Drylands Biodiversity: chapter outline

Summary objective: to raise awareness of drylands biodiversity and its value for sustainable drylands management, including species diversity, habitat and ecosystems and to demonstrate ways in which drylands biodiversity can be effectively conserved in support of sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality. Target audience: government technical staff (e.g. natural resources, agricultural, forestry and water sector), dryland scientists, UN agencies and NGOs/CSOs, bilateral donors Draft outline of the publication: 1. Foreword, acknowledgements, glossary etc. 2. Executive summary (for policy makers) 3. General introduction and background drylands biodiversity, sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality a. Linking SLM and biodiversity b. Economic value of dryland biodiversity c. Dryland biodiversity as the foundation for resilience in dryland systems 4. The richness of Drylands Biodiversity Current and future opportunities and threats a. Species diversity and endemism y Including features on threatened/endangered species and success stories, with a focus on major dryland classes of fauna and flora b. Habitat types and specificities y Descriptions and features on dryland habitat types, global distribution of habitat types (including according to dryland sub-types), risks and trends in habitat condition (including invasive species) c. Dryland ecosystem characteristics and services y Ecosystem characteristics along the aridity gradient, values of ecosystem services at local, national and global level d. Areas of significant dryland biodiversity interest (ensuring global balance) y e.g. World Heritage Sites in drylands, Ramsar sites, Transboundary protected areas e. Agrobiodiversity y Dryland crop and livestock types and their adaptations to dryland conditions, dryland agricultural heritage systems f. From the above: Summary/Overview of existing and future opportunities and threats to drylands biodiversity 5. Solutions for conserving drylands biodiversity Lessons learned and best practises a. Biodiversity benefits of different sustainable land management practices y Biodiversity dividends of different land use options: crop cultivation, agroforestry, pastoralism, hunter-gathering, conservation agriculture, high-nature value farming systems b. Community Conserved Areas in drylands y Supporting traditional practices and local knowledge for conserving drylands biodiversity, effective governance arrangements, rights and equity, importance of biodiversity to 1

indigenous peoples and the importance of their local knowledge, institutions and management strategies for effective conservation, specific biodiversity outcomes through community management or co-management of protected areas and examples of community based natural resource management c. Using Protected Area status to promote SLM y Definitions, the IUCN management categories and governance types (with dryland examples of each), World Heritage sites, UNESCO biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites with statistics and maps, protected area categories in support of SLM, global distribution of PAs in drylands, opportunities and constraints 6. Policy recommendations for action to conserve drylands biodiversity for land degradation neutrality a. Rationale of conserving drylands biodiversity through sustainable land management y Global values of biodiversity and land: cultural, spiritual, aesthetic; y Economic rationale of multifunctionality in dryland ecosystems (including first results from TEEB and the ELD initiative) b. Green economic growth in drylands y Complementarity in conserving drylands biodiversity through sustainable land management, poverty alleviation and sustainable development, dryland protected areas as sources of both subsistence livelihoods and economic opportunities (link to climate change adaptation below) c. Biodiversity conservation and resilience y Building adaptive capacities through ecosystem based adaptation, strengthening biodiversity-based livelihoods to reinforce diversity and resilience, prevention of land degradation in drylands (through e.g. over-grazing, unsustainable agriculture, dust storms, erosion, extractive industries), protecting water supply (e.g. water quality in aquifers, protecting water courses), protecting food supply (e.g. protecting crop wild relatives and sources of wild food) d. Creating a platform for community-based dryland biodiversity management y Rights, reform, risk and resilience (building on Dryland Opportunities ) e. Convening dialogue across sectors y A strategy for mainstreaming biodiversity in agricultural and other natural resource sectors 7. Bibliography 8. Profiles of contributing institutions/authors Schedule 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. E-consultations with IUCN commission members and other allies Contribution of chapters March 2012 Group feedback on chapters April 2012 Compilation into a first draft May 2012 Consultation on first draft June 2012 Finalisation and publication July 2012 Translation and publication in Spanish and French August 2012 Dissemination and publicity through online channels and at global events (e.g. CBD COP 11) from September 2012