The report serves as a mid-term assessment of implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as the UN Decade on Biodiversity. The report highlights good progress towards achieving targets on protected areas, access and benefit sharing, and national biodiversity strategy and action plans (NBSAPs). However, GBO-4 concludes that significant additional effort is required to meet the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and to achieve many of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The report notes, for instance, that while efforts to reduce deforestation have slowed the rate of forest loss in some areas, the overall trend indicates a further decline in natural areas by 2020 if additional action is not taken. The GBO-4 also lists the protection of coral reefs, conservation of species facing high risks of extinction, reduction of pollution, and the restoration of degraded ecosystems as other areas requiring greater national attention. Meeting related targets will, according to the report, require close collaboration with the agriculture sector, which it points out is the most significant driver of projected biodiversity loss. Speaking on the report, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Member States and stakeholders everywhere to take GBO4s conclusions into account in their planning, recognize that biodiversity contributes to solving the sustainable development challenges we face, and redouble efforts to achieve our shared goals. read more: biodiversity-l.iisd.org/news/cbd-and-unep-release-global-biodiversity-outlook-4/ cbd.int/gbo4/
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:46:57 +0000