Class notes and unit intro TASK: 4.3.1 Conservation-HabitatSpecies – creating ‘arguments’ for preserving habitat and species from a variety of perspectives: ethical, aesthetic, commercial, genetic/scientific, life and ecosystem support systems functions.

What are the best strategies to conserve biodiversity? Are they working?

Biodiversity loss like climate change is a global issue and requires global framework for action combined with the effective operation of national, regional and local strategies. Initially before the 1990s biodiversity loss was seen as a scientific global issue with a whole series of frameworks for species protection and habitat conservation (e.g. 1971 RAMSAR wetlands convention). Global frameworks were also developed to conserve areas of outstanding ecological importance. UN agencies such as UNESCO (responsible for the Biosphere Reserve programme), and UNEP responsible for GEMS (Global, Environmental Monitoring System) combined with private organisations such as IUCN who are responsible for the designation and categorisation of protected areas such as World Heritage Site, and WWF an NGO which specialised in wildlife conservation

TASK: 4.3.2 Compare and contrast the role and activities of inter-governmental (IGOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity

• Inter-governmental organisations: UNEP and NGOs: Greenpeace and World Wildlife Foundation for nature Conventions and Summits:
• TASK: 4.2.3 (…) International conventions on biodiversity: Here’s a link as a starting point. Using the handout, carry out a brief research on each convention to find out the year it was initiated, aims and objectives, any challenges and successes. You can use this handout to organise your info –> 4.3.2 BioDiv Conventions [table]
• The World Conservation Strategy (1980) was prepared by the IUCN, with advice, cooperation and financial assistance by the UNEP and WWF and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN and UNESCO.

Singapore’s Index on CIties’ Biodiversity

  Click on the UN banner below to find out more about biodiversity…

Singapore has signed and ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, UNCED, Rio 1992) and has also published the Singapore Green Plan (Ministry of the Environment 1992), a National Report for UNCED (InterMinistry Committee 1993) as well as a Red Data Book (Ng and Wee 1994) and a general biodiversity report (Wee and Ng 1994) as responses to the CBD.