News
External Event: ITTO/ IUCN/ JICA Symposium - Biodiversity Conservation in Human Influenced Areas
The FOLENS program, as activities in relation to the FOLENS seminar, recommeneds its students to participate in external events selected as meaningful learning opportunities for future environmental leaders.
On 15th June, 2010, three students attended one of such events, an international symposium on "Biodiversity Conservation in Human Influenced Areas" organized by ITTO, IUCN, and JICA in Yokohama. Below are their reports on this symposium.
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Report by Bessy Kho Sze Ee
Public Debate on Biodiversity Conservation in Human Influenced Area (Organized by ITTO, IUCN and JICA) The public debate was held at JICA’s Yokohama Centre on June 15 2010. It was attended by more than 50 representatives of various organizations and governmental agencies (for example; Indonesian Embassy & Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)). The event was mainly focused on biodiversity conservation in tropical production forests.
There were 4 presentations. The first was on the recently revised ‘ITTO/IUCN Biodiversity Guidelines In Tropical Timber Production Forests’. The next two presentations were on the ‘Harapan Rainforest Project’ in Sumatra, Indonesia while the last one was on the ‘Satoyama Initiative’.
A few interesting details were revealed during the event. Experts mentioned that although logging is the first step towards forest degradation, human encroachment into those logged areas is the main reason for permanent forest degradation. Without human encroachment, the logged area would still have the ability for conserving biodiversity. In some cases, well-managed production forests seem to have better biodiversity than virgin forests. In summary, while tropical production forests are deemed as important economic revenue, biodiversity conservation is also an important. Hopefully, the initiatives introduced will be successful in keeping a balance between both elements. The
3-hour public debate ended at 6pm. More information can be gathered at the websites below:
http://www.itto.int/en/workshop_detail/id=2341
http://www.nabu.de/downloads/Info_harapan_rainforest.pdf
http://satoyama-initiative.org/en/about/
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Report by Sokline Pheng
I. Introduction
The public debate on biodiversity conservation in human influenced areas was held at JICA centre in Yokohama. The aim of this debate forum is to contribute the idea to the CBD CoP 10 which will be held in October in Nagoya. Many experts were invited to do presentation and contribute their experiences related to Biodiversity Conservation and Production Forest in some of developing countries. Three main objectives of this symposium have been addressed: 1) Disseminate the ITTO/IUCN Guideline for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in tropical timber production forests. 2) Present relevant examples of conservation in human influenced areas. 3) Discuss the opportunities for biodiversity conservation in human influenced landscapes.
II. Presentation and Discussion section
It was very interesting topics which were presented in this symposium. The main point of each presentation is mostly related to forest management approach, pros and cons of the protected areas, and the strategy to improve the natural ecosystem versus socio-economic development. The presenters also showed some of lesson learns from other countries which faced with the difficulties and the procedures for forest management. Among four presentations, Satoyama Initiative, one of the strategies which focus on socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation, presented by Ms NAKAO, was interested by most of the participants.
III. Concluding Remark Ecosystem Approach and Landscape
Approach have been addressed as major mechanism in forest management. Furthermore, co-management between local people and authority is very necessary to implement sustainable forest management strategies in each country. Promote inclusion in UN list of protected areas, less than 12% of tropical forest protected, is also the focus point in term of biodiversity conservation. Development of local livelihood, Satayama Initiative concept, should be the priority plan to ensure the sustainable use of biodiversity. Based on the presentations and discussion in ITTO symposium, the detail of some strategies related to biodiversity conservation will be discussed in CBD CoP 10 in Nagoya.
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Report by Roeurn Siranet
On 15 June 2010, a public convention on “The Biodiversity Conservation in Human Influenced Areas” took place in Yokohama under the Joint cooperation by ITTO, IUNC and JICA. The convention was held on three main objectives: 1.To disseminate the ITTO/IUCN guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in tropical timber production forests, 2.To present relevant example of conservation of biodiversity in human influenced areas, 3.To discuss the opportunities for biodiversity conservation in human influenced landscapes.
In the symposium, four experienced speakers from different NGOs and universities delivered very interesting presentation the results and experience of their work related to biodiversity in different parts of the world. Though slightly different, their main objectives seem to share the same points, which focus on the conservation and restoration of biodiversity with many efforts such establishment of biodiversity guideline, pilot project in capacity building restoration of forest in some areas. According the speaker’s speech, it seems to suggest a shared idea defining biodiversity problem a very complex issue closely related to human beings in term of socio-economic conditions. Poor economic condition of local people and mismanagement policy of forest by authorities have led to the rapid loss of the biodiversity. Also, climate condition is changing with the increase of CO2 due to the loss of forest. The inappropriate forest timber production has been identified as main problem leading to the change in ecosystem, thus causing lose in biodiversity as well as the environmental problem.
With less than 12 percent of forest set as protected areas and poor knowledge and living condition of people, large area of forest has been cut down, resulting in the loss of biodiversity. The speakers’ idea seems to suggest that improvement of both socio and economic condition will play an important role in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. Strengthening of people’s living condition and knowledge along with improved policy of the local authority are expected to ensure the sustainability and restoration of biodiversity.