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3) Do you have any examples of such enabling factors and initiatives or the lack of it? Which partners need to be involved in institutional frameworks, policies and processes for biodiversity mainstreaming to strengthen them?
4) What needs to be done to increase awareness of farmers, livestock keepers, fisher folks and foresters, their organizations and the industry of the relevance of biodiversity and ecosystem services for the food and agriculture production in their sector? How can the technical and institutional capacity needed to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce the impact on biodiversity be developed?
Good governance and enabling framework—Lessons from the Pacific SIDS
Mainstreaming biodiversity requires a coordinated effort of high-level engagement with the national government, traditional leaders and international organizations. In the SIDS country of Palau, traditional leaders sit as special advisory council to Office of the President. Recognizing the needs and trends of the people and the effects on the environment and national resources the Council of Chiefs work closely with the President to ensure laws and regulations are aligned with traditional wisdom and grassroots needs. The Micronesia Challenge ,Palau National Shark Sanctuary, Protected Areas Network and Palau National Marine Sanctuary are based on the traditional conservation practice called bul whereby village chiefs in observance of depleting fish stocks enforce a temporary ban on specific species ensuring the natural processes of spawning and feeding enable the replenishment of fish stocks and securing the long-term livelihoods of fisherfolk and the tourism industry. The Green Fee is an environmental use fee paid by visitors to fund enforcement at the local level. In many SIDS countries tourism is the breadbasket of the economy and exploitation of natural resources leads to the permanent loss of biodiversity. In mainstreaming best practices toward conservation of biodiversity Palau introduced an innovative law in December 2017 requiring tourists to pledge not to harm the environment. Immigration and education policies were altered to promote and enforce the discouragement of irresponsible tourism for the benefit of the future generation of Palau (The Palau Pledge).
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Traditionally the very poor are very reliant on the public sector for free handouts, whether its training, inputs or cash based. In turn governments prefer grant schemes and the cycle of dependency is continuous, leaving no attention span for incubation and development of the private sector. In raising families out of rural poverty like a child the marriage roles of the public and private sector in a public and private partnership (PPP) can bring about fruitful progress as the risks are divided equally and tradeoffs can turn into trade benefits. the private sector with the resources in land rights and machinery can provide employment opportunities in contract farming for the rural poor. the public sector can come in as the enforcer and regulator, with international organizations facilitating the engagement with knowledge sharing and technical expertise. as far as I understand developing countries are looking to international organizations to play as the matchmaker for such grant schemes, and although this is not our traditional way we do things, we can certainly work as the vantage point in building the bridges with key partners, the donors and food industry players, at least in dialogue to the same table and letting the group collectively agree on the path to move forward. I say food industry players because it is in this form where all people agree we can comply to fulfill our first right: the right to eat. In emerging markets where many ruralfolk are first entering an urban setting, the familiar forms of food consumption from home unites the masses and brings a spoonful of comfort. for example in Nairobi, the ethnic diversity in the city provides women homemakers income opportunities to in food catering services to office workers with particular ethnic dishes from home. Agri-food industries offer a holistic solution to eradicating poverty, increasing food and nutrition security, income generation and even to an extent, natural-resource management. Perhaps this extent can be maximized when the marriage of conservation agriculture and agriculture management also eventually becomes one.
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Jodean Remengesau
Thank you for this opportunity for SIDS countries to share their experience. In building on the following two points below, I would like to contribute to the forum with a well-documented example of Palau, Micronesia region, Pacific SIDS:
-the national economies of SIDS are mainly service-sector oriented, and more attention is needed to develop opportunties for local livelihoods based on sustainable use of natural resources.
-participatory approaches and initiatives that work at multiple levels and cross-sectorally should be mainstreamed as key levers to building capacity and improving integrated approaches.
Yes, it is important to acknowledge, as well as come to terms with, SIDS economies tend to hop on the bandwagon of service sector investment because of its quick profit turnovers, due to the fact that we have adapted and become reliant in our survival on technological advancements (i.e. high-speed internet connected by fiber optic cables) and modern conveniences ( i.e. public electricity and water). Oftentimes these present-day conveniences that comprise of what defines a 'developed nation', compromise on natural resource recycling functions, i.e. wildlife breeding cycles and carbon sequestration. However, this has not always been the case. The original founders of Palau, for example, embedded into the constitution, conservation and no-take (no harvesting) zones. There is a group of islands called the Seventy Islands that are protected under the constitution as eternal no-take zones, and with a sustainable management plan, the coexistence of tourism and responsible ecosystem management is present in Koror State, Palau. Please read more in detail here: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1386
This is because of the close interlinkage and dialogue between the traditional leaders, legislative bodies, private sector (tour companies) and the transparent information-sharing with the rest of the community. To the people of Palau, the environment (both land and sea) and human society is a single body. Responsible management is engrained in the culture and a systems thinking of a long-term vision for the benefit of the next generation of Palauans remains at the forefront of the island country's economic development agenda.