ScienceWeek

SCIENCE POLICY: BIODIVERSITY AND THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY

The following points are made by W.M. Adams et al (Science 2004 306:1146):

1) Biodiversity conservation scientists face a dilemma. There is increasing concern that global efforts to maintain biodiversity are in conflict with efforts to reduce poverty (1). The decline of populations, extinction of species, and habitat transformation demand urgent action (2). The leading response to these threats since the late 19th century has been the creation of protected areas (3). Technical capacity to design effective protected-area systems is increasing (4), allowing the identification of coverage and remaining gaps in the international protected-area system (5). This, combined with positive assessments of the effectiveness of protected areas is encouraging the consolidation and expansion of the network of protected areas. The 2004 World Database on Protected Areas includes over 105,000 sites covering an area of 19.7 million km (2). The problem with this strategy is that its impacts on poverty are often negative.

2) The creation of protected areas causes the foreclosure of future land use options, with potentially significant economic opportunity costs. The creation of protected areas can have substantial negative impacts on local people. The eviction of former occupiers or right holders in land or resources can cause the exacerbation of poverty, as well as contravention of legal or human rights. Globally, it is recognized that the costs of biodiversity conservation are not distributed in proportion to their benefits. Typically, many of the costs of protected areas in poor biodiverse countries are paid by local people.

3) The meaning of poverty may be intuitively obvious, but its measurement is complex. Common definitions are based on monetary (such as per-capita income) or nonmonetary (such as health or mortality) criteria, although broader approaches have been suggested. In 1999, 1.2 billion people worldwide had consumption levels below $1 a day and 2.8 billion lived on less than $2 a day. Poverty is not a static condition, but it is estimated that between 300 and 420 million people live in a state of chronic poverty (always or usually poor).

4) In summary: It is widely accepted that biodiversity loss and poverty are linked problems and that conservation and poverty reduction should be tackled together. However, success with integrated strategies is elusive. There is sharp debate about the social impacts of conservation programs and the success of community-based approaches to conservation. Clear conceptual frameworks are needed if policies in these two areas are to be combined.

References (abridged):

1. S. E. Sanderson, K. H. Redford, Oryx 37, 1 (2003)

2. S. Palumbi, Science 293, 1786 (2001)

3. W. M. Adams, Against Extinction: The Story of Conservation (Earthscan, London, 2004)

4. C. R. Margules, R. L. Pressey, Nature 405, 243 (2000)

5. A. S. Rodrigues et al., Nature 428, 640 (2004)

Science http://www.sciencemag.org

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Related Material:

DEGRADATION OF LAND REACHING CRITICAL GLOBAL PROPORTIONS

The following points are made by A. Smith (Popline. 1992 14:3):

1) As populations in the poorest parts of the world increase, the ratio of land/person continues to decrease. There are approximately 32 billion acres of land, excluding Antarctica, on the planet. That equals only 5.98 acres/person; however, not all this land is suitable for habitation or food production. 1.2 acres is too steep, 1.3 acres is to arid, and 1 acre is too cold.

2) Also, the population of the world is not spread out evenly across the land; thus, in many areas the population density is so high that the demands placed upon the land are greater than its capacity to produce.

3) The Green Revolution that lasted from 1950 through the mid 1980s did increase the total amount of yield/acre. Unfortunately the price for such productivity was a degradation of the land. Chemical inputs have contaminated ground water and sterilized the soil, irrigation has caused salinization and water logging (which is a form of decertification), and new tillage practices have eroded the top soil. Grazing cattle have caused enormous amounts of soil erosion and deforestation has removed 911 million acres of tropical forest alone to make room for a growing population.

4) Wood is the single most important fuel source for the people of the developing world; yet, as it becomes scarce from deforestation, animal manures and crop residues have been substituted, which further the diminishes the availability of fertile land.

5) The authors suggest it must be understood that family planning saves lives, reduces suffering, and slows the damage to the environment. The authors suggest family planning is the single best way to make an impact in the attempt to end poverty and hunger.

Popline http://db.jhuccp.org/popinform/basic.html

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THE BELLAGIO DECLARATION: OVERCOMING HUNGER IN THE 1990S

The following points are made by F. Alloo et al (Dev Dialogue. 1989 2:177):

1) In November 1989, 23 leading hunger experts met in Bellagio, Italy, and issued a document called the "Bellagio Declaration: Overcoming Hunger in the 1990s". The report lists 4 achievable goals: eliminate famine deaths; end hunger in half of the world's poorest households; reduce by half malnutrition of mothers and small children; and eradicate iodine and vitamin A deficiencies.

2) Famine deaths can be eliminated by setting up early-warning systems and longer-term relief objectives. The only remaining obstacle is how to prevent warring nations from blocking food deliveries and destroying food.

3) Hunger can be eliminated in half the world's poor households by giving the poor access to resources and credit, rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, using sustainable farming, and using existing markets to distribute food equitably.

4) Malnutrition can be halved by sustained breastfeeding, and supplementation of food and micronutrients.

5) Iodine and vitamin A deficiencies can be eliminated by giving iodized oil injections, vitamin A capsules, and iodized salt.

6) Ways of dealing with obstacles such as population, deforestation, soil and water shortages, pollution, global warming, and capital deficits in the South are discussed. The authors suggest there is hope that these goals can be attained because of the outbreak of peace and democracy, freeing up substantial portions of the 1 trillion US dollars spent on defense; abatement of fear of worldwide economic collapse; and evolution of a worldwide logistic system to provide emergency food aid.

Development Dialogue http://www.wfdd.org.uk

ScienceWeek http://scienceweek.com