[Environment] COP 11 – Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Hyderabad 2012 Outcomes, Bushmeat, Empty Jungle syndrome

1. Intro
2. COP Conferences under CBD
3. India and CBD
4. COP11(HYDCBD): Outcomes/ Agreements
   1. #1: CASH
   2. #2: Ocean
   3. #3 Online forum
   4. #4: Bushmeat
   5. #5: Champions and their pledges
   6. #6: Nagoya Ratification
   7. #7:Misc

Intro

• When it comes to environment protection, climate change, wildlife protection, there are multiple conventions and each convention has “parties”.
• Those parties hold conferences at regular interval.
• such conferences are called “conference of Parties” COP.
• In a single calendar year there can be more than on COP (because these are different conventions).

For example

What?	When?	Where?	Issue/topic/convention?
COP-11	Oct 2012	Hyderabad, India	Biodiversity (CBD)
COP-18	Nov-Dec 2012	Doha, Qatar	Climate change (UNFCC)
COP-16	March 2013	Bangkok, Thailand	illegal trade of endangered species (CITES)

let’s focus on COP related to CBD (Convention on biological diversity)

COP Conferences under CBD

Year	COP#	Where
2010	10	Nagoya, Japan
2012	11	Hyd, India
2014	12	PyeongChang, S.Korea (theme = Biodiversity forSustainable Development)

India and CBD

• The Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) has near universal membership with 193 countries. The USA is the only major country that is not a Party.
• India has ratified the CBD.
• India also enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002 and notified the Rules in 2004 to give effect to the provisions of the CBD.
• Now India has got presidency of CBD for two years. (2012-14). previously it was with Japan.

COP11(HYDCBD)

• Total 170 countries participated in the conference.
• Current decade (2011-2020) has been declared as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification.
• COP11-HYDCBD is the first conference during above special ‘decades’.
• Just few days before the official COP11, Hyderabad also hosted the 6^th meeting of parties to Cartagena protocol on biosafety (under CBD). This is known as COP-MOP-6.

October 1-5	COP-MOP-6
October 8-19	COP11

Logo

• Was developed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad for the Government of India. This logo symbolises the cycle of life with a tiger, a dolphin, a bird and a women with grains depicting linkage of biodiversity with livelihoods.
• On top is the slogan in Sanskrit with English translation ‘Nature Protects if She is Protected’

COP11(HYDCBD): Outcomes/ Agreements

• “HYDCBD” is not the official name. Just visualize Eleven cops (policemen) hiding kabaad (trash)= 11^th COP was held in Hyderabad for Convention on Biodiversity.
• The Previous COP (#10) was held @ Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 2010.

Anyways, let’s check the outcome of COP-11(HYDCBD)

#1: CASH

Who?	What did they say?
Developed countries (EU/US)	We’ll double (2x) the funding to help developing states to meet Aichi Biodiversity Targets, by 2015. roughly it means, developing countries will get about 30 billion USD=~Rs. 1,50,000 crore over the next 8 years.
Developing Countries	For the first time, developing countries at COP 11, including India and several African states, pledged additional cash above and beyond their core funding towards CBD India committed over US$ 50 million.
All	By 2015, We’ll prepare national financial plans for biodiversity and increase domestic Expenditure for it.

#2: Ocean

• COP-11(HYDCBD) gave much focus to Ocean, marine biodiversity.
• Countries agreed to pay more attention to Sargasso Sea, the Tonga archipelago and key corals sites off the coast of Brazil.

Sargasso Sea	middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Tonga Archipelago	South Pacific Ocean. Tonga is a sovereign state.

• We’ll factor biodiversity into environmental impact assessments (EIA) for infra/development projects in costal areas.
• We call upon the fisheries management bodies to play a stronger role in protecting biodiversity.

#2a: Ocean: Protected Planet 2012

• Protected planet 2012=it is name of the report released by UNEP.
• This report says
  • Half of the world’s richest biodiversity zones remain entirely unprotected.
  • If you want to meet the Aichi Biodiversity targets, then you’ve declare an additional 8 million square kilometers of marine and coastal areas as protected.

• We, the COP11(HYDCBD) players, will show these results to UN General assembly and ask them amend United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea accordingly + international agreement for biodiversity conservation in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.

#2b: Ocean: Research

We’ll do more research into adverse effect of

1. underwater noise from ships on marine biodiversity, and
2. Marine litter*
3. Climate change impacts on coral reefs,

What is Marine Litter?
These are items / materials that

• People deliberately discard/throw into the sea or rivers or on beaches.
• indirectly brought to sea via rivers, sewage, storm water or winds;
• Lost at sea in accident/bad weather.

#3 Online forum

• National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans Forum (NBSAP Forum) was launched at COP11 (HYDCBD)
• This online forum will provide easy-to-access, targeted information such as best practices, guidelines and learning tools for countries.
• This online forum is joint initiative by
  1. UNEP
  2. UNDP
  3. GEF Global Environment Facility
  4. CBD

#4: Bushmeat

• In Africa, forest is often called ‘bush’, so meat from jungle= bushmeat.
• Large scale hunting of monkeys, elephants, wild-buffalos etc. for ‘bushmeat’ = led to Empty forest syndrome.

Empty forest syndrome?

• You already know that protection of jungle and wildlife=both important.
• Empty forest syndrome = jungles are still visible but animals gone.

In other words, Empty forest syndrome is a situation in which animals disappear at a much faster rate than their habitats. WHY? Because

1. Bushmeat (as explained above)
2. Trading of Skin, Hides, tusks etc. for making jewelry, trophies etc.
3. Making Traditional medicine from animal-bones etc. (and it can even cure AIDS and Cancer!)
4. Trading of exotic pets endangered birds, orangutan etc.)
5. Climate change

Anyways back to the main topic (outcome of COP11)

• In Central Africa, gorillas, chimpanzees and many more wild animals are hunted as bush meat is the only cheap source of protein and food security for the poor communities.
• The players @COP11 (HYDCBD) adoped “Hyderabad bushmeat recommendations” for ‘sustainable’ use and Management of bushmeat species to prevent the empty forest syndrome.

#5: Champions and their pledges

• COP-11 invited parties and partner organizations to make pledges to support one or more Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
• Under this

who pledged what?

India	Pledged to give 50 million USD
Maldives	pledged to make their entire country a Biosphere Reserve.

Maldives: Biosphere reserve “nation”

• In support of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (of CBD), the Republic of Maldives has pledged to become the first nation where the entire country and its Exclusive Economic Zone will be a Biosphere Reserve.
• First they’ll implement biodiversity protection plans in their different atolls in a stepwise fashion, till the end 2017,
• Then they’ll apply to UNSECO to declare Maldives as a Biosphere Reserve. (under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program.)

#6: Nagoya Ratification

• Nagoya Protocol=under CBD,
• For sharing benefits from genetic resources.
• Official name= Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS).
• India has already ratified Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit sharing.
• Now that we’ve got 2 years’ presidency for CBD, India will work tirelessly to get the Protocol ratified by 50 countries so that it comes into force during the Presidency of India.

#7:Misc

• We’ll ask main economic sectors, such as business and development organizations, to integrate biodiversity objectives in their plans and programmes.
• We’ll enhance collaboration between the CBD and UN climate change initiatives including Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+).
• CBD Secretariat to monitor and control trade, movement of invasive alien species.
• encourage parties to expand the use of biofuel, although with precautions
• Encourage parties to adopt Addis ababa principles (on sustainable use of biodiversity), in their national planning.

Science Express Biodiversity Special

• A train to generate awareness about biodiversity conservation. (actually this started way before the actual COP11 (HYDCBD) took place. But the train was stationed @Hyderabad during the conference.)
• Collaborative initiative of Ministry of Environment & Forests + Department of Science and Technology.
• will cover over 100 stations in two years.
• Has total Of the 16 coaches
• 8 of them are solely dedicated to showcasing the biodiversity spread across all the bio-geographical zones of India.

Museum in Hyd

• Government already established a a commemorative Pylon and a Biodiversity Garden in Hyderabad for CBD.

• Now they’re also planning to establish a Biodiversity Museum on that site.

Rajiv Gandhi award
Indian Government has proposed to institute Rajiv Gandhi International Award for Harnessing Biodiversity for Livelihood.

Mock Questions

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1. Correct statements about Maldives
   1. It is world’s first nation to hold underwater cabinet meeting.
   2. It plans to be world’s first nation where entire country and its EEZ is declared a ‘biosphere reserve’.
   3. Both
   4. None
2. Who among the following grants “biosphere reserve” status to a given site?
   1. CBD
   2. UNFCC
   3. UNESCO
   4. None of above
3. Which of the following is not related of Hyderabad Summit of CBD?
   1. Developed countries will double their funding.
   2. Adoption of recommendations for sustainable use and management of bushmeat species.
   3. Decision to commence second phase of Kyoto protocol from 1 January 2013.
   4. None of above.
4. Which of the following is not used for bushmeat?
   1. Gorillas
   2. Wild buffalos
   3. Domesticated Swine
   4. All of above
5. Correct statements about 12^th COP under CBD
   1. It’ll be held in Bangkok in 2013
   2. Theme is “biodiversity for sustainable Development”
   3. Both
   4. None
6. From North to South, which is the correct order?
   1. Sargasso Sea, Labrador Sea, Tasmanian Sea,
   2. Labrador Sea, Tasmanian Sea, Sargasso Sea
   3. Labrador Sea, Sargasso Sea, Tasmanian Sea
   4. None of above

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