given and formulate options and priority
  actions
• Use of this procedure for a real- life example
  showed considerable improvement in formulated
  options and priority action

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Uncertainty profiles

• Overall picture of uncertainty for a given
  strategy and action plan
• Plot average uncertainty scores for each theme as
  a bar graph
• Comparison of other strategies with common themes

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Comparison of Uncertainty Profiles
Mean Uncertainty Scores
Themes in Strategies and Action Plans
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Country A Military Rule
Country B - Democracy
Causal reasons for differences between two
countries intentionally avoided
Political philosophy is not a good predictor
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Comparisons useful to detect countries with
common problems
Qualitative indicator of the expected success of
a strategy in a timeframe
Relative success expectancy of Strategies and
action plans in compared countries
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Conclusions

• Process too slow to prevent biodiversity damage
• Uncertainties and conflicts with economic
  development continue to degrade biodiversity
• Policymakers query the value of biodiversity and
  credibility of conservation

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• People come first, biodiversity takes a back seat
• Strategies and action plans integrate
  conservation and development- do they?
• Lack of biodiversity funds to implement
  strategies and action plans

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• Altruistic international assistance is needed
• Is all assistance altruistic?
• Pilfering bioresources from developing countries
  disguises range from collections for taxonomic
  studies to deliberate biopiracy

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• Can we eliminate this atmosphere of mistrust?
• If no strategies and action plans are likely
  to remain as decorative documents on bureaucratic
  bookshelves