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ECOSYSTEM INSIDER the Ecosystem Insider Brings You News from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management

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ECOSYSTEM INSIDER the Ecosystem Insider Brings You News from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management Forward to a friend | View in browser ECOSYSTEM INSIDER The Ecosystem Insider brings you news from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management June 2018 - Edition 2 Dear IUCN CEM member, Follow us for more news and updates We are pleased to bring you the Second issue of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) Newsletter for 2018 CEM HIGHLIGHT Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation 2018 The technical examination process on adaptation (TEP-A) was established at COP 21 as part of the enhanced action prior to 2020 in the decision adopting the Paris Agreement. The TEP-A seeks to identify concrete opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerabilities, and increasing the understanding and implementation of adaptation actions. During its May meeting in Bonn, Angela Andrade participated in Session #1 Adaptation Planning for Vulnerable Ecosystems where two issues led the discussion: 1) What are the barriers to more widespread adoption of ecosystem-based adaptation at the national level? How can these barriers be overcome? Does ecosystem-based adaptation contribute to increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities and groups? To learn more about the Technical Expert Meeting, visit their page. To learn more about this event, please visit the Earth Negotiation Bulletin. CEM was present in the 3rd EbA Knowledge Day celebrated as a UNFCCC SB48 Side Event. The 3rd EbA Knowledge Day was organized by GIZ and IUCN under the Friends of EbA (FEBA) network in the framework of UNFCCC SBSTA 48 with the aim to enhance knowledge on strategies and partnerships for upscaling EbA at policy and implementation level especially in the context of NDC implementation, public finance and key sector strategies such as agriculture/food security, water, forestry and fisheries. FEBA consists of more than 50 organizations including the UNFCCC and CBD. Angela Andrade represented CEM with a presentation on policy and planning, examples EbA interventions at project level, barriers and main challenges, and experiences from Colombia. For more information please visit the adaptation community page. CEM sessions at the Conservation, Communities and Livelihoods, Halifax, Canada, May 27-30, 2018 CEM members were present at the Conservation, Communities and Livelihoods Conference that was organized jointly by the Community Conservation Research Network and CEESP-IUCN. The meeting attracted people from over 50 countries, many of them being indigenous peoples. The presentation sessions and discussions were very productive and brought together nations in a very positive manner. The CCL conference also held a special event: a lunch to celebrate the 70th anniversary of IUCN. Over 80 participants coming from different commissions celebrated in a way to look at 70th more productive years. Two sessions were organized by CEM in the Conference: Ecosystem governance in Biosphere Reserves for better conservation and livelihoods Presented by Liette Vasseur (Ecosystem Governance Group), Esperanza Arnes (Biosphere Reserve Group) and Laura Loucks (from Clayoquot Sound UNESCO BR), the session discussed the importance of EG in BR and what ingredients may be important to consider enhancing collaboration, conservation, and community livelihoods. It was clear that there are opportunities but also barriers. Suggestions included matching developing and developed BR for greater sharing of practices, for example. Ecosystem based climate change adaptation and mitigation: learning and sharing among cultures Presented by Liette Vasseur, Pam McElwee (Cultural Practice Group) and Darwin Horning (North America Region) the session examined examples of EbA and planning, the discussion underlined the importance to considering cultures and values that indigenous peoples may have on the location where projects are being implemented. The discussion underlined the importance to better understand the issues and challenges that communities are facing when dealing with EbA planning and integration of cultural practices and knowledge can greatly help enhance sustainability. CEM held a joint meeting with the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) After the CCL Conference, CEM and CEESP held a meeting where they discussed intersections between the 2 commissions’ workplans, and came up with a list of potential joint activities between CEM/CEESP, including a CEESP’s participation with case studies in the Compendium of cultural practices led by CPEM-CEM; generate a MOOC on capacity building and indigenous peoples; developing a cross-commission “IUCN Policy on Culture”; and generate joint publications on topics such as including cultural ecosystem services and value chains for products from buffer and transition zones of biosphere reserves. Great news from the Systemic Pesticides Task Force: EU vote on banning three neonicotinoids: On April 27th, the 28 member states of the EU voted in Brussels on the proposition of the E.U. Commission in regard to the usage of three neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. As from 1st January 2019 at the latest, their use will not be allowed outdoors and restricted to greenhouses and stables. Read more here. Although a great step forwards, this compromise still allows the use of these 3 neonics as biocide (instead of crop protection) in cattle stables, buildings, etc. a market of roughly half the size of the crop protection applications, while still allowing the of use three other neonicotinoid pesticides available on the E.U. market. The Directive was approved by 16 countries representing, about 75% of the European population. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Denmark voted against. Poland, Belgium, Slovakia, Finland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia and Lithuania abstained. Immediately afterwards, the Swiss Ministry of Agriculture announced that they would follow the EU Directive as from January 1st 2019. Its major document “the Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides” (WIA) was officially submitted to EFSA on whose report the E.U. decision was largely based. 70th Anniversary Celebrations As part of IUCN's 70th anniversary celebrations, Crossroads features provocative insights on conservation today and its role in addressing global challenges. The first post from influential IUCN Patron of Nature HM Queen Noor of Jordan explores how the degradation of nature is fueling conflict and what we can do to reverse the trend. The space was created to allow IUCN Members and partners to exchange ideas and opinions on some of the most topical and controversial issues. As many of today’s biggest global challenges are closely related to the destruction of the natural world, we feel that today such a platform is needed more than ever. LEADERSHIP CORNER Thematic Assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration “Indigenous and local communities also have great contributions to make towards reversing land degradation and restoring ecosystems,” says Judith Fisher, Chair of the IUCN CEM Ecosystems and Invasive Species Specialist Group and Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 1 of the IPBES assessment. “The establishment of the IPBES participatory mechanism which recognizes the importance of communities in the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems provides a blueprint to help governments integrate indigenous and local knowledge in efforts to conserve healthy soils.” To learn more about the IPBES Chapter led by our CEM group leader and IPBES expert, please click here. Nature-based Solutions in the Conference “Ecosystem Services – from theory to practice in the Israeli context” In the picture: panel of decision makers discussion the importance and relevancy of the Ecosystem Services concept in Israel. Emmanuelle Cohen-Shacham (NbS TGL) led a workshop on Nature-based Solutions at theSteinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, to raise awareness of NbS and discuss the framework with Israeli researchers and decision-makers. Emmanuelle also gave the keynote presentation at the Conference on “Ecosystem Services – from theory to practice in the Israeli context”, at IDC Herzliya. During the conference, several case studies that utilize the ES concept in Israel were presented, and a panel of high level policy makers discussed the concept’s use in planning and decision-making processes. Ecosystem collapse: from science to policy Prof David Keith and Dr. Lucie Bland delivered presentations at the Boden Conference on Ecosystem Surprises and Rapid Collapse in Canberra Australia in May 2018. Their presentations “Ecosystem collapse: from science to policy” and “Developing a standardized definition of ecosystem collapse for risk assessment” were well received. Dr. Emily Nicholson and Dr. Lucie Bland then attended a workshop focusing on developing a high-impact science paper and a number of policy documents to inform ecosystem management in Australia. New President and Vice President appointed to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO The Canada Council for the Arts is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Liette Vasseur as President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO). Dr. Vasseur is vice- chair for North America in the a CEM steering committee and is the leader of our Ecosystem Governance CEM Thematic Group. She has served as the UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability. Dr. Vasseur is a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Brock University, where she is also a member of the Women and Gender Studies program and the Environmental Sustainability
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