ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT: E COSYSTEM LESSONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IUCN - The World Conservation Union Founded in 1948, The World Conservation Union brings together States, A Guide for Development and government agencies and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations M Conservation Practitioners in a unique world partnership: over 900 members in all, spread across some 138 countries. ANAGEMENT As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and assist societies through- out the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The World Conservation Union builds on the strengths of its members, net- works and partners to enhance their capacity and to support global alliances to : L safeguard natural resources at local, regional and global levels. ESSONS FROM AROUND THE Edited by Jean-Yves Pirot, Peter-John Meynell and Danny Elder IUCN Wetlands & Water Resources Programme Rue Mauverney 28 CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 999 00 01 Fax: +41 22 999 00 02 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.iucn.org/themes/wetlands/ W IUCN Publications Services Unit 219c Huntingdon Road ORLD Cambridge CB3 ODL, United Kingdom Tel: +44 1223 277894 Fax: +44 1223 277175 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/ IUCN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT: LESSONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD A Guide for Development and Conservation Practitioners Edited by Jean-Yves Pirot, Peter-John Meynell and Danny Elder ii The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN, the World Bank or the Government of Norway concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, the World Bank or the Government of Norway. This publication has been made possible in part by funding from the Government of Norway through the World Bank. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK Copyright: © 2000 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Pirot, J.-Y., Meynell P.J. and Elder D. (2000). Ecosystem Management: Lessons from Around the World. A Guide for Development and Conservation Practitioners. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. x + 132 pp. ISBN: 2-8317-0542-8 Cover photo: IUCN Regional Office for Southern Africa Photo Library Inside photos: CIDA IUCN – Ger Bergkamp Produced by: IUCN Wetlands & Water Resources Programme Printed by: SADAG, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, France Available from: IUCN Publications Services Unit 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 ODL, U. K. Tel: +44 1223 277894, Fax: +44 1223 277175 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.iucn.org A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available The text of this book is printed on offset A7, totally chlorine-free paper. Table of Contents iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements v Foreword vii Executive Summary ix Introduction 1 PART I ECOSYSTEMS AND ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT: DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES 1 Ecology 7 1.1 Ecosystems 7 1.2 Characteristics of Ecosystems 9 1.3 Ecosystem Structure, Functions and Benefits 12 1.4 Ecosystem-based Management 15 2 Ecosystem-based Management: Principles 19 2.1 Maintaining Ecosystem Functions and Integrity 20 2.2 Recognizing Ecosystem Boundaries and Transboundary Issues 22 2.3 Maintaining Biodiversity 27 2.4 Recognizing the Inevitability of Change 30 2.5 Recognizing People as Part of the Ecosystem 32 2.6 Recognizing the Need for Knowledge-based Adaptive Management 34 2.7 Recognizing the Need for Multi-sector Collaboration 38 2.8 Making Ecosystem-based Management a Mainstream Development Approach 40 3 Ecosystem-based Management: Partners 43 3.1 Critical Factors for Partnerships 44 3.2 Developing Ecosystem Management Partnerships 46 3.3 Environmental Conflict Management 50 3.4 Collaborative Management 53 iv Ecosystem Management PART II ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT: TOOLS AND PRACTICE 4 Ecosystem-based Management: Tools 59 4.1 Ecosystem-based Management Planning 59 4.2 Environmental Assessment Tools 62 4.3 Information Management 64 4.4 Participatory Processes 69 4.5 The Role of Development Activities in Ecosystem-based Management 71 4.6 Institutional Coordination 74 4.7 Capacity-building 76 4.8 Communicating the Importance of Ecosystem-based Management 77 4.9 Measures for Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Conservation 79 5 Ecosystem-based Management Approaches in Development Projects 83 5.1 Project Identification 83 5.2 Project Formulation 86 5.3 Project Appraisal and Approval: Evaluating Ecosystem-based Management Elements 100 5.4 Project Implementation 102 6 Further Development of Ecosystem-based Management 113 References 117 Further Reading 119 Appendix 1 123 Appendix 2 125 Acknowledgements v Acknowledgements his Guide was commissioned by the World Bank Environment TDepartment and prepared by IUCN – The World Conservation Union, to enable natural resources managers to benefit from the les- sons learned by other development practitioners and conservation organizations. This Guide was produced in part with the generous support of the Government of Norway. The Guide coincides with recognition worldwide of the growing importance of an ecosystem-based approach to environmental man- agement. This is reflected in the development of IUCN’s own Com- mission on Ecosystem Management and its publication of the first Sibthorp Seminar “Ecosystem Management, Questions for Science and Society" (Maltby et al., 1999). It also builds on the Bank’s own publi- cation “Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Development: A World Bank Assis- tance Strategy for Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity” (World Bank, 1995). Many people have contributed towards the compilation and analy- sis of the case studies and the synthesis of the experience gained from ecosystem management initiatives all over the world. The main co- ordinators have been Jean-Yves Pirot and Peter-John Meynell, ably assisted by Nadene Canning-Wacker and Elroy Bos. The third co-edi- tor, Danny Elder, contributed valuable comments and text. David Cas- sells and Colin Rees from the World Bank, and Achim Steiner from IUCN-US, have guided the preparation of the guide from the outset. Authors of the case studies were: Ronald Bisset, Pierre Campredon, Jose Pedro de Oliveira Costa, Enda-Senegal, Dhrubajyoti Ghosh, Biksham Gujja, Chandra Gurung, Henk Hoefsloot, Shafqat Hussain, Alejandro Imbach, Muhtari Aminu Kano, Arvind Khare, David Mazambani, Peter-John Meynell, Andrew Mittelman, John Nittler, Michael Nurse, Arturo Lopez Ornat, Bawa Gaoh Ousmane, Roberto Roca, M. Satyanarayana, Geronimo Silvestre, Pavel Sokolov and Ludmilla Vakarenko. vi Ecosystem Management A working group was established to consider all of the case studies and bring together the most important lessons learned. This working group consisted of Sue Bell, Ronald Bisset, Michael Carley, Nonie Coulthard and Andrew Inglis. Various drafts of the document have been reviewed by Mike Acreman, Sue Bell, Ger Bergkamp, Ronald Bisset, Grazia Borrini- Feyerabend, David Cassells, Gonzalo Castro, Nonie Coulthard, Dhunmai Cowasjee, Patrick Dugan, Donald Gilmour, Lyle Glowka, Peter Hislaire, Paul Holthus, Geoffrey Howard, Edward Maltby, Jeffrey McNeely, Kenton Miller, Andrew Mittleman, Magnus Ngoile, Scott Perkin, Colin Rees, Per Rydén, M. Satyanarayana, Jeff Sayer, Jamie Skinner, Achim Steiner and Anada Tiega. Tessa Harding prepared a synopsis of the guide, Julie Monod prepared the figures and David Stone assisted with editing and design. Special thanks go to Sir Martin Holdgate for his detailed and inspiring comments on the text and for providing several of the figures. Foreword vii Foreword ealthy ecosystems are a fundamental requirement for sustain- Hable development and biodiversity conservation. Biological resources support human livelihoods, and make it possible to adapt to changing needs and environmental conditions. Many sectors of national economies also depend on the diversity of ecosystems and the functions and services they perform or protect. However, present trends of economic development, supported by inappropriate financial incentives, typically undervalue the ecosys- tem processes and services leading to the overexploitation of valuable resources worldwide. As a result, species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate and the degradation of many ecosystems, biomes and habitats are leading to unprecedented social strife. Most of this has taken place in the developing world and in countries in transition. The irreversibility of species extinction, and the loss of genes and transformation of ecosystems through habitat degradation and over- exploitation, all compromise options for present and future genera- tions. It is therefore not possible to achieve a sustainable pattern of development without an effective strategy for ecosystem conserva- tion and restoration. In recognition of this, development agencies need to integrate the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems in development