outdoors.webshots

1. Towards effective governance of wetland biodiversity and livelihoods: Developed and developing country perspectives. IUCN UK Conference: Global Connections 2 - Wetlands http://outdoors.webshots.com Professor Geoffrey Gouch & Professor Chris Spray

2. Inversnaid What would the world be, once bereft Of wet and wildness? Let them be left, O let them be left, wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet. Gerard Manley Hopkins 1881, visit to Loch Lomond Inscribed on the walls of the Scottish Parliament http://outdoors.webshots.com

3. The world’s wetlands are wildlife are disappearing WWF’s Living Planet reports River dolphin Index of change of size of the populations of 194 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

4. Wetland Habitats are being lost: shrinking Aral Sea 1960-2003

5. Aral Sea 2003-lost biodiversity, a lost ecosystem, its “goods” and “services” = Livelihoods

6. Legal protection for wetland biodiversity exists • Globally – Convention on Biological Diversity; RAMSAR Convention on migratory waterfowl • European – Water Framework Directive; Floods Directive, Habitats Directive; Wild Birds Directive • Nationally – Water Environment Water Services Act; Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act; Floods Risk Management (Scotland) Act; Climate Change Act

7. Yet wetlands, wildlife, ecosystems and livelihoods continue to be lost….. Lake Chad NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre

8. …..and damaged……..in the Developed world as well:Ecological Status of Scottish Rivers (% water bodies) 2009 SEPA • Physical changes to the wetland habitat and hydrology • Barriers to Fish migration • Nutrient enrichment by diffuse pollution in agricultural and urban environments • Invasive non-native species Rivers (N = 2392)

9. Even the best habitats: Condition of Scottish Sites of Special Scientific Interest Condition Favourable Unfavourable Unfavourable Destroyed Not Assessed (recovering) Wetland 68 8 24 0.3 3 Upland 72 6 22 0.0 Geological Feature 91 6 3 0.2 4 Coastal 33 40 26 1.4 5 Freshwater 15 85 0 0.0 12 Marine 99 0 1 0.0 56 Lowland Heath 53 14 33 0.1 3 Grasslands 54 22 25 0.0 6 Woodland 45 27 28 0.0 2 All Habitats 62 15 22 0.2 5 (% features assessed) Scottish Natural Heritage

10. At the same time, some major conservation successes also: Winter population estimates for Svalbard Barnacle Goose, 1961 to 2009 100% world population winters in SW Scotland, at WWT Caerlaverock . . . . . . . potential conflict with agricultural livelihoods of local farmers WWT data.

11. Why are losses of wetland biodiversity continuing? Population growth Economic development Changes in Land use Nutrient enrichment Invasive species Over harvesting Climate change

12. Why are losses of wetland biodiversity continuing? • In the Developed world, we are increasingly remote from the Environment and Biodiversity– and so do not recognise the deliverers and beneficiaries of biodiversity and ecosystem services locally or globally, nor the impacts of change • We do not value biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it underpins– beyond just the provisioning (agriculture, food, fibre, etc) and visible market services • There is a gap or “paradigm lock” between scientists and policy - makers

13. 1. Need to recognise the deliverers and beneficiaries of ecosystem services “Upstream” habitat & land management Biodiversity loss/conservation has potential multiple costs and benefits How can these be equitably allocated? “Downstream” habitat loss & flooding

14. 2. Society does not value the environment for its total sustainable worth Provisioning Services (market goods) Supporting, Regulating, Cultural services (non market) Who gains/loses? Need new methods to assess values to ALL stakeholders

15. 3. Cultural Gap between science and policy: different perspectives

16. 3. Paradigm Lock between science and policy: different perspectives ? • Policy is driven by broad issues rather than narrow ones • Scientists frequently concentrate on specific questions • Policy makers want to know how to set defensible standards – operational tools, results and clarity, not more questions • Scientists want to explore uncertainties - understanding processes and impacts Are scientists looking at the questions the policy makers want answering? Are scientists and policy makers involving other stakeholders who rely on the services provided by healthy functioning ecosystems and their biodiversity? - top down or bottom up?

17. Moving towards a biodiversity and livelihoods approach based around ecosystem services and a landscape scale approach • Climate Change adaptation – Scottish Rural Land Use Strategy - March 2011 • “Rewilding” - Beaver introductions • River Basin Management Plans – integrating biodiversity priorities in catchments • Sustainable flood management plans – opportunities for natural wetlands and habitat restoration

18. Key Uncertainty: functional linkage between Biodiversity and Livelihoods • Biodiversity underpins ecosystems and the benefits of ecosystems (services) all depend on biodiversity. • Wetland Ecosystems have been radically changed to increase provisioning services (agriculture), BUT at what cost to wider stakeholder livelihoods? • What are the impacts on the other (largely unmeasured) regulating, cultural and supporting services? • Are there tipping points? • Is it reversible? EU TEEB Report: Cost of Policy Inaction (2008) 24/09/2014 18

19. Recent developments linking Biodiversity and Livelihoods in UK and Scottish policy Various projects in UK and England: • Defra’s Ecosystem Approach project • Defra’s Ecosystem Action Plan • National Ecosystem Assessment • Natural England’s Ecosystem Services Pilot Areas Key Initiatives in Scotland: • Scottish synthesis of National Ecosystem Assessment • Scottish Government’s Model Ecosystem Framework • Rural Land Use Study • Scottish Biodiversity Committee – Ecosystem groups • Species and Habitat Framework Action Plans (SNH) • River Basin Management Plans