Declaration for Biodiversity
Background
During the second regional partners meeting of terre des hommes Germany in Southeast Asia on 26-28 April 1999 in Siem Reap, Cambodia was decided to establish a working group on Biodiversity.
The Southeast Asia Working Group on Biodiversity has following objectives:
- To monitor and campaign for laws and government policies concerning the protection of plant variety and local people’s intellectual rights.
- To promote and support local communities to protect community rights on biological resource conservation and to develop local people’s intellectual properties for sustainable plant variety resource management.
- To build und support networks of people’s organizations in Southeast Asia to protect biological resource and local people’s intellectual property rights.
Since that time tdh support many projects and activities regarding Biodiversity in different countries in Southeast Asia.
At the first regional meeting of the terre des hommes Regional Partners’ Working Group on Biodiversity during September 18-21, 2000 in Bangkok was proposed that this meeting time would be used to encourage reflection, evaluation, and sharing of lessons learned over the past year so as the develop a regional strategy and move forward together in a more effective and cohesive way.
The second meeting of terre des hommes Regional Partners’ Working Group on Biodiversity was held in Chiang Rai, Thailand from 4-7 November 2001. A clear plan was drawn up during that meeting. The Declaration for Biodiversity was worked out in this meeting (Annex 1).
Why becomes Biodiversity so importance what is Biodiversity actually?
BIOLOGICAL diversity or biodiversity is the variety of genetic material, species and ecosystems found in nature.
Some species, like gorillas, have won our heart and minds simply for their grace and beauty. Countless less-charismatic species – many to tiny to see – provide services that ensure the Earth remains habitable into the future. Collectively, biodiversity stabilizes our atmosphere and climate, protects water catchments and renews the soil. It also helps to keep ecosystems ‘adaptable’ should environmental conditions change abruptly.
The diversity of nature is the foundation of the word’s material wealth. From biodiversity we develop food crops and derive the raw inputs and genetic materials for industry, agriculture and medicine. The benefits are worth many billions of dollars each year, and people spend further billions to appreciate nature and its diversity through tourism and recreation.
The need for conservation of Biodiversity
Being one of the richest continents in the world, Asia is well known for its diversified inhabitation of different fauna and flora. This region is also the cradle of humankind’s most ancient cultures, where primitive wisdom has deemed natural conservation value as the humankind’s interest.
The abundance of living creatures as regards their structures and functions in the levels of genetic cell communication, people, species, population and ecosystems may generally be termed “Biodiversity” which needs conservation for a sustainable development and preservation of the earth’s healthy ecosystems.
No individual creature in the nature could survive alone, albeit a species, separate existence could not remain. Many flowering plants depend essentially on creatures causing cross-pollination and various animals feed on vegetation. However, it didn’t matter the human beings whose serious abuse would, per force, result in heavily destroyed resources for the nature. One half of the wet land has disappeared in the last century, together with extinction or at risk of extinction of 20% fish species. 70% of fish species have been over exploited. Today about 50.000-100.000 species of the fauna have disappeared every year, equivalent to declining speed of the V Extinction Period 65 million years ago when the dinosaurs became extinct. About 9% of the plant species are at risk of extinction. One half of the global forest has been exploited. Their consequences have manifested by distinct change of the earth climates: overspread floods and droughts irrespective of any continent, endangering the living environment of the mankind.
The situation in Agriculture is also not better. FAO data on the erosion of genetic diversity give cause for concern. It is widely assumed that the diversity of cultivated plants has declined by some 75% since the middle of the 19th century. Originally, several thousand crop plant species provided food and clothing. Today, the number has dropped to about 150, and in some places there are only twelve. The situation with regard to livestock is now just as bleak. Some 40 mammal and poultry species are now used as domesticated species. Every week, a breed dies out. It is estimated that 30% of the farm- animal breeds registered in databanks worldwide are threatened with extinction. The associated loss of knowledge is particularly alarming. Even so, in many countries, plant and animal genetic erosion is continuing unabated. . Dependence of always waxing this one about the half of the worldwide food need by the three main cereals wheat, rice and corn covered.
This loss is due largely to the expansion of modern commercial agriculture, with its high-yielding varieties and high-performance breeds. National laws and policies, in some cases driven by international commitments, often promote modern commercial farming systems one-sidedly. Civil strife, wars and the resulting mass migration are further causes of the loss of genetic resources and associated knowledge.
The outcome is that in developing countries, too, less and less genetic material is available to present and future generations for adaptation through breeding. It is not possible to assess the associated risks. Against this backdrop, the loss of native plant varieties and animal breeds is undermining food security, particularly for people in marginal areas.
Such erosion is manifested by cultural aspect, too. The decreasing from 10.000 languages a hundred year ago to the present 6.000 reveals that only 5 to 6 languages could be used in the next century.
Activities
Based on the importance of Biodiversity the Working Group has decided to come together from 23 to 27 October 2002 in Parapat – North Sumatra Province, Indonesia to work out the plan for next years. One importance result of the meeting is the agreement to organize a campaign on “Children and Biodiversity” in Southeast Asia next years. The declaration of this meeting (annex 2) shows the high unanimity of the members of Working Group. The Group also worked out the action plan for next years (annex 3)
During the second regional partners meeting of terre des hommes Germany in Southeast Asia on 26-28 April 1999 in Siem Reap, Cambodia was decided to establish a working group on Biodiversity.
The Southeast Asia Working Group on Biodiversity has following objectives:
- To monitor and campaign for laws and government policies concerning the protection of plant variety and local people’s intellectual rights.
- To promote and support local communities to protect community rights on biological resource conservation and to develop local people’s intellectual properties for sustainable plant variety resource management.
- To build und support networks of people’s organizations in Southeast Asia to protect biological resource and local people’s intellectual property rights.
Since that time tdh support many projects and activities regarding Biodiversity in different countries in Southeast Asia.
At the first regional meeting of the terre des hommes Regional Partners’ Working Group on Biodiversity during September 18-21, 2000 in Bangkok was proposed that this meeting time would be used to encourage reflection, evaluation, and sharing of lessons learned over the past year so as the develop a regional strategy and move forward together in a more effective and cohesive way.
The second meeting of terre des hommes Regional Partners’ Working Group on Biodiversity was held in Chiang Rai, Thailand from 4-7 November 2001. A clear plan was drawn up during that meeting. The Declaration for Biodiversity was worked out in this meeting (Annex 1).
Why becomes Biodiversity so importance what is Biodiversity actually?
BIOLOGICAL diversity or biodiversity is the variety of genetic material, species and ecosystems found in nature.
Some species, like gorillas, have won our heart and minds simply for their grace and beauty. Countless less-charismatic species – many to tiny to see – provide services that ensure the Earth remains habitable into the future. Collectively, biodiversity stabilizes our atmosphere and climate, protects water catchments and renews the soil. It also helps to keep ecosystems ‘adaptable’ should environmental conditions change abruptly.
The diversity of nature is the foundation of the word’s material wealth. From biodiversity we develop food crops and derive the raw inputs and genetic materials for industry, agriculture and medicine. The benefits are worth many billions of dollars each year, and people spend further billions to appreciate nature and its diversity through tourism and recreation.
The need for conservation of Biodiversity
Being one of the richest continents in the world, Asia is well known for its diversified inhabitation of different fauna and flora. This region is also the cradle of humankind’s most ancient cultures, where primitive wisdom has deemed natural conservation value as the humankind’s interest.
The abundance of living creatures as regards their structures and functions in the levels of genetic cell communication, people, species, population and ecosystems may generally be termed “Biodiversity” which needs conservation for a sustainable development and preservation of the earth’s healthy ecosystems.
No individual creature in the nature could survive alone, albeit a species, separate existence could not remain. Many flowering plants depend essentially on creatures causing cross-pollination and various animals feed on vegetation. However, it didn’t matter the human beings whose serious abuse would, per force, result in heavily destroyed resources for the nature. One half of the wet land has disappeared in the last century, together with extinction or at risk of extinction of 20% fish species. 70% of fish species have been over exploited. Today about 50.000-100.000 species of the fauna have disappeared every year, equivalent to declining speed of the V Extinction Period 65 million years ago when the dinosaurs became extinct. About 9% of the plant species are at risk of extinction. One half of the global forest has been exploited. Their consequences have manifested by distinct change of the earth climates: overspread floods and droughts irrespective of any continent, endangering the living environment of the mankind.
The situation in Agriculture is also not better. FAO data on the erosion of genetic diversity give cause for concern. It is widely assumed that the diversity of cultivated plants has declined by some 75% since the middle of the 19th century. Originally, several thousand crop plant species provided food and clothing. Today, the number has dropped to about 150, and in some places there are only twelve. The situation with regard to livestock is now just as bleak. Some 40 mammal and poultry species are now used as domesticated species. Every week, a breed dies out. It is estimated that 30% of the farm- animal breeds registered in databanks worldwide are threatened with extinction. The associated loss of knowledge is particularly alarming. Even so, in many countries, plant and animal genetic erosion is continuing unabated. . Dependence of always waxing this one about the half of the worldwide food need by the three main cereals wheat, rice and corn covered.
This loss is due largely to the expansion of modern commercial agriculture, with its high-yielding varieties and high-performance breeds. National laws and policies, in some cases driven by international commitments, often promote modern commercial farming systems one-sidedly. Civil strife, wars and the resulting mass migration are further causes of the loss of genetic resources and associated knowledge.
The outcome is that in developing countries, too, less and less genetic material is available to present and future generations for adaptation through breeding. It is not possible to assess the associated risks. Against this backdrop, the loss of native plant varieties and animal breeds is undermining food security, particularly for people in marginal areas.
Such erosion is manifested by cultural aspect, too. The decreasing from 10.000 languages a hundred year ago to the present 6.000 reveals that only 5 to 6 languages could be used in the next century.
Activities
Based on the importance of Biodiversity the Working Group has decided to come together from 23 to 27 October 2002 in Parapat – North Sumatra Province, Indonesia to work out the plan for next years. One importance result of the meeting is the agreement to organize a campaign on “Children and Biodiversity” in Southeast Asia next years. The declaration of this meeting (annex 2) shows the high unanimity of the members of Working Group. The Group also worked out the action plan for next years (annex 3)
