INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, TOURISM INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, TOURISM

AND BIODIVERSITY WORKSHOP SERIES: AND BIODIVERSITY WORKSHOP SERIES: NEW INFORMATION AND WEB-BASED NEW INFORMATION AND WEB-BASED

TECHNOLOGIESTECHNOLOGIES

PACIFIC ISLANDS WORKSHOP PACIFIC ISLANDS WORKSHOP

Apia, Samoa, 3-5 November 2008Apia, Samoa, 3-5 November 2008

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

1. CBD1. CBDBiodiversity and the ConventionBiodiversity and the Convention

Role of the SecretariatRole of the SecretariatRelevant CBD decisionsRelevant CBD decisions

2. WORKSHOP2. WORKSHOPSpecific objectives Specific objectives

Expected resultsExpected resultsOutcomes of the previous workshopOutcomes of the previous workshop

BIODIVERSITY IS...BIODIVERSITY IS...

Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the result of billions to the variety of life on Earth. It is the result of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. increasingly, by the influence of humans.

It forms the web of It forms the web of life of which we are life of which we are an integral part and an integral part and upon which we so upon which we so fully depend. fully depend.

BIODIVERSITY IS...BIODIVERSITY IS...

1)1) Variety of speciesVariety of species2)2) Genetic differencesGenetic differences

3)3) Variety of ecosystemsVariety of ecosystems

WHY IS BIODIVERSITY WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT IMPORTANT

FOR YOU AND THE WORLD?FOR YOU AND THE WORLD?

Protecting biodiversity is in our self interest, providing the Protecting biodiversity is in our self interest, providing the goods and services that sustain our lives including:goods and services that sustain our lives including:

• Provision of shelter and building materials Provision of shelter and building materials

• Stabilization and moderation of the Earth's climateStabilization and moderation of the Earth's climate

• Purification of air and water Purification of air and water

• Provision of food, fuel and fibreProvision of food, fuel and fibre

• Cultural and aesthetic benefitsCultural and aesthetic benefits

• etcetc

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING

BIODIVERSITY?Species have been disappearing at up to 1000

times the natural rate• An estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal

species face extinction, including one in eight birds and one third of all amphibians

• 20% of known bird species have already disappeared

• 41% of mammals are in decline and 28% are under direct threat

• 45% of the Earth's original forests are gone. Forest areas of about four times the size of Belgium are being lost every year. Human activities are

creating the greatest wave of extinction since the natural disaster that wiped out the dinosaurs

65 million years ago

The Convention on Biological Diversity

Opened for signature in Rio in 1992 (Earth Summit)

First global, comprehensive agreement to address all aspects of biological diversity:genetic resources, species, and ecosystems

It recognises - for the first time that the conservation of biological diversity is 'a common concern of humankind' and an integral part of the development process.

Ratified by 191 countries (including the European Union)

The CBD is an international governmental agreement

The Parties are the primary audience

The CBD Secretariat has a specific mandate :

• To service CBD meetings• To report to the Conference

of the Parties (COP)• To coordinate with relevant

international bodies • To perform functions

requested by the COP

Interactions at various levels

International CBD, other conventions

UN Agencies

IGOs and Regional Organizations

National Ministry of Tourism

Ministry of Environment

Ministry in charge of ILCs

National NGOs

Local Tour service providers and managers

Business owners and managers

Local NGOs

The Convention on Biological Diversity

→→

The conservation of biological diversity

The sustainable use of its components

The equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources

Objectives (Article 1):

Governments acknowledged in the Preamble:

The close dependance of many indigenous and local communities on biological resources and the desirability of sharing equitably benefits of traditional knowledge, innovation and practices relevant to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.

The Convention on Biological Diversity and Traditional knowledge

Article 8(j) Traditional Knowledge

Parties have undertaken to:

• Respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and

• Promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and

• Encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices

Other relevant CBD Other relevant CBD programmes of workprogrammes of work

•Indigenous and Local Communities (ILC) Article 8(j)

•Tourism

•Islands

•Invasive and alien species

•Protected Areas

•Information and Communication Technologies

Why a Workshop on ILCWhy a Workshop on ILC, TOURISM , TOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY : NEW INFORMATION AND BIODIVERSITY : NEW INFORMATION

AND WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGIESAND WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGIES

In paragraph 7 of decision IX/13 E, on Article 8(j) and related provisions, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to convene , subject to the availability of financial resources, further

regional and sub-regional workshops on community-friendly communication tools on traditional knowledge related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1) development and management of biodiversity-friendly tourism activities;

2) new information and web-based technology capacity of ILC tourism operators;

3) marketing and development of the culturally and biologically sustainable aspects of indigenous tourism products and experiences via the Internet;

4) develop network and exchange information;

5) use successful tools from the first workshop

The participants are expected to1) improve their web-based technological capacities, thereby increasing their ability to market and developtheir sustainable tourism products;

2) more effectively portray to their target market through their website their understandings of and unique connections to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;

3) use their websites as internal communication and management tools within their local communities and toconnect them with broader stakeholder networks;

Feedbacks from the Arctic“This is more than timely for me: the tools for our web site will be shared and presented to my board; we will create a focus group on

what needs to be done.”

“Biodiversity goes hand in hand with ethnodiversity”

“The workshop demonstrates the aboriginal communities can bring to the world and can be source of inspiration to non-

indigenous.”

*concrete tools/improved websites *web portal for the region*exchange of services*networking and partnerships*a scientific and collective paper on the workshop methodology *knowledge and vision sharing within the region and with other regions

PRACTICAL OUTPUTS

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!