Convention on Biological Diversity

1992
Extras

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

• the CBD is designed as an umbrella
organization of the other conventions with the
mandate to reduce the global decline in
biodiversity.
• It is a comprehensive resource for building
national systems for biodiversity conservation
and is also based on the holistic ecosystem
approach.

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

• Focusing on increasing efficiency in the system
of environmental treaties, the CBD seeks to
eliminate redundancy and fill gaps in
coverage, while addressing conservation and
development via sustainable use.
• A key function is a process-oriented body
whereby the development of protocols and
legal principles are facilitated with a realistic
evaluation of contemporary environmental
global issues.

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• The Convention makes clear that sovereign
rights are limited to preventing damage to
other states, ‘codifies’ sustainable
development, protects indigenous cultures and
provides a legal framework for biotechnology.
• With the synergy between Ramsar’s Wise Use
and the CBD’s Ecosystem Approach, the two
treaties have a close formal relationship
outlined by a series of Joint Work Plans
(Secretariat of CBD 2008).
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• When implementation of CBD programmes
includes wetlands, the Ramsar Convention is
included as a stakeholder, thereby bringing its
expertise to the table (CBD Technical Series
No. 47).

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 What is biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the combination of all life forms,
including their interactions with the surrounding
physical environment, and functional aspects.
• It is defined as “the variability of living organisms
from all sources, including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the
ecological complexes of which they are a part;
this includes diversity within species, between
species, and of ecosystems” (Art. 2)

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

Genetic diversity: this is the amount of genetic
variability among individuals of a single species and
between species. Different genetic combinations
are responsible for the variations within single
species (eg each snow leopard’s individual coat)
and between species (eg leopards and snow
leopards). Genes determine the ability of an
organism to survive in a particular habitat under
special conditions. They also increase the ability of
species to adapt to changes in the environment.

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

Species diversity: the world is most widely
considered in terms of species, biodiversity is
very commonly used as a synonym of species
diversity, in particular of ‘species richness’,
which is the number of species in a site or
habitat.

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

Ecosystem diversity: different species of animals,
plants and microorganisms interact to form
communities. The processes that maintain their
lives, and interacting with their non-living
environment, these communities form functional,
dynamic, and complex units: ecosystems.
Different permutations of species and their inter-
relationships, combined with differences in abiotic
factors such as climate and physio-chemical
properties of soil, give rise to different ecosystem.

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

 Article 3 of the CBD restates the precise words
of Principle 21 of Stockholm Declaration. It
emphasizes that states have the sovereign
right to exploit their own resources, pursuant
to their own environmental policies, but
recognizes that states also have international
responsibilities.

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 What is agrobiodiversity?
• Agrobiodiversity means related to agriculture,
and includes all crops and livestock, their wild
relatives, and all the interacting species of
pollinators, symbionts, pests, parasites,
predators, and competitors.
• Agrobiodiversity has been continuously
maintained and conserved by farmers and
herders over generations.

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 Why is biodiversity important
• Biodiversity is the basis of life, and is needed to
maintain the biosphere as we know it.
• It provides the food we eat, the clothes we wear,
and materials for housing.
• It affects key ecosystem processes such as
productivity, nutrient cycling, stability, resilience,
and evolution; these processes in turn ensure
multiple benefits to mankind through various
ecosystem goods and services.
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 Indigenous knowledge
Article 8(j) is about the knowledge, innovations
and practices of indigenous and local
communities, which reflect traditional lifestyles
that are relevant to the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity.
[indigenous knowledge refers to the empirical
knowledge of a group of long-time inhabitants of a
specific location, and the principles underlying the
generation, organization, meaning and diffusion of
that knowledge . Gurung, J; ICIMOD; 1994 ]
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 Bio piracy

Bio piracy is unauthorized appropriation and

commercial exploitation of indigenous
knowledge and biological resources.
Indigenous people’s IPR are one of the main
threats to indigenous people.
Form of exploitation

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• Sustainable use of components - Article 10
• Research training and education - Article 12
and 13.
[Article 12 is relevant to almost every
substantive obligation in the Convention, and
can be viewed as one of its cornerstones (Lyle
Glowka et. al., 1994)]
• Biodiversity conservation and EIA – Article 14

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• Genetic Resources – Article 15
• Access to Technology transfer – Article 16
• Information sharing – Article 17
• Technical and Scientific Cooperation –Art. 18
• Financial Resources – Art 20, 21, 39

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How does biodiversity affect human
well being

 The availability of a wide range of biodiversity

increases food security, and people’s ability
to adapt stresses;
 Its loss increases people’s vulnerability to
disasters.

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How does biodiversity affect human well being continued…..

 Having a wide variety of food adds to our

health;
 Wood and other biomass is an important
source of energy, particularly in developing
countries.
 Continued loss of biodiversity limits the
availability of water for household use, and
affects the productivity of the landscapes upon
which human livelihoods and economy depend.
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 What are ecosystem services?

• Ecosystem services are the benefits obtained by

people from ecosystems.
• These include provisioning services, such as food,
water, timber, fibre, genetic resources, and
medicines; regulating services, such as regulation of
climate, water and soil quality, and pollination;
cultural services, such as recreational, aesthetic, and
spiritual benefits; and supporting services, such as
soil formation and nutrient cycling.
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 What do endemic and indigenous mean?

• Endemic species occur only in a (small)

restricted geographical area (e.g. red panda);
• Indigenous species are those native to an area
(not introduced e.g. chyangra).
• In everyday language, the word ‘endemic’ is
often used to mean ‘native’.

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 What are Global Biodiversity Hotspots?

Conservation International has identified 34

‘Global Biodiversity Hotspots’ – areas of global
conservation significance with exceptional
biodiversity and a large number of endemic
species, and severely threatened by habitat
loss (e.g. Kanchanjunga Conservation Area).

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 What are the major threats to the
biodiversity?

 Biodiversity is influenced by changes in land

use and land cover, climate, and
demographics, and the impacts of
globalisation;
 Major threats include habitat degradation
(overgrazing, deforestation, monoculture,
pollution, drainage);

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What are the major threats to the biodiversity continued……….

 Habitat fragmentation (habitat conversion,

encroachment, infrastructure development);
 Over-extraction of resources (poaching, illegal
harvesting, commercial fishing);
 And introduction of non-native species.

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 Has globalisation affected biodiversity in the
region?

Globalisation has increased interest in the use

of many mountain plants and animals, and
introduced methods for adding value to
mountain produce.

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Has globalisation affected biodiversity in the region continued….

While this has led to increased protection of

many non-timber forest products, some of the
market friendly medicinal and aromatic plant
resources (e.g. yarcha gumba) are
overexploited and indiscriminately harvested.
(Nepal is member to WTO)

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Has globalisation affected biodiversity in the region continued….

Increased single crop agriculture is reducing the

genetic variablility among domesticated plants
and animals.
Mountain niche products may decline, leading to
the gradual erosion of traditional practices and
protection approaches.

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 How will climate change affect
biodiversity
The lack of climate-based biodiversity data
and research makes it difficult to assess the
impact of climate change on biodiversity.
Climate change is only one of many factors
affecting biodiversity, and difficult to assess
separately.

11/12/2022 UNCBD extras, Rupa Basnet

How will climate change affect biodiversity continued…

• Climate change may increase the risk of

extinction of species with a restricted range,
and affect vulnerable ecosystems like riverine
islands, wetlands, sub-alpine and alpine
transition zones, and sub-alpine and alpine
meadows. Forest and agricultural productivity
may decline.

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How will climate change affect biodiversity continued....

• Exotic, invasive, noxious weeds might be

favoured, and forest fires and pest and
diseases may increase.

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How will climate change affect biodiversity continued....

Peatlands and wetland may dry, and desertification of

alpine zones may hasten. Specie distributions, population
size, and phenology are likely to change considerably.

Phenology: the study of cyclic and seasonal natural

phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant
and animal life.
Peat (turf) is an accumulation of partially decayed
vegetation or organic matter that is unique to natural
areas called peatlands
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 Conservation of biodiversity
• Biodiversity is closely associated with people’s
lives and livelihoods. Economic incentives can
encourage the conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity. E.g. if communities are
given lead - community forest.
• Biodiversity conservation requires strong
institutions at all levels – local, regional, and
national.

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• Indigenous knowledge needs to be integrated
with scientific research, and biodiversity
conservation and sustainable use activities
with the larger decision-making frameworks.
• Regional cooperation (e.g. SAARC) must be the
basis for regional actions to address
transboundary issues and strengthen a
regional voice towards understanding global
trade offs and incentives related to
biodiversity management.
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 Nepal Biodiversity Strategy, 2002

Government of Nepal prepared Nepal Biodiversity

Strategy ( NBS) with technical and financial
support of Global Environment Fund (GEF) in
2002.
The NBS had advocated preparation of inventory
of species of all protected areas.
The NBS emphasizes on formulation of species
and conservation plan that focuses on key species
highly prioritized in forest and protected area.

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 Rangeland management strategy outlined the
creation of biodiversity database, rehabilitation
of overgrazed areas, incorporating indigenous
knowledge into development plans, control of
illegal hunting, etc.
Ecosystems with high level of species diversity,
endemism, rare, endangered, threatened plants
species, most pristine, and wilderness,
uniqueness were given very high priority to
conserve under the scientific and ecological
criteria.
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 Nepal Biodiversity Strategy Implementation
Plan (NBSIP), 2006

Under the leadership of MoFSC, the NBSIP

2006 aims at developing linkages between
biological resources, livelihoods and economic
development, and the implementation plan
to achieve the goals of Nepal Biodiversity
Strategy (NBS) of 2002.

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Nepal Biodiversity Strategy Implementation Plan (NBSIP), 2006
continued….

• The major implementation plan of the NBSIP is

conservation of the biodiversity within and
outside protected areas at landscape level and
document and register biological resources and
associated traditional knowledge.
• The plan states conservation of endangered or
threatened species in a participatory
relationship.

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Nepal Biodiversity Strategy Implementation Plan (NBSIP), 2006
continued….

• The plan did not however, say anything about

revision of conservation status of species,
which was most crucial for conservation
assessment at regular time interval.

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 Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit
Sharing (AGRBS) Bill 2016

• AGRBS included the provisions related to

Access to Benefit Sharing as stipulated in the
UNCBD. These provisions include ownership
on genetic resources and genetic material.

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Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing (AGRBS) Bill
2016 continued….

• There are three categories of ownership:

– (i) ownership of individual person or organization
– (ii) ownership of local communities
– (iii) ownership of Government of Nepal if genetic
resources and materials do not fall under the first
two categories.

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Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing (AGRBS) Bill
2016 continued….

– AGRBS has made provision of “Access”, “Use” and

“Benefit Sharing” mechanism.
– AGBRS clearly states in section 24 that the
government would have 50% , the council 30% and
the communities 20% of the benefit arising out of the
natural resources owned by the Government.
– AGBRS further states that if the resources belong to
community, the provision should be 51% to local
community, 29% to council and 20% to government.
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