Montreal/New York 4
October 2013 - Increasing urbanization over
the next decades presents not only unprecedented
challenges for humanity, but also opportunities
to curb climate change, reduce water scarcity
and improve food security, according to
the world's first global assessment on the
relationship between urbanization and biodiversity
loss, released today in New York.
The assessment, entitled
Cities and Biodiversity Outlook (CBO), argues
that cities should facilitate for a rich
biodiversity and take stewardship of crucial
ecosystem services rather than being sources
of large ecological footprints. The volume
of research is produced by Stockholm Resilience
Centre (SRC) together with the Secretariat
of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD), in partnership with UN-Habitat and
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.
The detailed scientific
foundation of the CBO, Urbanization, Biodiversity
and Ecosystem services: Challenges and Opportunities
- A Global Assessment, which was launched
today in New York as part of local celebrations
to mark World Habitat Day, has involved
more than 200 scientists worldwide. It states
that over 60 percent of the land projected
to become urban by 2030 has yet to be built.
It further states that if current trends
continue, 70 percent of the global urban
population will be urban by 2050.
This presents a major
opportunity to greatly improve global sustainability
by promoting low-carbon, resource-efficient
urban development that can reduce adverse
effects on biodiversity and improve quality
of life, it says.
From emitters to carbon
sinks
Production and consumption
activities heavily concentrated in cities
have contributed to some 80 percent of all
greenhouse gas emissions; yet innovative
solutions to combating climate change will
also come from cities. With rich biodiversity,
cities have enormous potential to mitigate
climate change.
Preservation of larger
outlying green areas, green corridors that
connect larger green patches, green roofs
and "brownfields", or land previously
used for industrial purposes or certain
commercial uses, can also be used as carbon
sinks rather than emission sources.
The Japanese district
of Yokohama, for instance, which emitted
almost 20 million tons of CO2 in 2007, has
recognized the importance of biodiversity
in stabilizing the local climate. Revenues
from a new tax system have since been used
to conserve green areas, and roof tops and
walls were fitted with greenery. Yokohama
now aims to reduce per capita carbon emissions
by at least 60 percent by 2050.
What is important, according
to the assessment, is to develop and incorporate
already existing green spaces into the functional
infrastructure of a city.
"The innovation
lies not so much in developing new infrastructural
technologies but to work with what we already
have. The results are often far cheaper
and more sustainable as well," said
Professor Thomas Elmqvist, scientific editor
of the assessment.
Dr. Braulio Ferreira
de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the
CBD, added that "the sphere of influence
of city leaders goes well beyond urban habitats.
The decisions taken by local authorities
affect ecosystems near and elsewhere, with
important feedback effects. By taking the
steps to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity,
local authorities can ensure that biodiversity
will continue to provide cities and their
inhabitants with much needed services including
freshwater, clean air, food security and
protection and resilience against extreme
weather, floods and other environmental
risks."
Biodiversity increases
food security
Amongst a number of
other important points, the assessment also
highlights the potential for cities to become
more self-reliant when it comes to securing
sufficient access to water and food.
"Cities need to
learn how to better protect and enhance
biodiversity, because there is a direct
relationship between biodiversity and food
security in cities," Elmqvist said.
The study highlights
a wide range of successful initiatives by
cities, local authorities and sub-national
governments in both developed and developing
countries.
For instance Kampala,
the capital and Uganda's largest city, has
found a way to preserve its vast and highly
visible agriculture, even in densely populated
areas. Similarly, Cuba has since 1987 focused
on urban and suburban agriculture to counter
its crisis of lack of imports as well as
malnutrition and iron deficiency in the
population.
"This locally based
approach looks at ways to build diverse
supplies of food close to population centers
and to strengthen local decision-making
and management of food production,"
Elmqvist said.
He argues that development
of urban food systems needs to be considered
on neighborhood level, city level and city-region
level - but it needs to come with proper
legislation, training and financial support
or economic incentives. Without this, Elmqvist
warns, sustainable food systems in urban
areas remain on paper only.
The book is a more detailed
scientific background to the shorter report
Cities and Biodiversity Outlook - Action
and Policy, which was launched at the UN
CBD COP11 in Hyderabad, October 2012.
Read more about the
CBO assessment, download the book, and watch
the CBO video narrated by Edward Norton
here: www.cbobook.org
Press briefing, both
live on 4 October 2013 at 1pm EST and on
demand, available at: http://webtv.un.org/
The Stockholm Resilience
Centre
Stockholm Resilience
Centre is an international research partner
which provides scientific insights on the
interactions between humans and nature.
It departs from an ambition to better understand
the profound imprint humans have on nature
and ideas on how to deal with the resulting
challenges through enhancing social-ecological
resilience. One strategic area of research
is urban social-ecological systems, looking
at how cities can better integrate biodiversity
and ecosystem services into their planning
and management.
The centre also helps
facilitate dialogues with policymakers and
practitioners from all over the world, and
contribute with innovative ideas to improve
collaboration and learning between stakeholders
at local, regional and national level. It
has a particularly respected role as a facilitator
for dialogue in the areas of governance
and sustainable use of biodiversity in both
a rural and urban context. For more information
visit: www.stockholmresilience.su.se
The Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD)
Opened for signature
at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in
1992, and entering into force in December
1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity
is an international treaty for the conservation
of biodiversity, the sustainable use of
the components of biodiversity and the equitable
sharing of the benefits derived from the
use of genetic resources. With 193 Parties,
the Convention has near universal participation
among countries. The Convention seeks to
address all threats to biodiversity and
ecosystem services, including threats from
climate change, through scientific assessments,
the development of tools, incentives and
processes, the transfer of technologies
and good practices and the full and active
involvement of relevant stakeholders including
indigenous and local communities, youth,
NGOs, women and the business community.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a
subsidiary agreement to the Convention.
It seeks to protect biological diversity
from the potential risks posed by living
modified organisms resulting from modern
biotechnology. To date, 166 countries plus
the European Union have ratified the Cartagena
Protocol. The Secretariat of the Convention
and its Cartagena Protocol is located in
Montreal. For more information visit: www.cbd.int.