In international law and policy circles it is increasingly recognized that the preservation of biodiversity is integrally related to the preservation of cultural diversity. Indigenous peoples and local communities hold traditional ecological knowledge of great potential value and importance in global efforts to achieve sustainable development objectives. As such, these peoples and their knowledges are endangered from a multitude of sources. This paper will consider global efforts to value and preserve traditional ecological knowledges, the use and significance of digital technologies in facilitating the preservation of this cultural diversity, and point to issues that require further research. First, I will introduce the key policy issues around biodiversity conservation. Then, I examine the legal obligations of the majority of developed countries under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD). From there, I focus on the role of intellectual property rights in protecting traditional environmental knowledge, as well as the uses of digital technology to protect biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.

There is a growing recognition that the diversity of life comprises both biological and cultural diversity. But this division is not universal and, in many cases, has been deepened by the common disciplinary divide between the natural and social sciences and our apparent need to manage and control nature. This book goes beyond divisive definitions and investigates the bridges linking biological and cultural diversity. The international team of authors explore the common drivers of loss, and argue that policy responses should target both forms of diversity in a novel integrative approach to conservation, thus reducing the gap between science, policy and practice. While conserving nature alongside human cultures presents unique challenges, this book forcefully shows that any hope for saving biological diversity is predicated on a concomitant effort to appreciate and protect cultural diversity.

The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity.

The field of biocultural diversity is emerging as a dynamic, integrative approach to understanding the links between nature and culture and the interrelationships between humans and the environment at scales from the global to the local. Its multifaceted contributions have ranged from theoretical elaborations, to mappings of the overlapping distributions of biological and cultural diversity, to the development of indicators as tools to measure, assess, and monitor the state and trends of biocultural diversity, to on-the-ground implementation in field projects. This book is a unique compendium and analysis of projects from all around the world that take an integrated biocultural approach to sustaining cultures and biodiversity. The 45 projects reviewed exemplify a new focus in conservation: this is based on the emerging realization that protecting and restoring biodiversity and maintaining and revitalizing cultural diversity and cultural vitality are intimately, indeed inextricably, interrelated. Published with Terralingua and IUCN

Weaving together philosophical, historical, legal, scientific and personal viewpoints, this book gives a rich sample of the vast web which makes up our cultural, spiritual and social diversity. The volume highlights the central importance of cultural and spiritual values in the appreciation and preservation of all life and argues that these values give us a true reflection of worth. It demonstrates how many cultures see Nature as an extension of society, and how sensitive stewardship is an integral part of existence. The book covers: language and how cognition and speech encode indigenous knowledge systems are critical for preservation of diversity; the complex issue of indigenous people and the problems of preserving their relationships both with and within their societies; voices of the world - expressions of concern and disquiet over the declining world diversity; holistic health practices where environment and diet are integrated into indigenous medical health systems; the importance of developing effective intellectual property rights and territorial and land rights to enhance and maintain local control. This book arose out of the Global Biodiversity Assessment (GBA), a massive review of current knowledge in the broad field of biological diversity, commissioned by United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

The book collects a selection of the papers presented at the meeting held in the context of the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (JP-BiCuD). Recognizing the inextricable link between biological and cultural diversity, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) joined forces, and in 2010 launched the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (JP-BiCuD). The first meeting for the implementation of the JP-BiCuD was held in Florence (Italy) in April 2014 and produced the UNESCO-sCBD Florence Declaration, which highlights the concept of biocultural diversity. The European rural territory is predominantly a biocultural, multi-functional landscape, providing a crucial and effective space for integration of biological and cultural diversity, suggesting the need to revise some of the current strategies for the assessment and management of biodiversity.

Cultural Diversity Is Closely Linked To Biodiversity. Humanity S Collective Knowledge Of Biodiversity And Its Use And Management Rests In Cultural Diversity; Conversely, Conserving Biodiversity Often Helps Strengthen Cultural Integrity Beliefs, And Values. Task Before Us Is To Safeguard Cultural And Biological For Present And Future Generations. Anthropology S Enduring Interest In People S Knowledge Systems Has Recently Attracted The Attention Of Development Policymakers And Practitioners. Indigenous Knowledge Has Emerged With The Focus On Popular Participation And Planning-From-Below. There Is Greater Need To Discuss The Links Between Nature And Culture, And Particularly To Acknowledge The Intangible/ Tangible Heritage Of Indigenous/ Tribal People In The World. This Volume Is Being Brought Out As A Special Commemorative Volume During Out As A Special Commemorative Volume During The 16Th World Congress Of The International Union Of Anthropological And Ethnological Sciences (Iuaes) 2009, Kunming, Yunna, China-27-31 July 2009. In Order To Be Compatible With The Focal Theme Of Humanity, Development And Cultural Diversity Of The 16Th World Congress Iuaes, 2009, We Have Chosen The Somewhat Allied Theme Of Cultural Diversity, Indigenous Knowledge, And Biodiversity Conservation To Bring This Special Volume. In Doing So Our Prime Purpose Is To Present Before The World Anthropologists A Faction Of Our Contribution Towards Understanding The Large Vision Of Humanity, Development And Cultural Diversity. The Chosen Themes Of Cultural Diversity, Indigenous Knowledge, And Biodiversity Conservation Are Too Focused To Be Adequately And Justifiably Analyzed By The Specialists In One Discipline. Hence, We Approached The Colleagues In Allied Discipline. All Papers Focus On Long Or More Of The Issues Of The Cultural Diversity, Indigenous Knowledge, And Biodiversity Conservation And In Doing So They Are Not Confined To Asia / South Asia Alone.

The goal of this transdisciplinary book is to identify the problems and challenges facing implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - from the global, regional and local points of view. The valuation and conservation of biodiversity are critical first steps necessary for the adequate protection of the environment. The authors give insights into the the influences the CBD exerts, and current trends in the field.

To assess the social processes of globalization that are changing the way in which we co-inhabit the world today, this book invites the reader to essay the diversity of worldviews, with the diversity of ways to sustainably co-inhabit the planet. With a biocultural perspective that highlights planetary ecological and cultural heterogeneity, this book examines three interrelated themes: (1) biocultural homogenization, a global, but little perceived, driver of biological and cultural diversity loss that frequently entail social and environmental injustices; (2) biocultural ethics that considers –ontologically and axiologically– the complex interrelationships between habits, habitats, and co-inhabitants that shape their identity and well-being; (3) biocultural conservation that seeks social and ecological well-being through the conservation of biological and cultural diversity and their interrelationships.

Catherine Potvin, Margaret Kraenzel, and Gilles Seutin asked scientists from developing countries to summarize their experiences of international collaboration and to suggest attitudes and practices that would lead to more fruitful exchanges with northern scientists. They also asked scholars to provide an analytical framework in which these issues could be discussed and to identify possible solutions to questions such as: What are the responsibilities of first world scientists involved in conservation actions in developing countries? How can biologists work toward the protection of biodiversity while being respectful of the human desire for a better future? The resulting papers analyse specific situations encountered in countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, India, and Panama and discuss the philosophical basis for environmental research. They also examine the work of two institutions whose projects in developing countries have been particularly effective through outreach and attention to local values and needs and who propose a pluralistic view of conservation biology ethics. Protecting Biological Diversity seeks to encourage students and professionals involved in conservation projects to adopt culturally sensitive attitudes that will lead to greater effectiveness and efficiency in conservation and greater respect for the differences of others. Contributors include H Baser (Canadian International Development Agency, Ottawa), P. Butler (Rare Centre for Tropical Conservation, Saint Lucia), R. Cansari (McGill University), A.K. Gupta (Indian Institute of Management, India), M. Martinez-Velarde (Universidad Santa Maria la Antigua, Panama), L. Mubalama (Institut congolais pour la conservation de la nature, Zaire), B.J Norton (School of Public Policy, Atlanta), L. Packard (Texas A&M University), M.H. Parizeau (Université Laval), L.H. Rakotovao (Centre national de recherche en environnement, Madagascar), V. Regis (Rare Centre for Tropical Conservation (Saint Lucia), P. Weeks (The Environmental Institute of Houston), and G. Wigley (Ottawa).