The "Global Risk Report 2024" released by the World Economic Forum this year has identified "extreme weather events" as one of the top 10 global risks for the coming decade. This helps explain why there has been so much international attention to climate change in recent years, exemplified by the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) convened under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The most recent COP conference, held   in October in Cali, Columbia, focused on biodiversity loss. Although not listed among the top 10 risks for the next two years in the Global Risk Report 2024, loss of biodiversity was ranked third in the report among the major risks of the next decade.

Concern for biodiversity loss has been relatively muted in comparison to that for climate change. However, biodiversity relies on a complex and delicately balanced ecosystem, the entirety of which can be destabilized by the loss of any species. That would have profound implications for food security, healthcare, and other facets of human survival.

In response to the need to protect ecosystems, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in  Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, and signed by participating country representatives. This agreement aimed to promote global efforts to protect biodiversity and promote sustainable practices. Although previous COP meetings have reached consensus on biodiversity protection, concrete progress has been slow in recent years. For example, at COP10 member countries adopted the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and COP15 established the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. However, countries have faced many difficulties in implementing these targets. For instance, the 2021 United Nations "Global Biodiversity Outlook 5" found that none of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set in 2010, had been fully achieved. Progress on such targets is imperative given the urgent need for biodiversity protection amid the rapid loss of species globally.

From October 21 to November 2 this year, nearly 15,000 stakeholders comprising government delegations, academic researchers, policymakers, indigenous groups, local communities, businesses, and civil society organizations gathered in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16). Although the meeting did not resolve the funding gap of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), some historic progress was made, including the establishment of a permanent indigenous peoples’ body, and the requirement for companies benefiting from genetic resources to contribute a portion of their profits to a newly established Cali Fund to support the protection of biodiversity-rich areas.

In this issue, we explore the topic of biodiversity in an article titled "Analysis of International Trends in Biodiversity Promotion." In addition to sharing the observations of scholars who participated in the COP16 meeting, we also include a case study from E. Sun Bank, which demonstrates how the bank uses public-private partnerships to support local biodiversity conservation efforts. The issue also features an introduction to the TaiwanICDF's initiatives aimed at promoting international plant genetic resource conservation and utilization through species protection and breeding.

The issue's special report includes interviews with experts who talk about Taiwan’s  efforts   in the area of biodiversity conservation. Those interviewed include Dr. Hua-Ching Lin, Director- General of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture; Dr. Shiau-Yun Lu, Director-General of the Marine Conservation Department of the Ocean Affairs Council; and Dr. Wen-Chen Shih, Deputy Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration. They shared the government's achievements in promoting biodiversity through forest and marine conservation, as well as the challenges they face and the actions they are taking to address these challenges.

E.O. Wilson, known as the "natural heir to Darwin" and the "father of biodiversity," once stated in his book The Creation: "No matter how biodiversity arises, it is not placed on Earth to   be destroyed by any species." This profound statement serves as a reminder that every species,    no matter how small, has its role to play, and the entire ecosystem depends on various species to maintain a deep and delicate balance. Through this issue, we aim to deepen readers' understanding of biodiversity’s importance and highlight the efforts of Taiwan’s public and private sectors to safeguard this critical natural heritage.

Summaries

Realizing the 2050 Vision of Living in Harmony with Nature through the Satoyama Initiative and Integrated Landscape and Seascape Approaches

(Paulina G. Karim, Post-doctoral researcher and CEO, @ScapesLab, Center for Sustainable Development, National Dong Hwa University; Kuang-Chung Lee, Professor and Director, @ScapesLab, Center for Sustainable Development, National Dong Hwa University)

Recent international studies have shown that it is possible to bend the curve and minimize biodiversity loss as early as 2040 by adopting an integrated strategy of proactive conservation action and combining sustainable production and consumption. This paper discusses the Satoyama Initiative and integrated landscape and seascape approaches (ILSA) that have been recognized as one of the most effective sustainable integrated strategies of the past decade. It is applicable at various levels including the local, regional, and national, and can be implemented across natural, rural, and urban areas, enabling the realization of vision, goals and targets of the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). In terms of practical implementation, the three-fold approach of the Satoyama Initiative – vision, three main principles and five key social- ecological perspectives – embrace the conservation, sustainable production and consumption aspects in an integrated way. This approach is further supported by the six strategic domains for operationalization of ILSA – the ‘6Ps’: Place, People, Problems, Process, Progress, and uPscaling. The Satoyama Initiative and ILSA offer a robust model for planning strategic actions and programs for rural, coastal and mountainous villages in Taiwan and abroad. It is also recommended to be incorporated into capacity development projects for nurturing future talent, which may include TaiwanICDF’s foreign aid initiatives and scholarship programs for international graduate students. Finally, the paper introduces a set of 2023-2030 strategic objectives promoted by the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative in response to KM-GBF action-oriented global targets and analyzes how some important decisions of CBD COP16 align with relevant policies supported by TaiwanICDF for friendly or developing countries.

Public-Private Cooperation to Promote Biodiversity:
The Practice and Insights of the E. Sun Bank Malavi Project

(Xin-hua Wu, Senior Officer, Risk Management Division, E. Sun Bank; Oliy Chang,Senior Vice President, Risk Management Division, E. Sun Bank; Danny Chung, Manager, Risk Management Division, E. Sun Bank; Dai-heng Hsu, Officer, Risk Management Division, E. Sun Bank)

Climate change and biodiversity loss represent critical global challenges in contemporary society. Extreme weather and changes to ecosystems pose significant threats to economic and social stability. Although the United Nations has set a target to protect 30% of Earth's natural resources by 2030, factors such as economic incentives, technical barriers, and the scale of actions continue to hinder biodiversity conservation efforts.

In 2014, E. Sun Financial Holdings launched the Malavi Project, collaborating with the government, enterprises, and non-profit organizations to promote organic farming among indigenous residents in Hualien’s Zhuoxi Township, realizing a vision of harmony with nature. Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, the project supports local agricultural transformation with funding, technology, and marketing, promoting organic farming and restoring biodiversity. This article takes the Malavi Project as a case study to analyze its operational model and key success factors, offering insights for broader regions to advance global biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

International Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization:
Taiwan's Experience in Foreign Technical Cooperation

(Chao-Yeh Chen, Junior Specialist, Technical Cooperation Department, TaiwanICDF)

With the escalating threats of biodiversity loss and climate change, plant genetic resources have become a critical asset for ensuring food security. This article discusses the importance of plant genetic resource conservation, highlights major domestic and international conservation institutions, and explains the International Cooperation and Development Fund’s (TaiwanICDF) practices in this field.

As Taiwan’s implementing agency for official development assistance, the TaiwanICDF actively promotes mutual support in international plant genetic resource conservation and utilization, including supporting allied countries in achieving food self-sufficiency through agricultural technology and the preservation of local varieties. The TaiwanICDF also collects excellent local varieties from partner countries to expand Taiwan's conservation range. Moreover, the TaiwanICDF has conducted plant resource surveys and compiled plant catalogs in the Solomon Islands, promoted rice variety conservation in Haiti and Nicaragua, protected local varieties of  taro in Palau, preserved rare date palm resources in Saudi Arabia, and increased potato production in Honduras. Through technology transfers, resource sharing, and regulatory protection these international cooperation projects fulfill the principles of mutual support in plant genetic resource conservation, reinforce cooperative ties, and contribute to the sustainable development of global agriculture.

 

• 更新日期: 2024/12/30
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