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Education, Science and Cooperation Between German Alumni for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Kenya

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Education, Science and Cooperation Between German Alumni for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Kenya International Summer School Patagonia, Argentina The role of science and education for nature conservation in the world of growing crisis and unpredictability. Dr. Jolanta Slowik International Summer School Brasil 14-27 September 2014 Prof. Klaus Töpfer was from 1998 to 2006 executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and 2016, co-chairman of an Independent Team of Advisors on positioning the UN development system for the Sustainable Development Goals “Wissenschaftler leben davon, Lösungen für Probleme zu finden die frühere Wissenschaftler verursacht haben” “The scientist exist on finding solutions of problems that former scientists have produced” Prof. Claus Töpfer Humanity‘s predicaments and challenges 1. The Revolution in Information Technology (AI) Artificial intelligence 2. The Revolution in Biotechnology 3. Degradation of biosphere The Earth Overshoot Days were declared on the 29 July 2019 According to Global Footprint Network We currently need 1.7 planets to support all of humanity's demand on Earth's ecosystems. This fact demonstrates that humanity’s recent trend of consuming more resources than the Earth can produce. From 3 May, Germans is living on credit, ecologically—Germany’s Overshoot Day We need 3 planets if everyone is living like a resident of Germany The ANthropocene IGBP Global change 2015 Earth had recently crossed a threshold into a new epoch the Anthropocene - the Human Epoch. Anthropocene it is a proposed new era when human actions have a drastic effect on the Earth. The Anthropocene The planet is now dominated by human activities. Human changes to the Earth system are multiple, complex and interacting. They are often exponential in rate and globally significant in magnitude. They affect every Earth system component – land, coastal zone, atmosphere, cryosphere and oceans. Human population has already reached 7,7 billion and with 1,2% rate of natural increase would grow to 9,2 billion to 2050 Africa is now home to over 1,2 billion and by 2050 total population will have doubled to 2.4 billion, according to the UN. Fifty percent of the planet’s land mass has been already transformed for human use. (Vitousek, P. M., H. A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J. M. Melillo. 1997. Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems. Science 277 (5325): 494–499;) The Global Assessment Report 2019 was produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. It was based on the systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources, this report also draws on indigenous and local knowledge. The Report shows that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction and many within decades. The period 2011-2020 was declared by UN as “the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity” Goals: 1. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society 2.Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use 3. Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity 4. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services 5.Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building Biodiversity loss Main reasons of biodiversity loss Goals for conserving and sustainably using nature and achieving sustainability cannot be met by current trajectories, and goals for 2030 and beyond may only be achieved through transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors. Report of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on the work of its seventh session. Paris, 29 April–4 May 2019 Land Grabbing LAND GRABBING is an impetuous economic phenomenon started in 2008 that promoted massive investments and foreign capital flows mostly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it consists in acquiring large portions of land to develop monocultures for agro business and biomass production for energy generation The acquisitions are made by governments, big companies or privates. Land grabbing has been defined as a NEW FORM OF COLONIALISM by a number of experts. Land grabbing, the process of evicting people from their land in order to seize resources, is prevalent in many parts of South America. Most effected continents by land grabbing is Africa and Asia . Some Foreign Countries Involved in land Grabbing in Africa are: China, India, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia. Influence of renewable energy on biodiversity The large-scale deployment of intensive bioenergy plantations, replacing natural habitats and subsistence farmlands, have negative impacts on biodiversity and is threatening local livelihoods. AgriculturalIntensification intensification is a majorof agriculture cause of biodiversity declines because of specific drivers such as increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, changed land use and crop types, loss of remnant habitats (e.g., hedges and shrubs, grass strips), and intensified farming practices. How Agricultural Intensification Affects Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Advances in Ecological Research, 2016 55:43-97 Mark C Emmerson, Manuel B. Morales, Juan J. Oñate, can science and education help to rescue our planet from destruction and unscrupulous exploitation? The sound, statistically underpinned data are warning the societies and politicians of the consequences of destructive human activities for years. The reaction on biodiversity loss was establishing multidisciplinary, mission-oriented crisis discipline Conservation Biology Conservation biology has two central goals: 1. to evaluate human impacts on biological diversity 2. to develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species (Soulé 1986, Wilson 1992). Conservation biology as a science is dealing with the preservation and management of species and habitats but also with understanding the complex web of ecosystem functions and services and interactions with human development, whether in ‘natural’ or ‘managed’ (agricultural, forest, fishery) systems. Management tools such as population viability analysis (PVA) have been developed to provide "objective" methods for making conservation decisions. These approaches transformed conservation biology from an idea to a discipline. Icarus International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space. A satellite-based telemetry system provides important data for species protection. Scientists want to use Icarus to find out more about the life of animals on earth: the migratory routes they take and their living conditions. Research and Conservation Policy Does research affect conservation policy? Conservation scientists are concerned about the evident lack of impact their research is having on policy. It is crucial to understand the pathways through which the science influence policy and how research impact might be enhanced. Murray A. Rudd.2010, Conservation Biology, Volume 25. No5, How much science is needed for conservation? 1. Successful conservation management requires explicit (clear) goals and objectives (ideas). 2. A holistic approach is needed to solve conservation problems. 3. Human values are variable and dynamic and significantly shape conservation efforts Some conservation principles and objectives for successful conservation management after Lindenmayer D. and Hunter M 2010 More as half of the world population is nowadays living in the cities. The deficiency of contact with nature and lack of knowledge of species, even between the students of biology, doesn’t promote nature conservation. Fortunately student education in nature conservation became very popular at many Universities. It is important for academic teachers to arouse by their students not only knowledge hunger but as well passion for nature. International Nature Conservation (M.Sc./M.I.N.C.) Lincoln University in Christchurche Georg-August-University offers an integrated bi-national four-semester Master's programme in International Nature Conservation. The degree is a double degree offered jointly by Georg-August-University, Göttingen and Lincoln University, New Zealand, and can be held as Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Master of Science/Master of International Nature Conservation (M.Sc./M.I.N.C.). International Nature Conservation Program, MINC Georg-August-University Göttingen and Lincoln University, New Zealand, Christchurch Educates to contrast and evaluate nature conservation issues and solutions in countries with different biogeographical, human, geological, political, cultural and historical backgrounds. New Zealand Organization of student practices and excursions in different countries all over the world was my particular interest. Students Excursion Kuril Island Students Excursion Kenya 2010 2005 2003 Student Work camp Guatemala Guinea Bissau 2002 2002 Efficient nature conservation can’t exist without good science and reliable education of the next generations. Sustainable development doesn’t exist as long as we are ongoing losing so many species. In my opinion without compassion for the nature and without understanding that we are the part of the system Earth, we will not be able to stop biodiversity loss and reach sustainable development. The consequents of our handling will be the growing biodiversity degradation, natural ecosystem depletion, ecological catastrophes, war and mass migration. In Europa we are already confronted with mass migration from Africa. Take home massage For students: keep contact with nature For scientists: look after the truths Sustainable development can’t be achieved without stopping biodiversity loss “We spend far more time and effort on trying to control the world than trying to understand it and even when we try to understand it we usually do so in the hope that understanding the world we make it easier to control it.” Yuval Noah Harari “21 Lessons for the 21 century” Nature take over.
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