Recently several scientists from GEO BON – as well as colleagues from the AHTEG, IUCN, and other organizations – developed suggestions for including genetic diversity in biodiversity planning. The suggestions were developed in the context of the CBD National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) which are to be submitted this year, but the guidance also applies to local, regional, or supranational biodiversity planning, including by local governments, NGOs, and business. The 31 authors, led by Sean Hoban (The Morton Arboretum), Jess da Silva (SANBI) and Christina Hvilsom (Copenhagen Zoo), represent 21 countries. This addresses what kinds of commitments, actions, policies, and monitoring methods are appropriate for genetic diversity, even in situations when gene-based (DNA) sampling is not possible.
The suggestions were developed by reviewing 20 recently published (past few years) NBSAPs, including 8 submitted since COP15. The authors identified ten suggestions for better including genetic diversity in targets, actions and planning, capacity and resourcing, and monitoring and reporting. These include ensuring an inclusive, whole of society approach; making sure that national targets include all elements of Target 4 including within and among population genetic diversity; evaluating capacity for monitoring and reporting on genetic diversity; and summarizing existing in-country knowledge on genetic diversity.
A free to access preprint of the paper is available here. A two page policy brief designed for policy makers has also been published and is available below, and also here, on the Coalition for Conservation Genetics website, and we are in the process of translating this into numerous languages, with the help of numerous volunteers. Very soon, this should be available in at least six to eight major languages. Please help share this valuable resource, which we hope will support countries revising their NBSAPs in advance of COP16.
A two page summary policy brief of the study is available to download in the following languages:
- English version
- Arabic version
- German version
- French version
- Portuguese version
- Spanish version
- Swahili version
