CBD Cross-cutting issues

Ecosystem Approach

- The CBD's Conference of the Parties has endorsed the ecosystem approach as the primary framework for action under the Convention. The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. The application of the ecosystem approach can be used to reach a balance between the three objectives of the Convention and so lead to sustainable development. The ecosystem approach provides a mechanism for meeting these goals and is based on three important considerations.

• Management of living components of an ecosystem is assessed alongside economic and social considerations at the ecosystem level of organisation, and is not simply a focus on managing species and habitats.

• If the management of land, water and living resources in equitable ways is to be sustainable, it must be integrated and work within natural limits and utilise the natural functioning of ecosystems.

• Ecosystem management is a social process. There are many interested communities which must be involved through the development of efficient and effective structures and processes for decision-making and management.

- The ecosystem approach provides a framework for supporting decisions in policy-making, planning and project management. It does not stipulate how to make decisions or the outcome expected, but provides guidance for those seeking to meet all three objectives that underpin the CBD. There is no single formula for applying the ecosystem approach. Instead, the underpinning principles can be used flexibly to address management issues according to circumstance.

- The ecosystem approach can be applied to issues of any scale. The approach recommends the problem being addressed should set the scale of analysis and action. For example, it could be applied to a pond, a forest, a global flyway or the whole globe.

- The ecosystem approach does not preclude other conservation management, such as biosphere reserves, protected areas, and single-species conservation programmes, or other approaches carried out under existing national policy and legislative frameworks. The ecosystem approach supports the integration of all these approaches and other methodologies to deal with complex situations.

- To deal with the complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems and the absence of complete knowledge or understanding of their functioning, the ecosystem approach suggests using adaptive management techniques. Ecosystem processes are often non-linear, and the outcome of such processes often shows time-lags. The result is discontinuities, leading to surprise and uncertainty. Using adaptive management enables responses which take account of uncertainty and better meet the needs of the issues being addressed.

- Egypt Implementation

See also:

Convention Progress in Implementing the Ecosystem Approach

- Up to date information on the overall progress in implementing the Ecosystem Approach is available on the CBD website, including introductory and background information, and relevant meetings, decisions, documents and case studies.

URL: http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/cross-cutting/ecosystem