Side Event

Biodiversity and Community health: operationalizing linkages between conservation and development on the ground

Organizer
United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies; Bioversity International; UNEP;SCBD; and others

Date and Time
9 October 2012 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

The interlinkages between biodiversity and health are well recognized. However, the need and potential of strengthening traditional understanding and practices related to health at the community level is an area that has not been sufficiently addressed in planning processes. Unlike mainstream health interventions, this involves a comprehensive assessment of various contributing factors to health, including biological resources, knowledge and human resources, socio-cultural resources and related policy processes. It involves attention to medicinal plants and faunal products, dietary and nutritional aspects, access to these resources, ecosystem integrity, landscape values, rights to practitioners to practice, opportunities for livelihood enhancement among others. Recognizing that several institutions are engaged in discrete related activities, an effort is being made to pool the individual capacities of different agencies towards demonstrating how the linkages between community health and biodiversity conservation at the level of basic implementation can be strengthened. Co-ordinated by the United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), an international initiative on Biodiversity and Community Health is being mooted. Current partners include Biodiversity International, UNDP's Equator Initiative, UNEP, University Network on Biological and Cultural Diversity, COMPAS Network on Endogenous Development, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions and the National Biodiversity Authority of India, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the CBD.