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Gormley welcomes Launch of International Year of Biodiversity

11/01/10

Minister John Gormley T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government today (Monday 11th January, 2010) welcomed the official launch in Bonn, Germany, of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, 2010. 
 
“The purpose of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) 2010, which is being organized by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of its loss” stated Minister Gormley. “In simplest terms, biodiversity means ‘all life on earth’. We know that we are losing biodiversity in all parts of the world. Therefore, a large part of what we in Ireland will be attempting to achieve in IYB 2010 will be to make as many people as possible aware that not only is biodiversity all around them but that they themselves are actually an integral part of biodiversity” the Minister said. “The important message is that if we don’t understand how vulnerable and important it is to our own wellbeing then how can we expect people to go the extra distance to protect it” he added.

The Minister also pointed to a report on ‘The Economic and Social Aspects of Biodiversity – Benefits and Costs of Biodiversity in Ireland’ produced in 2008. The report considered a number of key sectors including agriculture, forestry, infrastructure development, and climate change. The report established a marginal value of biodiversity to Ireland of at least €2.6 billion per annum and that the true value was likely to be much higher if one considered other areas such as the benefits to human health

“Biodiversity is not just about animals and plants, it is also about the places in which these animals and plants exist and how these places are impacted by humans”, added the Minister. “The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my own Department is, of course, the State organisation primarily involved in biodiversity in Ireland. The NPWS is responsible for implementation of the wildlife legislation and regulations, both national and international, deriving from EU and CBD obligations”.

NPWS manages national parks and nature reserves and is responsible for the identification and designation of Special Protection Areas under the Birds Directive and of Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats directive, collectively known as Natura 2000. In any given year the NPWS would organise many biodiversity related events for the public, as well as seminars, training courses etc., for more specialised interests. It is intended that this activity will be stepped up in 2010.

A key tool in this awareness raising will be the co-ordination role of the National Committee on Biodiversity Awareness established by the NPWS. (See attached note). “I am very pleased with the level of interest and collaboration in the National Committee. Awareness raising is a collective effort and the good working relationship between state organizations, non-government organizations and other agencies is very encouraging” said the Minister. The NPWS is making available its Notice Nature Website, for use as a focal-point and notice-board for any biodiversity related events during the year. A detailed list of events is currently being compiled by the National Committee for publication on Notice Nature. This list will become a regularly up-dated calendar of events that can be accessed by the general public.
 
“Among the key biodiversity issues that will be advanced by my Department during 2010 will be the National Biodiversity Plan, currently the subject of detailed bilateral discussions with a number of other Government Departments and agencies, and which will be published in the spring”, the Minister said.

The Minister added that he “will shortly announce funding for Biodiversity Awareness from the Environment Fund which will allow planning for a wide range of events to get underway. In view of the significance of IYB, it is my intention make an allocation significantly greater than that made available last year”.

Among the events and measures to be advanced in 2010 will be
• Development of new, or expansion of existing, education/awareness programmes,
• Development of proposals for ‘Family’ oriented events,
• Increase of support for Irish Environmental Network activities throughout the year as well as in Biodiversity Week (Organised around 22 May International Biodiversity Day),
• Widespread use of CBD 2010 Logo on appropriate material,
• Development/updating of leaflets, posters
• Organisation of photo, art competitions through Notice Nature Website

“I would also like to emphasise the importance of the international aspect of biodiversity, which does not recognize political boundaries,” the Minister said.”I am please to see that the cross border aspects of biodiversity will be addressed by the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group and The Biodiversity Forum of Ireland and further announcements may be expected later in the year”.

“I look forward to the broad range of events and measures that will make 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, a year to remember. Watch this space!” The Minister concluded.


ENDS


 Background

When the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992, a record number of countries, over 150, including Ireland and the European Community signed it. The CBD entered into force in 1993. Ireland ratified it in 1996. By December 2009 there were 193 Parties to it.

The CBD defines ‘biological diversity’ as ‘The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.’ Thus biological diversity may be considered at three levels, ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity within species.

The CBD represents a watershed in the area of environment and development. It represents the adoption for the first time of a comprehensive rather than a merely sectoral approach to the conservation of the earth’s biodiversity and to the sustainable use of biological resources. Previous treaties were limited to particular regions of the world or to the protection of particular types of habitats or groups of species.

The United Nations has declared 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity.  The year 2010 was also set as the target for achieving a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity, by Heads of State and Government at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.
 
The purpose of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) 2010 is to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of its loss.  The CBD has listed the following primary objectives of IYB:
• Enhance public awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity and of the underlying threats to biodiversity;
• Raise awareness of the accomplishments to save biodiversity that have already been realized by communities and governments;
• Call on individuals, organisations and governments to take the immediate steps needed to halt the loss of biodiversity;
• Promote innovative solutions to reduce these threats;
• Start the dialogue among stakeholders for the steps to be taken in the post-2010 period.

Each of these objectives will require engagement with a particular set of target groups in order to inspire action.  Target groups identified by the CBD include school age children; adult public; key economic sectors; government departments and agencies; local authorities, indigenous and local communities and scientific community, including museums.

In January 2010, the Secretariat for the CBD will publish its calendar of events for IYB 2010   We are already aware of the more significant events e.g., International Biodiversity Day, which is held on the 22 May every year, the tenth CBD Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to be held in Japan next October, and starting off with the official launch of IYB 2010 in Germany on Monday 11th January. (See CBD website at http://www.cbd.int/2010 ).

Establishment of National Committee
There will be considerable advantages if as many as possible of the bodies in Ireland involved in various aspects of biodiversity and awareness-raising can coordinate endeavours to maximise the impact of any expenditure, both of money and effort. Consequently, NPWS is chairing a National Committee to advise on events and measures during IYB. The Committee is made up of representatives from a broad range of interested and involved bodies. (A list of those bodies participating at this stage is below). This group will combine expertise and resources to maximise the impact on public awareness of as many Biodiversity activities as possible and will be joined by others at appropriate stages throughout the year. The Notice Nature Website (http://www.noticenature.ie ), established in 2006 as the Biodiversity Awareness vehicle for the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be used by the Committee to raise awareness of events etc., during the year.

National Parks and Wildlife Service
The Heritage Council
Biodiversity Forum
Dublin Zoo
Natural History Museum
National Museum of Ireland
Local Authorities
Irish Environmental Network (IEN)
Botanic Gardens
Department of Education
Irish Science Teachers Association
Interdepartmental Steering Group on the National Biodiversity Plan


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