| |
International Day for Biological Diversity
13 May 2008
The United Nations proclaimed May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The UN Secretary General in his message on the International Day for Biological Diversity states that this day serves as a reminder of the importance of the earth's biodiversity, and as a wake-up call about the devastating loss we are experiencing as irreplaceable species become extinct at an unprecedented rate.
The Municipality of Walvis Bay is embarking upon various initiatives to promote the sustainable protection, utilisation and management of biodiversity for the benefit of residents of Walvis Bay both in the present and future. The most prominent of these initiatives is the Local Action for Biodiversity Project (LAB). The Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) is a 3-year project initiated by the International Council for Local Environmental initiatives (ICLEI), of which the Municipality of Walvis Bay is a member since 2003, with a focus on enhancing planning and management of biodiversity at the local level.
A total of 20 cities worldwide are taking part in the LAB project. Walvis Bay, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni (formerly the East Rand), Durban and Johannesburg are the only participants from Africa. At the end of the three year project Walvis Bay would like to achieve the following milestones:
- Development of a biodiversity report that documents the current state of biodiversity and its management within Walvis Bay.
- Ensuring long-term commitment by city leadership to sustainable biodiversity management, through Walvis Bay formally signing a local government biodiversity declaration.
- Development of a 10-year biodiversity action plan and framework that will include commitments to biodiversity implementation plans and integration within broader city plans as well as formal acceptance of their 10-year biodiversity action plans and frameworks by Council.
- Implementation of five new on-the-ground biodiversity interventions by the end of the three-year project.
The Walvis Bay Local Action for Biodiversity Project is implemented in collaboration with various local stakeholders such as the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia (CETN), Namport, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Municipality of Swakopmund, NACOMA Project, Friends of the Swakop River Mouth, Erongo Regional Council, Topnaar Traditional Council, Walvis Bay Salt Refiners, Gobabeb Training and Research Centre and the Quality Managers Forum of the fish processing industry.
After inputs from various stakeholders the Municipality of Walvis Bay is happy to announce that the Walvis Bay Biodiversity Report is now ready for final layout design and printing. Council has also resolved to become a signatory to both the Durban Commitment which will be signed by the Mayor of Walvis Bay in Durban during the second LAB workshop in September 2008 and the Countdown 2010 Declaration which will be signed by Councillor Hedwig Mandean in Bonn, Germany during the LAB Mayors Conference in May 2008. History will be made when the Municipality of Walvis Bay and many other local governments declare their role and responsibility in conserving biodiversity to an international audience in Germany for the first time.
Countdown 2010 Declaration is a global strategic partner initiative to the LAB Project, which seeks to achieve a significant reduction in the current global loss rate of biological diversity by the year 2010. The Durban Commitment is a commitment for local authorities to protect and enhance biodiversity at the local level. By signing these, the city leadership will ensure Walvis Bay's long-term commitment to biodiversity conservation, utilisation and management. Both the Commitment and Declaration are:-
Globally relevant and addresse local government issues within a global intention and contribution;
- A commitment and acknowledgement of local government responsibility and accountability to biodiversity outcomes, goals and principles, and
- Able to globally position and enhance the identity of signatory local governments (while being meaningful at the specific local level).
For more information on the Walvis Bay Local Action for Biodiversity contact:
David Uushona: duushona@walvisbaycc.org.na
or Olavi Makuti: omakuti@walvisbaycc.org.na
Tel: +264 64 214 300, Fax: +264 64 214 310
|
| |
|
|
