Date: 17 September 2013 - 19 October 2013
Place: Nagoya, Japan
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first open for signature at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, and now the number of its Contracting Parties has reached 193, as of January 2010. The target gto achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional, and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth' was adopted at COP 6 in 2002.
At the "Mayors Conference – Local Action for Biodiversity," held in Bonn in May 2008, discussion also covered the main role urban cities should play in biodiversity management and the concluding results of the conference were shared at the high-level segment of COP 9. Later at the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, held in Barcelona in October 2008, the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity was officially established to promote a global linkage and collaborative network among local governments to tackle the challenges before us as we approach the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.
In October 2010, COP 10 was held in Nagoya, where the results of efforts made by the international society in this decade to achieve the "2010 Biodiversity Target" were reported on, and the meeting served as a big step toward setting a new target for post-2010. At the same time, the Governments of Aichi Prefecture and the City of Nagoya, the venue of COP 10, also held the "City Biodiversity Summit 2010" in order to affirm the role of a city in dealing with biodiversity issues, while making an appeal to the world of the necessity to further expand local efforts. Local authorities from around the world gathered to discuss biodiversity-related issues and problems facing their respective communities, and current best practice cases that could be used for community development.
Taking this opportunity of COP 10 as well as the advantage of being located in Nagoya, UNCRD and JICA have launched the training course on gRegional Development by Sustainable Use of Biodiversityh in collaboration with the Governments of Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City starting in fiscal 2010.
Objectives
The training course aims to enable the participants to devise regional development plans from the perspective of biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use, which are to be proposed to the respective participating cities.
The training course provided the participants with opportunities to learn about various approaches, strategies, and activities to achieve socioeconomic development compatible with conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity (BD) in Japan. Each participant will also formulate an action plan describing what he/she will do after returning to his/her home country. At the end of the three-years programme, a socioeconomic development plan from the perspective of conservation and the sustainable use of local BD will be formulated at his/her municipality.
Course Contents
Through the training course, participants analysed the current situation and problems in their country/municipality, acquired knowledge and skills to promote regional development by making a use of BD, and examined the applicability of cases of Japan and other developing countries to their country/municipality. In the introductory session, they learned about gCBD,h gNational/Regional Strategies of BD,h gEconomics of Ecosystems and Biodiversityh from a theoretical viewpoint, and then more practically, they studied gEndogenous Regional Development and BD,h gSatoyama Initiative,h and gEco-tourism.h As for the case studies, participants visited and studied local production for local consumption promoted by Agrin Mura, a gvillage for food and farmingh in Nagakute Town, Aichi Pref., Satoyama in Nomi City, Ishikawa Pref., efforts for conservation and sustainable use of BD at Fujimae Tidal Land, and Higashiyama Forest, Nagoya City. In particular, their participation in the above-mentioned COP 10 and City Biodiversity Summit 2010 enabled them to become familiar with the international trends concerning BD and they had meaningful exchanges with other participating municipalities.
Outputs
As a major output of the course, participants formulated individual action plans. These action plans will be further discussed for implementation at the participantsf respective municipalities after they return to their counties. Details pertaining to the progress achieved is expected to be reported on in the form of a feedback sheet and shared with UNCRD/JICA.
Previous Training Courses
1st Course (27 Sep to 30 Oct 2010)
2nd Course (2 Oct to 3 Nov 2011)
3rd Course (18 Sep to 20 Oct 2012)